New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-07
nfae Hon s J. RAYDALL Speaker Of he House of Rsf
TeSci,iIACcs.
GERMAN SOCIALISTS IN AMERICA


WIDE DIFFERENCES IN THEIR AIMS.
sENslBLE CoUEst TUBsUtp Ky those WHO 90 on
WESTERN FARMS-NOIsY AGTiToRs IN NLw-
YORK.
The great impulse given to German emigration 10
tins country by the enactment Of Antl-Socialst
laws. and the general oppression of the laborng
classes in Germany. has increased the Socialist
population in this city 10 marked degree
Socialist immigrants may bc divided INTO threc
classes. There are, first, those who tired OF the
sulerings and priyati0ns they have endured al
bore uuder the rule of the man of blood and
iron leave their country forever and on treading
upou American soil push cut far West as possible
70 seek a livelihood in farming. These people soon
dron their revolutionary tendencies and proJuGlces,
and hecomc in time good citizens and respectable
uomhcrs of The community. The second class conf
prisrs the artisans and mechanics coming from tho
huge IRON and steel workshops of Essen and from
fine factories of Dusseldorf and Bremen Hard as
their lot may have been in the Fathcrand, the
prospect of tilling The soil on the pralres of the
West has no charms for them. They prefer the
hpstlc noise. smoke. and becr-shops of the larger
cities espccially of New-York. Besides. pushing
ont into half unknown regions of the interior is
connected in their minds with an impossblty OF
ever returning. and the hope OF seeing their conn
try again, purified Of what they consider ITS evils,
is not extinct in their breasts. They therefore re-
main IN the great manufacturing and social
centres alternating their daily labor with heated
discussions on political topics, and often with
conious Gbations of lager. The third class OF the
German Socialist element in the United States, al
thouqh the most intelligent. is generally looked
upon by those familiar with the subject as the
most worthless and mis- hcyOus This Is the class
of political agitatOrs. VINO Woik tthei openly OF
secretly to keep the old wounds lnfaucd;
The professional Socialist agltator ~ an out
growth of the mere recent GoVeInnent pcrsccu-
lions in Germany. Only continual ana severe re-
prrsSon bV tie Imperial police or actual expulsion
rouId iuduce him to abandon n country where his
talents are fully appreciated by the masses Oh
arriving in America he discovers, however TO his
SURPRISE that far wider field Is open To the spirit
Of enterprise than at home lie mas tle sllir
secret Organizations, the same trades unions, me
same workiugmens clubs. as III Germany, put WIN
the notable advantage that here they are allowed 20
thrive in peace, while there they are merciltSSly
tracked ana hunted down The agtator sets innie-
diately TO york-not at the loom nor at the Office
wiring desk like his humble brothers. but at the
foundation of counter clubs ami counter associa-
tons He disScrts on the merits OF such ana Such
theory: he buds up theories OF his own; lie brings
charges against other agltators who have preceded
HMM short he succeeds III sowing dlsS, nsionS
among his fellows. in making himself name ana
thereby "A living. and also III making himself an
intolerable nuisance 10 all respectable people.
In = certain measure, Wilhelm HasscImann, the
member of the German Raichstag and Socialist
can be taken rs a fair example CT the professional
rgitator for he cmbodies all the wees and many oI
tie virtues OF tins being At the beginning OF the
hu,n.ncr Mr.. liaSScmannS violent language Ill lhe
German RrichStag called forth the reprObatlOn oil
such men as Lcbhneclt, Bebel and flltSche WI
a ; leaders of the Social-Democracy deemed mode
rate course OF acton to be more compatible with
the interests of the party than idle VapOrinss or
blatant phiiippics against the OOVerhlnch'; Al
though in bad odOr with bis colleagues liassimahn
continued his active campaign III behalf oil Social
I'm bv means Of several Hamburg journals hut
after time disappeared. lie was heard OF lter IN
BRUSSELS and soon alter crossed the ocean to TINS
country with the avOwed object OF studying itS
social condition. Despite his difficulties with the
party at home, Iiasselmann was IecelNed with
omen arms by the Socialists of New Jrk City, and Il
few DAYS alter his arI val lac delivered speech IN
GermanIa Hall to a large audience at 10 cents
head. From New-lork nc went some instance
West but found lecturing so little lucIatlNc iiie
that ne returned disguSted.
In REGARD to Mr. fIassclmanns faults opinions
differ greatly, but even his worst enemies 90 NOT
DENY INN "A certain elOquence and persuasivcncss,
going far account for the influence lie enjoyed III
Germany some time ago Another advantage
which few men share with him is that his oratory
tells with equal effect both on the educated anu
the ignorant He received on excellent education
Ut one of the best German universities, ana can
Therefore treat the most cOplicated subjects WIN
ease. ON the other hand. continual intercourse oil
late years with the lower CLASSES has initiated MN
in the rough and ready eloquence they 80 eAciu-
sivelv appreciate. =. -:
Owing either to a want OF confidence III him
which he must have known was ielt by many OF
the party IN this city, or 10 ucSlIc W "io mo VIZ.
inhuence again, Hassclmann called meeting OF
Socialists on November 10. Tor the purpose OF
fonnding new party which, to distinguish IT from
the regular SOcal-Demoeracy, lie nance the
Social Revolutionary party OF couisc tho
founding was baptized IN beer. Hasselnanil hlahc
fiery speech to u small audiencr, i'll which he de-
clared that the objects OF his followers must be To
canse the violent overthrow Of the existing state OF
things and that in Of need they must not
| shrink from firing OH a muskct." Following is
an extract from his speech "
The people OF the United States could he easily
worked up by tbs Revolutionary democracy
Not being homogeneous population, IL oDefs III lhIs
connection the very same advantages az Inc p"pu-
| lation of the large cities III which thc iaooIlnR
classes are kept together Ivy an esprit an cG,Ps'
Such "A people could be royOlutOniLed without dlh-
Guilty if the spark were only applied AT tho Pfopi
moment In Europe that has often occurred Dut
i'm America only Oncc-at the time OF the great
Pittsburg strikes when the laboIlng classes Oh thI
country from the Atlantic 10 the Pacihc suddenly
recognized their strength and the oneness oil lneif
interests. >, , = :,
Two DAYS later another meeting was held III wlleh
| some differences OF opinion among the members
greatly imperiled the existence OF the infant
party In the very height of the discussion a
| member suddenly rose and called upon ali tIur
Socialists TO leave the hall. whcrcupon iuily hall
of those present departed in b0uy. In sptc OF all
| his endeay ors Mr. Hassolnsnn has not yet bcei
able To enlist more than twenty seven Socialists III
the cause of Revolutionary SOCIALISM but his ard0r
| las not abated and by week or two he expects
| 10 double that number OF prosclytes