The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-10-19

, the last report. And we arc pleased Y
t hear that the institution, In itsyarious de
!, partmeuts, is in healthy and prosperous
{ condition. I..l... a.'..s Is +.
The Socialist Agitation In eernsny.
We presented a few days ago to tn,
readers OF the ISrELLIoEScER short syn
opsis OF the views Of Prot. G. L. Loos, o
Bethany, Just returned from trip Il
Europe, touching the disturbed condition
Of Germany, especially in regard to the
Socialist agitation. The views Of the Pro,
tessor, (who in addition to being . native
Alsatian, and scholar and traveller, i
also close student Of French and German
politics, and areader Of theirpapers,) have
been somewhat strikingly vindicated in
the sessions OF the German Reichstag since
his return. The counseis Of the papers
quoted by him tthe Augsburg Gasetts
and others) have been followed closely
by the Legislative opponents Of Bismarck's
extreme demands against the Socialists.
We have seen Bismarck spending his ener!
gies in petty and apparently futile bucking
against the best and most powerful 'ele-
ment Of the German people, and peeyish-
ly threatening resignation II his unreason-
able demands are not complied with by an
obdurate parliament. This anti.socialist
bill, over which the Reichstag has been
hotly debating, promises to become test
OF the strength of the despotic idea in
Germany. With that trenried blindness
which the gods first infiict upon those
they would destroy, the imperialists have
by their noisy, vindictive demonstrations
against the socialists taken the surest
means to strengthen them and lend them
importance. A month ago, it will
be remembered, while the popular
indignation was still hot against the
would.be assassins Of the emperor,
Bismarck cunningly sprans bill up
on Parliament against the socialists,
which, II enacted, would have as efectu-
ally placed the nation under the emperor's
heel as Russia is under the Cars 1tat-
fected the right Of public meetings, gagged
the press and included among its penalties
fines, confscation and banishment. But
notwithstanding the pressure brought to
bear for itspassase against the timid lib
erals, who have too often in the past
shown disposition to succumb to imperial
dictation, these legislative balanee-holders
OF power seem at last to have stitfened
their backs in opposition. The bill has
been amended and re-amended in COM
mittee till It's most sinister features have
been removed.
The foreign news in yesterdays paper
shows that the bill finally agreed upon
amounts to partial defeat ofthe Govern
ment. Itis no doubt still severe upon the
Socialists, but at the same time not SO ut
terly destructive of. their rights and liber;
ties as was the bill at first proposed BY
Bismarck.
We notice that during the debate on the
bill one OF Bismarck's opponents, Herr
Bebel, parliamentary leader among the
Socialists, charged with great plainness OF
speech that Bismarck himself had in pre-
yious years coquetted with the Socialists,
encouraging their associations, and even
granting them funds to help carry out
their peculiar industrial ideas. This had
been done through repeated conferences
with Lasalle; the parent Of German Social
ism, as far back as 1923.
This attack stung the premier into quick
retort, in which he repelled the insinua-
ton that he had ever entered into political
negotiation with the Socialists. Headmit-
ted brief acquaintance with Lasalle, but
Iit had no significance. he would not re-
fuse an acquaintance, he said, even to
Herr Bebel, which was much to say,
considering that Bismarck put him in
prison for "insult to His Majesty" on his
| first election to the Reichstag. Lasalle was
an extraordinary fellow who had simply
amused and entertained him. As to sub
sidisins the Socialists, that was merely an
\ experiment in political economy. It seem,
ed to him as early as 1s6ethatth industrial
Association oil workingmen TO better then
condition was laudable, and the King had
given him a sum TO expend in testing The
thing. Ithe was to be reproached on this
account It should be because he 30 soon
gave up his experiments in this direction
In conclusion, the Prince sayagely pitched
into the Socialists and their aims, viii
dark hints Of a possible parallel othe dire
full horrors Of the French commune or
German soil, and urged as the only sur
remedy the quick passage OF sharp Law
, ot-,an,ession 49, =-'-