Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-11-22
oERKA8 SooIAIIsTlc METHODS.
The Underground halfway Transferred 70
,he Older Ccnsinen'.

ber the underground Arailroad OF the bolt
tionists before the war. The Aboiltionfsts
had their own newspapers anu hsio puphc
meetings. besides using other means 'or
pror again o. their sentiments. Except an oe-
casional riot. there was free speech for them
Throughout the United States. Nibilism
In Russia and Socialism In Germany Hour
isb under sterner conditions. Their modes
az defeating the iron will Of despoiism are
different. / know something Of the mystic
ries Of the fiernan soeialis,ie propaganda.
lis HEADQUARTERS are In this city, and tis
official O, can Is q little weekly paper called
tbe Social Democrat. The German hw
against the Socialists, romuigated
October q, 1881. and lately extend
cd, gives into the hands OF the po-
lice powers Of repression uaheard OF in
the German latberland for about hall n
century. They are far stronger than those
of the yieercgal authority in Ireland under
the coereioD act, and they even siirpass
those oi the French police under NapO-
leon Ill. Thev are enforced with an iron
haad, and. arbitrary as they are, they are
often exceeded. The will OF Bismarck
directs the machinery. and the zeal OF his
undcrlngs Is too apt 10 outrun that OF the
master.
By this law the police are empowered 10
dissolve every union or society, 10 pro-
hibit every meeting, and 10 suppress every
newspaper, pamphlet, book, or other printed
matter wherein they choose to aliege that
soe,alistic ideas are disseminated. There
Is no appeal from the action of the police 10
any court. An appeal may. however, be
taken 70 q sort Of special commission OF nine
members. selected by the Government. the
alleged culprit suffering in the meantime
and having 70 redress II i should turn ont
that there was no real cause for the act OF
reprcssion. These commissioners are the
iudges Of both Tie law and the fact, with
out the aid Of Jury. The police are al
most invariably sustained.
Within few weeks after the promnlga-
ton Of this law about fifty newspapers
were suppressed hv he police, at loss TO
the prOprieiOTs estimated at sJ00,000, a
large number oi families being thereby
thrown out Of employment. All meetings
suspected OF socialistIc tendency were
sternly prohibited. All tangible organiza-
ton mas annihilltel. and the mildest OF
printed sOcialisiic ideas was sternly sup
pressed. The man Of iron made sure that
no rev converts should be made, and that
the rising generation Of wOrkingmen should
grow up in the political faith rs il Is in Bis
marck.
This blow stunned the Socialists only for
q short time. Notwithstanding all Of the
difficulties that the arbitrary powers Of the
police enabled them TO place in the way Of
a political canvass. the Socialists Increased
the number Of their representatives IN the
German Parliament from nine 10 twelve in
1851, and another was added IN 1883 NJ!
Hanb burg because OF the death Of a Pro-
gre ssist. who was succeeded bv the well
known Socialist BebeI. The number of
their voters in the parliamentary election
Oi 1881 was about hall million.
The main instrument oi the success OF
the Socialists in sustaining aud Increasing
their organization and power in tac teeth
Of bismarck is this same little weekly
sheet published in Zurich, and the tale OF
their ingenuity. cXpedients, and success IN
battling against Bismarck is q sort Of
Arabian Nights entertainment Of fact.
The Social Democrat was established
here less than a year after the passage cf
BismaTck's masterpiece OF rcpreSsivc law.
In the Intervening time and for about a
year The gentleman 10 whose courtesy am
primarily indebted for the opportunities
Of investigation was IN u German prison.
The first editor OF The paper was Baron
George Won Nomar. who was crippled in
10th legs IN the French war. lie is Of the
old nobility OF Bavaria. His nOycl-rcad-
ing while cOnvalcscing from his wounds
was ia the line OF political economy. aud
this thin pabulum made him q Socialist.
Notwithstanding the obvious Interests OF
his class. A the head Of the propaganda
he assumed the nlmc Of Walthcr. The
business manager was Herr Julius MOlte'-
Ter. formerly member OF the German
Parliament. who assumed the name OF .ju-
lms Brantncr, and aftcrward that Of Nor
retil. Herr Carl DcrO>si was a worthy CO.
adjulor, who invented their wonderful
secrel-clphcr code. which la, puzzled the
brains OF the German police and Of the
scientist at their disposal ever since. B1-
ron Won NOlmar i. now member of the
German Parliament.
The paper was started with l.jNO sub
scribers. Il was at first packed across the
frontier m the clothes Of pedestrians. The
circulation j. now fully 10000 copies. These
are nearly all made mp into small packages
for various places In Germany. Eachpach-
age i marked With 4 symbol Of the secret
code. The packages are then hunchcd.
placed in eases. and sent over the frontier
by the hand, Of professional Smugglcr'.
These offspring Of protective tariffs are eN-
ccedin"ly adr0il, and they are very seldom
caught. When everything i all right, q
cipher dispatch tells tae fact; otherwise.
another cipher causes the printing Of a
new edition. and it, being forwarded
through other channels.
Yhc ORGANIZATION i, 20 perfect and ID"
channels Oi distribution 30 numerous, thut
no one channel does duty more than six
times in wear. When one Of these con-
traband casts arTiVe- ~ H. destination the
con>i.ncc addresses the various packages
therein according 10 thCr final dc~ilna-
tion., aS denoted by the cipher symbols ON
each. and, H. a rule, forwards them through
the post. No one of these cOnSignccs can
read the cipher that j. used by another,
and thus the provision against trcachcry
j. very complete. Tho postal authorities
and the police are utterly poWcrlc>s To
track th, matter Is il passes through The
mails. Ii by any accident they Should
discover package it would bee no evidence
AGAINST the addIC>,cc. II II Nt1e -. u j.
rviden. that packages Intentionally seat
10 cncnir> of The socialist, fOr the pdrp0-c
ol getting them into trouble would De
very common. This addrc->ce distribute.
or cause, to hc distributed. the papers IN
tLc package. aud another member OF The
club receives and distributes the package
the wcch following. 9nd - the circulation
goes on.
The work oi tinal distribution i the most
risky, Tor man who j. detected IN one
act will Get from two 10 six months I'M
prisOnmcni for il. and a. The Judges some
times hold him responsible Tor the contents
of the paper. A. well ~ il distribution, II
is possible for him TO be punished with i've
wears Imprisonment for handing one copy
oi the Social Democrat 10 q ncighbOr. u!
the same means the propaganda supply
their subscribers with mterdicicd books
ard pamphlets.
There I, a small edition of the Social
Democrat very gaIIzy. TO bear the expense
Of letter postage. This edition Is folded
and pressed into fifteen different forms ior
~ many sizes oi envelopes, and IT l. s"n'
to subscribers To whom Il would be too
risky TO deliver the paper bv hand.
certain German grand duke has been q
subscriber from the foundation oI the pc
per. and he receives il in letter form.
Almost every copy Of this little paper iia'
many readers. The elaborate means taken
Tor its circulation show that II is held III
very high estimation by those who receive IT,
| The German authorities have spent, and are
| spending. large sums 10 destroy the inter
| dictcd sheet. Numerous spies have ocen sen'
| 10 Zurich, and hosts OF spies are on the IRON
! tier. The surveillance is - close that even