The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-09-21
Soaa1s W. scoxA
Cs.ts.p.r.rx seeieIl. =.

Ten years ago no full and Trustworthy
compendium OF the doctrines OF the recent Ger.
mans. rs distinguished from the earlier French
Socialists. was accessible In English. There Ia.
howevcr growing demand for information on
4 this subject. and there have teen OF late sev-
erai attempts to meet II. One OF these Is O
book called Conten porarv Socialism. by john
Ras tHcribners). some OF whose chapters were
originally published a. articles in British
periodicals. A specific merit Of this volume Is
the brevity with which the French schemes
current In the 0rst half Of this century are dis
cussed. for the nuthor thus gives himself room
enough to examine with duo carefuness the
much more important movement OF which
Karl Marx 10 tho APOSTLE A long chapter
10 devoted 10 tho author Of "Das Kapital /"
and shorter chnDtcrs to Lassaie. Carl Mario.
and the so-cailed Socialists OF the Chair. A
glance Is directed at tho Christian Socialists OF
Germany. that designation covering tho Catho-
lie organization promoted by Bishop Keppler.
a. well rs the better-known Protestant group
OF which Chaplain Sucker Ia the most con-
spicuous figure. That branch Of the existing
social democracy which. under tho nsme Of
anarehism or nihilism. has diverGed widely
nom the centratst or colectivist type IL In
turn reviewed at considerable length. and q
supplementary chapter Is devoted to Mr.. Henry
George although he IL not Socialist. because
20 the author readily comedies. He has done
more than any other single person to
ssir and deepen In England an agitation
which. II not socjal,stic. at least promises
10 b . mother Of socialism" Mr.. Rne can
read the stgns Of the times. and he points out
II The prefeco. which was written later than
The nrst chapter Of this volume. that England
u no longer destined to enjoy immunity from
aocisl agitation. The events of the last few
PEARS prove that she 10 no moro shielded from
u By her habits OF Disagreement and the
emcioncy OF her public opinion than Russia
hes been by her rural commune. or Germany
hy the paucity OF her manufacturing: indus
tries. The Socialist has entered England and
from tho zeal and energy with which his views
+ are rropaGated we infer that bs has come to
stay.
= IL Il possible tn extract from this book half
Dozen concise paragraphs that shall give dis
tinct conceptions OF the leading principles pro-
pounded by the most eminent German reform
srs. Mr.. Rae shows for example. that Lassalle
built his whole argument on premises drawn
from tho accepted economical authorities. So
%ciallst economy. according to Lassalie. IL moth
iAa but baltic against Ricardo. whom he de-
seribed as the last and most representative
expounder OF bourgeois economy and he lights
the battle with Ricardo's own weapons and on
Rtcardo's own ground. Now we are reminded
that Rlcardo's law Of vnue Is that tho value OF a
commodity. or tho quantity OF any other
commodity for which II will exchange.
depends on the relative quantity OF labor
which is necessary for its production. and not
on the greater or loss compensation which 10
osid for that labor. Value Ia thus resolved into
70 much labor. or, what Is the same thing. 50
much time consumed In labor mental or man
ual. upon the commodity. Ricardo indeed.
nHPiOkIv inoik hiu a 10 tk.ta al
atttsd OF indefinite multiplication. tho value
q other commodities being. he held. regulated
By their scarcity. But LassRlle insisted that.
the condition Of rarity having been created by
nobody In particular. nobody in particular
ought to profit by 1t. and that therefore. 40 far
- the problem Of the distribution Of value
goes. tho one factor In the constitution OF
value which needs to be taken into account In
settling that problem Is labor. In word. all
value comes from labor. represents so much
6ne Of labor. 10. 10 fact. SO much labor jelly"
% much preserved labor But while one &C.
septed economical law thus afilrms that all
salue Ia conferred by the lahorer. and is simply
his sweat brain. and SNOW incorporated In the
product second law Of orthodox economy de-
saares that no gains no advantage from the
productivity Of his own work. and that what
ever value he produces. lie earns only tho Same
wages. bare customary subsistence. In the CO.
existence OF these two laws lies. accqrding to
LAssalle. the monstrous injustice Of the mod
arn Industrial system. 1t seems that many
years ago a German kudal landowner no marked
That whom the modern working class once
began to ask. What 10 natural Wages q revolu-
ton might arise which would reduce Europe to
barbarism. This is inst the question that
Lassalle pressed. and by which no made social
Inn mighty force In Germany. To the Erst
query. What is tho laborer entitled to get? he
answered that by Ricardo's own admission,
carried to its legitimate Consequence. tho
hborsr IL entitled 70 get everything. To the
00xt inquiry. What. then. does the laborer
actually get? he showed that. according to
Ricardo and the orthodox economists. the
lAborer gets just enough to keep soul
end body together. and on the present
eyatsm can never got any moro. For tho wage
hborers subjected to the iron and cruel
hw" Of what the econsmtsts term natural OK
necessary wages. tbsre to. then no possibility Of
hope except In . revolution. For the injustice
complained Of lies in tho essence OF the exist
Ing economical system. and cannot be removed
s1espt b. the complete abolition Of the system.
Sueh. IN brief. was the teaching by which Las
Balts brought the minds Of German working
y6sn 10 an intolerabie sense OF despair and
wrong and to an infiexibls rssolvs TO recon-
Struot society.
i About Karl MARKS great book "Das Kapi-
Z. H." the first thing to BOAR In mind 10 that 1t
{ aoss not primarily purport to treat OF German
soaisty At all. Although 1t Is evon yet hardly
hsttor known In England than the writings OF
0onfucius. Dns KspHal" Ia a criticism Of the
modern industrial system. as explained by
English economists and exampliied In English
Doctety. While wfitton in German. 1t sell
dom cites . German authority. but 1t
HAovs an unusual kROwlodge OF tho earlier
English economical writer's. 1t goes very fully
lnlo the circumstances Of English labor a. de-
Deribed In Parliamentary blue books. con-
Dtanly draws it, illustrations from Kngsh
Industrial life. and always even states Its
money illusions In terms OF English coin.
These facts may well surprise those persons
4 Who know the book only by reputs. and VINO
know. also. that English IL perhans the only
enc Of the greater languages Of the civilized
world In which this work has not yet been
translated.
Now lot u.s. with tho help Of Mr. Rae. defno