The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-04-22
LEIPZIG, March 8, 1871.

stands TO the elections for the Reich
stag will become clear from the follow
ing resolution, which was carried unan-
imously in our last Congress, at SUIT
CART, in June last
Resolved. The Social Democratic Party takes
part in the elections for the ReichstAg aud the
Customs Parliament. solely from agtatory prop
agandistic reasons. Our representatives in the
Reichstag and Customs Parliament have en-
deavored. as FIR - it il possible to promote The
interests Of the working classes, but on the
whole they have to stand on the negative, and
shall use every opportunity for unmasking aud
exposing the parliamentary doings OF both
these bodies as hollow comedy.
Since then the North German Reich
stag has been ch anged into a German
Reichstag, and the G ustOms Parliament
that most unfortun ate and hopeless
of Count Bismarck's creations-has
been thrown into the lumber room but
hose are mere outward changes, which
no ways affect the essence of things.
and so the Stuttgart resolution is still
in full force. You see from it we do
not expect anything from parliamen-
tary body which is altogether deprived
of power, and so composed that the
majority will oppose every serious
struggle for power. All our chances
are lying out Of doors, and consequent
ly our energy must be concentrated up
on organizing pressure from without.
Whether we have m ny or few, any or
no representatives. ia this Reichstag,
does not matter. Had we the majority,
nod Of Count Bismarck would send
them TO prison. What matters to US is
to make the best use of the facilities
which the election movement offers for
the propagation Of our principles. The
Prussian Empire, like the French, will
not be overthrow by Parliamentarism
its own lacquey and court fool.
That we are not alone in our estima-
ton Of the Reichstsg, and that the
great bulk Of the people has, il spite OF
official putting, no higher opinion Of 1t,
may be gathered from the fact THAI iD
many electoral districts no candidates
have yet appeared. And in FIVE days
the elections are to take place!
Though the official officious and
otherwise national that is, Bis
marckian-press continues to brag in a
manner which shows that the German
modesty Of these representatives Of our
nation is ten times as impudent as the
most impudent rhodomontading OF
French swashbucklers, milit airy and
civil, has ever been. Yet in the very
same papers articles are appearing
since about a fortnight which sufficient
" betray the embarrassing situation
of the Prussian government. Peace
there will be; no doubt any more. A
"g glorious and profitable peace,
too. Most likely handsome piece Of
land annexed, and certainly lot OF
money pocketed. The land annexed
will not fill one single hungry German
stomach, it is true, and the money pock.
eted will not dry the tears If one single
child or wife orphaned or widowed b.
the war. But never manifestations
the peace will he for those that made
the war, and profitable, also, 10 some
extent The profit i not so sure as the
glory. And the misgivngs about this
point are 50 harassing that they ooze
out through the pores Of the else-so-
discreet press bureau. Peace we have.
or shall have in few days, but what
next? What next? Yes-that is the
ominous question which rose before Mr..
Bismarck when he made his remark
about our difficulties beginning aftei
France is conquered" What next :
Frenchmen are human beings, with
human feelings and human passions
And in human nature il is, that a mar
whom you beat and humble becomes
your enemy, unless, by making atone
ment, you succeed in gaining HI:
friendship. Applied to the case il
hand, this means that Germany, OF
Prussia, has now to choose between
two courses-cither to treat France
kindly and generously, with a view o.
eradicating the hatred engendered b,
five months If horrible, monstrous il
usage; or to crown this i'll usage by :
peace which lowers France and rem
ders her the mortal enemy of Prussia
"A third course does not exist. Fithel
the one or the other Either We mus
resign all ideas of territorial aggran
dlzement, or we must take the conse
quences.
Tie former would be hard-indeed
morally impossible to us. And the lat
ter-well, what are the consequence.
we should have 10 take ? eve" have
killed and disabled some two or three
hundred thousand French soldiers
but We have lost quite as many our
selves, and there are still some two 81
three mi;.i~ls of Frenchmen between
the ages Of twenty and forty left, who
in short time, may become excellent
soldiers. And then: All, IL We BE-
lieved in what We are talking Of our
military superiority But, unfortunate
ly, selt-praise not only has a bad smell
az the impOlite German proverb says
but 1t has also the great fault Of con.
vlncing neither its manufacturer nor it,
intended purchaser We know very
well that we have been telling a fiji
when we told the people that one Ger
man soldier was a match for two
three, four, half dozen French sol
diers. We know very well. that our
much-vaunted military superiority Ia,
been due to lucky combination q
favorable accidents and chance.