The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-07-02

| The New German Socialists.
The territorial and dynastic revolution
which has transformed thcmapof Germany.
has ObscurcG to some extent other changes
scarcely less sweeping and significant The
suspicious fact II that the one element ire
trievably ruined by the new order of things
IL the aristocratic element. and that the very
consolidation of political interests which has
aggrandizcd the House Of HoHENzoLLERN
AZ the expense Of the old ruling classes, has
likewise given singular impetus 10 the
social Moderation Of the people. 1t looks as
If the experience IT France were TO bc re-
reated and as if BISMARCK, like RICHELTEU.
would unwllingly but inevitably pave the
wny for democracy.
While German Socialists reproduce many OF
the theories and principles formulated by st.
SIMON, PRorpncS and LoUIs BLANC, they
have shown themselves singularly circuin-
spcct. prudent, and temperate in their APP
plicatlOn. In The hands of SCHULzE-DE-
LIrzscH. LAS ALLIE, and we might even add
kAHL MARX, French thought may bc said to
have been for the first time made practicable.
These wcll-known leaders have been cfIcc-
lively seconded hy large class of culti-
waited university tcachA - known rs Kathc-
! dcr-ozialistcn. or. as We should probably
call them. Podagogue Rcformcrs. These
men. who, for the most part, are themselves
poor and struggling. unite philosophic in
sight with the most vivid feeling for the
poor and struggling classes; aud IL is note
worthy fact that in Germany liberal learn
! ing. whose ari-tocratic proclivtic-s are else
where conspicuous has at all times been In
| deep sympathy with the common people.
| Thus guided and controlled We should cx-
| poet German sOcia lisln TO show. as IL can
show. substantial fruits. These may hc
| briefly stated. and 10 that end ""
| avail ourselves of facts collected I'm
the first number Of the new RGdic,d R,rier,
n publication which promises to make for
itself "A name in American periodical lit"ra-
turc. Lei Us glance at the representation
which the Socialists have secured in the
present German Parliament, and then pass
to a far more material success. namely, the
legislation which the existence and rapid
growth Of this par; s. have from time to time
forced upon the Government.
In the election for the third Imperial Par
lament which took place Jan. 10. 1877. the
Socialists elected hut thirteen or fourteen
memher- out OF four hundred. 1t does moi
follow that the long-headel leaders Of the
National Liberals think il prudent to ignorc
the claims Of the constituency represented
by this handful of deputies In the first
place the aggregate suffragcs of the COM
bncd Opposition somewhat exceeded the
number Of votes cast for Ministerial candi-
dates To this great body IF electors. united
only in their dislike of the existing Govern
meut, the revolutionary party contributed
one-ciglth. Moreover, it developed great
and growing strength in the larg" citc-. 1t
commanded forty per ccut of the votes
thrown in Dresden, and sent their most dis
tingul7iied spokesman, FERDINAND AU1UsT
BEBEL, TO the Reichstag from that capital.
Two other leaders, HAsrNcLEvER and
FRlrsCuE, sit for Berlin, which had hithcr-
to been considered the exclusive prop
crty II the Progrcssist-, while Ham
burg narrowly escaped elcotlng any but So
cialsts. Now ii was remarked that I'm two
or three districts the Catholics and Social
lists voted together, and "a movement is on
| foot To consolidate the two parties. To our
| American alurmists such an alliance may
| seem prepOeteruus; but in Germany, where
men carry brains as we'll ~ prejudiccs into
politics, it - quite possible, and az ST
GEORGE MIvAKr some time ago pointed out,
perhaps mutually desirable. The league
once formed, the Particularists would ho
| swayed 10y Catholic affiliations to join II,
while the so-callod PrOgcssists could not
stay away from it, being Democrats, and
| the nearest friends and allies Of the Social
| lists; and finally the rcet ~ tho nnti-BIs-
MAliCK men, rs th0y sometimes call them
selves, would grayitutc toward the same
great body. To prevent this concentration
Of the Opposition, and 10 cool tho ardor of
the Socialist propaganda, BISMARCK and
his able conductors have actually accorded
to the reVolutionists almost everything
which they claimed, and almost instantly
upon their asking for it. BY these prompt
concessions, to which less attention has been
paid outside Of Germany than they deserve
the question has been left open whether So
calism might not gain more from the sue
cess of the National Liberal party than from
its overthrow.
We must bear in mind that, while the
principle ~ universal suffrage is common 10
the German Empire and the United States
the field OF its efficient application IS widely
different. Every German has right to
vote-but to vote what; The central Gov
crnmcnt there differs from our own by
being invested with all the power and SOW
creisnty which Is not specially mctcd out
to the individual States or to the people at
large; Whereas in this country the people of
the coordinate States are supposed to retain
Whatever they have not specially delegated
and transferred to the Federal authorities
1t is quite needless to Insist ON the diamct-
rieal divergence Of these systems. 1t is
plain that while in America it might he
possible for socialism to become a great
power without conflicting with the laws of
the land since on tho supposition It would
Income the lawmakers ON the other hand,
In Germany struggle Is inevitable unless
the central Government Is swift to mark
and discrcctly yield to the pressure of
popular opinion. This policy OF conces-
! sion has been 80 skillully carried out III