International Workingmen’s Association 1865
Lafargue (on behalf of Marx) said that the resolution moved by Odger at one of the Reform meetings conferring a vote [of] thanks upon Count Bismarck was calculated to injure the credit of this Association. He therefore demanded that a vote of censure should be passed upon Odger.
A discussion ensued which ended in instructing the Secretary a to write to Odger requesting his attendance at the next meeting.
After some discussion in which several members took part, the following resolution, proposed by Citizen Lessner and seconded by Citizen Lafargue, was carried unanimously.
Resolved, "That inasmuch as Citizen Odger has proposed a resolution at the Council of the Reform League thanking Mr. Bismarck for what he had done for the democratic cause in Germany; and inasmuch as Citizen Odger is President of the International Working Men's Association, the General Council feels it to be its duty to repudiate any solidarity with the said resolution and with Citizen Odger's speech in support thereof."
Upon the proposition of Citizen Hales, it was unanimously agreed not to appoint a standing president.
Upon the proposition of Citizen Shaw, it was unanimously [agreed] that the functions hitherto performed by the financial secretary should be transferred to the general secretary and the office of financial secretary abolished.
Citizen Marx announced that a member of the Association, Citizen Liebknecht, had been returned to the North German Parliament by the working men of Saxony. He was the only member that had dared to attack Bismarck's war policy, for which he had been invited by the Arbeiter-Bildungs-Verein — a Schulze-Delitzsch society — to receive the acknowledgements of the working men for his services.
Citizen Marx read some extracts from the stenographic reports of the North German Parliament. Mr. Liebknecht, a member of the Association, had delivered a speech in favour of the abolition of standing armies and the introduction of popular armaments, and subjecting Bismarck's conduct in the Luxemburg affair to a severe criticism.