The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-05-27
LEIPZIG, March 20, 1871.

r
die class democrats of undoubted homes
~ who blamed us for treating Mr.. Bis
marck's parliamentary performances as
. hollow sham and comedy to befoo
the multitude. Universal suffrage, these
gentlemen told us, was something 10 be
respected ; it was good weapon even
in its present state and it would be fool
ish not to use the arms furnished to US
simply because they were furnished by
an enemy. This reasoning would have
been correct. if we were at liberty to
use the weapon. have explained to
you already, that we are not The most
conclusive practical proof has been afi
forded by the last election. Not only
have the different governments exer-
cised the greatest pressure in favor OF
the officials or officious candidates, but,
not satisfied with this, they have also
crippled in every way the actions of the
opposition. II would be vain task for
me, in this letter, TO give American
readers an idea of the numberIess
means which our governments have Of
iafuencing their subjects should hare
to set forth our whole political system,
our administr alive Capitalization, the
absolute power of those that rule and
the sbject dependence Of those that are
ruled. Suffice it, to say the pressure
exercised by the authorities was this
time tar greater than at any former
election, aud, as if that had not been
enough yet, the King-Emperor himself
was made an electioneering agent.
! The official news of the acceptance OF
the peace by the French Assembly,
which was known at the Prussian head.
i quarters early in the morning Of the
second of March, was kept back for "a
hours, and telegraphed to Germany,
with the king-Emperor's signature, on
the following day, which was election
day, just in time TO produce a most sub.
stanIlal effect. | sm sure this clever
piece e-ststemanship has caused q
/ few hundred thousand peace-leving
burghers 10 vote for Mr.. Bismarck .
] men. But much more serious, although
perhaps not productive of more lmme.
date effect, was the INSCRIPTIONS in
reference with the liberty of those par
ties that oppose the existing state OF
things-chief1y Of social-democrscy.
From all parts Of Germany we hear
that obstacles of every kind were
thrown in the path Of the members OF
our party meetings forbidden, placards
con6scated and the bearers arrested
and in one case the candidate himself
sent to prison on the day before the
election. Thus the first whole German
parliament, as our national liberals
call 1t lyingly, was elected. And this
is our newest era, which il SO much to
the taste Of your president that, as a
citizen loving his country, he ought to
introduce the like practices IN the
United States, together with the other
blessings of the same nature appertain-
ing to this onr newest era
I And vet, la spite of adverse crcum-
stances and influence, in spite of the
systematic prosecutions directed against
our party we polied here IN Saxony
alone $4,000 votes, in Berlin above
5000, in the rest of Prussia about as
many. and in the Southwestern States
at least 10000 a total of some sixty
thousand, while at the election Of 1867
our candidates had only 10000 votes,
and that fer a programme far less pre-
else and advanced than our present
one (the Eisca0eh programmed is. Nor
is this all. In the last Reichstsg be-
sides our own representatives were sit
ting four socialists that belonged to
either of the two societies, which claim
to be the continuation of L0ssGtls' s
Universal German Workingmen's
Society,"" but which are in reality the
tools Of scheming intriguers, one OF
whom, NJ. Schweitzer is without any
doubt in the pay Of Mr.. Bismarck.
This time the candidates put forward
by those two societies, have been de-
feated everywhere, and the only one
who has a chance to be elected by 3
second poll, is also supported by our
party. This signal victory OF true
1 democratic socialism over spurious &C.
saristic socialism will render the cleo
tons of 1871 for ever memorable in the
history of the German working classes
movement
In the meantime the glory fever Is
slowly decreasing, and sober truth IS
steadily making its way. One Of our
most rabid national.liheral newspaper,
the German Uaiversal Gazette, of LeiP
zig, brought yesterday the following, in
: Berlin correspondence:
"The progress Germany has made III
military things since 1866 is really inn
mense. Prussia (here the writer for
gets the customary cant, and calls Ger
many by the right name) had then IL
divisions to-day the German Emperor
commands more than twice as many, VIE.
81 divisions"
If the writer continues in a fit Of
mental abstraction, if on other fields
similar results had been achieved, the
German nation would not only be the
most powerful, but also the happiest
and freest in this part of the globe.
Unfortunately in the inner develop
ment of the German Empire there is
much TO be derived still. | should
think 50 /! That our immense progress
in military things is the reason why we
are not the happiest and freest people
of the world, the poor fool of a. CORES
pondent seems unable to understand
Still it is a hopeful sign, that even in
these quarters doubts begin to arise.
Doubt Is the father Of knowledge
Another instance of returning sense
and judgment deserves to be recorded
You reccollect the stupid myth Of the
ttD.uan;o1 sahnnl ruastor that won tbe