The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-13
A LEADER OF THE SOCIALISTS
Herr Tiebknecht's Visit to Indianapolis
and Ills Lecture Last Evening.
The Great Socialists Adventures in PromOt-
ing the Popularity of His Views-His In
pressions of the United States.

Wilhelm Lebknecht, the acknowledged leader
of the Socialists of Germany arrived in this city
from Chicago, and was received yesterday morn
ing by a committee of the Social Turnverein,
consisting of Herman Lieber. Alex Aetzger and
George Kothe. Leibknecht is a native OF the
DID university town of Giessen, in Upper Hesse,
and while attending the gymnasium there be-
came ACQUAINTED with the writings of St. Simon,
the French Socialist, of what the modern Social
lists term the utopistic theory. In 1847 he de
cided to emgrate to the United States and had
paid his passage for that purpose, when it was
pointed out that revolutions were impending in
France and Germany. When news of the up
rising at Paris, in 1s4s came to him he rushed
TO the scene but arrived there too late to take
an active part. He was in Switzerland
seriously i'll when the German revolution
came on, but q few months later he
responded to the call Of Strumme, who led
corps of revolutionists across the Rhine near
Seckingen, aud the two gathered a strong force
of men. They separated, Lebknecht going to
Lauffenburg, whore similar corps was said to
be organized While he at that town
Strumme led his men out of the mountains into
the open country and was defeated and taken
prisoner. Liebknecht made an attempt 10 col
eet the remnants OF the company, but failed and
was captured. By mere accident he escaped
Being shot, and passed nine months in prison
31efore his trial commenced. In May. l849, the
arial began at Frelbure but the states attorney
moved to drop the indictment, and Lie5knecht
was released without a trial in spite of his pro
tests
After another unsuccessful effort in Prussia
In favor of constitutional monarchy, Lieb
knecht again escaped, this time going to Geneva
In the Socialistic agitation that followed, Lieb
kneeht. who was turned over to the French au-
khorites. sent to London, where he re-
manned nearly thirteen years an associate of
Marx and Engels, the founders of modern social
ism. In 1862 he accepted a cali to edit the North
German Gazette. Two months later Bismarck
became Prime Minister, and the tone of the pa
per changed by the proprietor, August
Bran, that Liebknecht. charging Bran with be-
3ng in the service of the nelg power. severed his
connection with the paper. He then began his
warfare upon the government declaring that
universal suffrage promised to the people
would be used only TO subserve the interests
Of the reaction, unless it was coupled with the
rights of free assembly and free press. He
was finally compelled by the government to leave
the state OF Prussia In 1866 he became editor
OF a paper at Leipsic, which, a month later. was
suppressed by the Prussian military govern
mont He returned to Berlin in spite of his eX
puslon, and was tfAFe imprisoned for three
months. The next year he was elected Repre-
sentative by the Social Democats of the Nine
aeenth district OF SaXony to the North German
Reichstas, and since that time has been a mem
Der OF the highest legislative body of the en-
pire ir tho interest of Social Democracy.
Herr Liebknecht d:ned with Philip Rappaport,
editor of the German Tribune, yesterday, and it
was at Mr.. Rappaport's residence that Journal
reporter met the distinguished gentleman. He
Is a man Of large, we'll poised head aud of most
afabe manners, speaking English with great
precision and grammatical accuracy, though
with heavy German accent. Il am no novice In
American manners history" he said. in reply
to a question by the reporter. for have been
n student Of American affairs since my twentieth
year. when had set my mind upon becomingan
American citizen. But did not get here until
made this visit on the 18th of September last.
have had large correspondence with this conn
try and. during your civil war, had frequent
communication with your minister. so have
not come over as a stranger | was always an
admirer of your institutions, and my visit
has not made less of ad
mirer than before. Yet the wildness of
your country is in many respects but thinly
covered As Napoleon said Scratch Russian
and you find Tartar so scratch off a little of
your covering and under the garden the wilder
ness appears.
81 have not had rude word said to me while
here-nothing in my hearing-but see an editor
Is sayageness about your newspapers that is
unknown in England, France and Germany.
Most OF the ill-feeiag and rudeuess exhibited
toward socialism comes from ignorance. l am
pleased to show people that socialism is not what
Ii is represented to be. It is not anarchism, but
deals in mild methods Henry George is So
cialist, but takes hold of but one side-the land
question Here your main question is the rail
roads. 10 Germany the industrial question
stands at the head of all social questions"
1t was remarked that Gen. Lew Wallace,
returning from Turkey, had noticed the great
misunderstanding activity of Germany. while In
England many of the factories idle and the
plumes of smoke that curled from their
bail ehImneys had vanished.
That IS true" said the Socialist, Germany
is getting TO be great industrial country. and
England has lost the monopoly she once had.
never to regain it. But this industrial activity
does not improve the condition of the laboring
Glasses. On the contrary, it is worse. and we
are producing more than we can sell. The pro-
auctive forces in Germany. as in this country
are increasing more rapidly than the forces of
consumption. The concentration of capital is
tnining die kleine leute, the small
people, as we call them-the small merchants,
iradespeople and the small farmers Your evil
day is coming here with giant strides. /
and more machinery here than in Germany, ami
you are working with greater force and greater
impetuosity than we are"
Herr Liebknecht will sail for Liverpool on
the Aurania on the 9th inst He will meet his
wife III London. The Reichstag will begin on
Inc 29th SO he will Lot be there at the opening
The section, or party, of which he is the head is
composed Of only twenty-five delegates ont of
The 397 constituting the Reichstag. He repre-
tents the OHenbach district, near Frankfort-o on
the-Main,