The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-10-28

you, at the beginning Of the year some ex-
phnationsabout the PruSsidR Pres Bureau
AID told for any one
acquainted with its mechanism and com
position, and was able to calculate, rather
an easy thing to find out what the scrbes
of the Press Bureau are trying 70 hide
and towards which aim they want 10
guide or misguide the vile multitudes r
Well from the attitude of the journals
the direction of the Berlin Bureau. il can
0e guessed now with absolute certainty ?
| l. That it was Mr.. Bismarck who sought
and seeks the friendship Of Austria, and in
whose head originated the plan of the pri-
vate interview, and 2. That the trump
card he played at Gastein, in order 10
brighten the Austrians, into an alliance
with Prussia. has been the international
/ WOrkingmen's 5 Association Whether Bis
marck was successful, we do not know,
vel paper which is said to receive Off
cial Communications on the part of the
HOhenwmt Ministry, the Vienna tn
gespresse," DAILY Press) tells us. when
Bismarck talked Of the danger Of the Inter
national, and Of the necessity Of taking
common measures against this most dan
gerous society, Hohenwart had rcplied
! to him: We In Austria are moi afraid ~
the International Workingmen's Associa-
ton, and our laws are sufficient to save u
from all danger arising from socialism
II the Austrian Ministers have really sno-
ken that, he has, under existing circumstan
ce, spoken rather terribly, but, at the same
tine spoken an tgregious uHtruM. OfalI
European governments, the Austrian il the
only one which has shown the create Il fear
OF socialism, though having less cause for
1t, than any other government
However be that as it may, the social
question is on the tapis " and in connec.
ton with the "Gastien Conference" the
whole press Of Germany, is without A sin
gle exception, discussing the ways and
means and how 10 get rid of it, Ii The IN
cial question can not be got rid OF without
being So!oed, and ss it cannot be solved
without destroying the old society Of sci
hshness, privileges and oppression. and
without founding a neo society based on
justice that is, equal rights fer all. 1t is ev-
dent that the organs of the old society
cannot wish Tor a real solution. and
are obliged to propose all kinds Of
Siam solutions instead. So it is not 10 be
wondered that the most ridiculous propo-
Stions. An oficious wiseacre tells Us the
government must Cypress the socialis,
movement, and while forbidding the work
ing classes to take their own affairs in their
own hands carry out reforms which
Will prevent discomfort for the future.
Unfortunately the good soul who gives
this ingenious advice has forgotten to State
what sort Of reform he meant. Another
one IS SIS scrupuloUs and simply saws
the whole social question is an illusion, let
those, in whom the illusion is most DOW
ertul, be sent 10 prison. and we shall not
hear any more Of social question" A
third one is rather of meditative mind
contradlcts the former and is Of opinion
that the question can only be solved after
having been studied by the government
The honest man is apparently not aware
that Bismarck who gave rise to the pres
ent discussion, had been in his way study
ing the social question for the last eight or
nine years, and that all his studying has
not brought him an inch nearer TO the
solution Simply because, being a Jun
ker and one Of the gamers by old society,
he DIES not rant to solve the social ques-
ton, but only to play with it, and to use it
as tool for his political ends. And this is
the case with all other governments. The
most radical proposition emanates from the
"hreuzzeitung' Gazette Of the Gross the
organ of Prusan Younkerdom. 1t argues
logically: The workingmens movement
Is the upshOt Of the unnatural position
in which the modern working classes find
themselves, all measures will prove futile,
which do not attack the evil at the root.
As long as we have an industrial prole-
|
tarians-we shall have the social question
with its concomitant terrors. There is but
one cure: the modern proletdriat must be
abolished So far the Kreuzzettuno is
thoroughly logical, and the staunchest
socialist can subscribe TO every word. But
now its logic is at an end, and madness
begins, though there is Dsotlod in it. doubt
lessly. How are we to abolish the Probe
tariat? Well, by abolishing its source
modern industry Modern industry must
be given up; we must return to the dark
middle age (of which you, in the New
World, have happily no idea) when there
were no giant capitalists on one side and
starving millions, on .theI other,-when
masters and men were members ofthe same
guild, when the men were sure to become
masters one day. where, in fact, labour
was organized" and when (this the
Kreuzzeitung did think, but not saw the
| irnpnapSa majority of tba ,oo,I.