Читать книгу The Complete Works of Malatesta Vol. III - Errico Malatesta - Страница 25

Translated from “Adesioni al manifesto astensionista,”

L’Agitazione (Ancona) 1, no. 3 (March 28, 1897).

We would urge those who approve of the manifesto and who have yet to give notice of their support to do so as soon as possible.

Some comrades, writing to us about the issue of signatures, tell us that there are people in their groups who, for family or employment reasons, cannot give their names openly without compromising themselves. We would not like to be misunderstood. We have argued for the benefits of and need for speaking out publicly, but that does not mean that we should give up the precautions commended by sheer common sense. Exposing oneself to the blows of the enemy to no useful purpose would amount to naivety and foolishness!

It is natural for those who cannot or who simply do not wish to commit themselves to be on their guard. But if, as happens in every group, there are some comrades not bothered about hiding their identity and who may already be known as anarchists on account of their propaganda among the public, why should we miss out on the prestige earned by a party that bravely asserts its ideas? And why play into the hands of the police who, from time to time, take it into their heads to uncover that which it never occurred to anybody to conceal?

[Followed by a list of fresh endorsements for the manifesto]