The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-01
GERMANY'S GREAT PROBLEM
GENERAL sIGEL's EsJIMdTE or SOCIAL
ISM PRESENT AND FUTURE
Tho Movements Progress. and Strength tt.
Danger. and Its BeneHts-A Foothoid In
America aud What u May Dcveicp-MI-
eroslaMsiI aud the Prince Of rru..In.

record la our war Of the rebellion. his we'll
known mental ability and moral worth, and his
thorough information upon n topic OF the high
est importance to the future not only OF Europe
but of our own country. all cou:pirc to give
especial value to his uttcrances in the direction
10 which his thoughts were turncd in a recent
conversation with n reporter for The Sun. He
was asked about the Socialists. and he answered.
think that the Socialists although mi
nority. are very active and energetic, and
that they are very adrotly aud successfully
taking advantage of all tho causes for dssatis-
faction now prevailing in Germany. There is
grcss stagnaion in business there. the result
Of over speculation after the Franco German
war. and for other causes. Germany with the
exception Of the southern part. Is not naturally
q rich country. Her people must make up by
hard labor what nature has not given her She
has an immense stan ling army. which con-
sumes and does not produce which H. conSe-
o1ently an enormous and grevous burden.
md represents in itself a Kind Ot commuustic
machinery. The soldiers arr kept together 10y
despotc orders they .cat and sleep together.
work together. are fed and paid 10y tue state,
and are only existing through the support of
the state. The Consequence ~ all that IS that
they become accustomed to this Kind of COM
nunistic life. and when they ar" discharged
from military service they have lost that energy
and power of enterprise which marks ths man
who from his youth has been trained to habits
Of individual slf-rclianre ana selfsupport.
from the army. and contiuu" 10 receive them
daily. la iSi9 one Of the mcst crratic chiefs of
officer Augus; Won Willich. who has since been
known in this country ~ good Union soldier.
whether he Inns changed his extreme views IN
his later days am not aware,
There is agrcat i ference between the meth
DDS which tho socialists contau plato applying.
Communism is only form OF socialism. W. tue
latter includes all that aims AT IMPROVEMENT OF
the cond ton NJ human society and rclorma-
ton OF existing abuses. Every man who makes
the coalition OF society his study. who thinks
about the causes OF existing evils aud the rome
dies 70 be applied. - in fact asoriast, special
ly II he tries To realize his ideas by legislative
or other practical means. Consequently. whvr-
ever OPPRESSION. poverty. sun'r and ntell-
gfnco exist together. socialism must find its
ned Its developments depend upon various
Immediate int licences. We might very properly
gay that the philanthroplst IL a sociaist-likc
Mr.. Cooper and other good men who have tried
y mitigate the evils ~ society ani to do some
thing for the poor. But communism H. dlstin-
guisned 10y its very particular method which
tends TO absorb the property OF corporations.
societies. and individuals by the State, To- max"
the STATE the only capitalist and proprietor. the
regulator OF production and consumption. and
10 maS- every man It's "mployce. Such "A con
diuGn Of affairs Of course demands n hierar
chtchal system Of directors officers aud agents.
ami places the soul OF so lety. ~ II were. Within
this stat" ot hierarchy. That is the conception
maintained and propagatcd in Germany by the
leaders Of the so-caled socialistic. but in fact.
commun'str party
existing in Germany. the one working Tor the
amrlorMion of Affairs 10y cooperative societles
aud certain measures which have "a soclstc
character. but which do not make a perfect com
nunlstlc system necessary; the other that which
m"nt OF a communists hierarchy. Among the
l-ilers Of the former We may hook upon Schultze
Delitsch rs the most conspicuous. The latter
party mas been represented by Lsssallc who
was Killed IN "A duel AZ Geneva in 1854. Louis
Blanc represents II for Francc and IN Ger
many the Communists are the Int nati onals
whose chief for "a long time WINS Carl Marx, VINO
directed the affairs OF the society from England
The Socialistic Democrats in Germany are only
lnt'rnati JnaIs with another name. Their most
Liebknecht. well known by his parliamentary
controversy with Primes Bismarck. The pres
ent strength Of tn. Social site Democratic vote
q at al
vote OF from seven 10 eight millions. The
strongest contingent OF SOsialist Democrats, or
Communists. Is furnished by SaNony and 81
lesA where, in 1s44. great disturbances OF a
sociaistic character took place;
IL seems most probable that the present
Congress will. like the famous Congress IL Lai-
bach. wnicq WAS held IN 1921. take into con-
matters AKIN thereto. and that there will be- "a
unity OF action among the European powers 10
Whether they will be successful If another
question. 80 long AS the causes exist which lead
u dlssAt- faction In the great mass OF the peo-
pie. We have seen, in former revolutions. that
a very energetic minority has taken the lead IN
the movement, and the masses OF the people
hhVe iolluwrdthem. even although those masses
hay" not been SO far advanced In their
leaders So. Tor instance. in lsis the MAJOR
lty OF the German people were not krpubican
nevertheless they would have thrown them
selves into ia" arms OF the krpubcan minority
II II had attained som" signal success. On the
may bring about "A. connIci anu even r''Volu-
ton, and the mass OF the people not So far nd
Nhn't~l IL
meut according To their ideas and not according
t. the ideas oil the instlgaiOrs. TINS is what
may happen IN Germany. and throughout
EUROPE. nave no doubt that something must
be- done 10 alleviate existing troubles in Ger
many, because il the present state Of affairs
should last, II VIII undermine the whole SUPER
structure Of society. and, IN case OF "A new rrVo-
luton IN France. the storm will break down the
existing stru ture there. sweep into Germany.
ani in that may see the horrors OF u
ihiriy years war suppressed into COMPARE
What do YOU see as the probable outcome Of
socialism IN this country
In TINS country the question Ia more intri-
cate There are too many different interests TO
hhrmonIZe. There rs not here one people only.
but there are many who have their different
aspirations. ideas. and methods OF education
ana progress. And then these questions about
touched. much less digested here and in social
Ism rs in oN 'rythlng els" politicians are taking
care less OF tue welfare OF their country ana
their people than ~ the success Of their indl-
vldua aspirations and their party triumphs.
There Is no great danger of socialistlc evolution
nlste system N this country, not for u long time
10 come at least. The danger at the present
moment from the few thousands who ars trying
to Introduce their comnunstlc system is not
great. but II Is great from practical Interference
with business Dy well-prepared and silnutane-
ously executed strikes and conflicts which may
arse from them on account 81 the miserable
htat' 81 affairs which exists. There is general
dissatisfaction among the worklng classes. ana
very Justly, too. Against the inevitably conse-
he mil'1arv force OF he country and To- nave
reliance upon oar militia. TINS Is all very well.
perhaps, Tut II wound BE- much better 10 See now
III" causes of such general distress may be re-
moved or ~ last somewhat mtlguted. See, Tor
1nstan'r: There are spent IN the city OF New
York. every year. about 81 OUO.OOO for phian-
thrnpic purposes; ami yet W. do not benefit
much by H. Ii those 81 .OOu.OUO. or onc-half Of
them were to be- properly applied 10 the coloni-
eaton OF the industrious but nevertheless now
necessitous people among Us. instead OF AFFORD
Ing m-rr temporary support, a great number
OF our poor people, or those who have no work
a. present, could be taken care Of. and the bene-
tieliu results would extend Indirectly but great
" 10 ttli society. 1t would not be necessary for
the stat. 10 do III g. hut II could be done by prl
vat, enterprise underline protection OF the state.
DO not believe that WorkhOuses would be- a
great benefit. or ia toed any. Tor the city Tor
thry would only draw more paup-rs into II.
Inn better way would be- 10 found institutions
Tor ia" promotion and encouragement Of hgri-
cultural industry call them land asylums or
AWNING 's' Nuu plHlse-ln certain parts Of
tlo Stat" Wher" shelter. prOlu tive and lnstruc-
i've WORK couid %" gwen, AMI whence, when
they were roudy To- 20 10 tus lar West. colonies
OF settlers, prspIrei Tor o." nov conditions OF
~" To bee enHOuntrr"d there. could be- drawn.
You understand That where there ar" u hundred
H.,eIuul 10 10 the Nurk OF MY II vii b ~ 1T