The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-20
SOCIALIST LIEBKNECHT.


He Is In America Tour of Observation
Principles for Which He Strives.
Interview in New York Herald.
NOW as to your mission to this countryY" ask
ed the reporter.
IT would not call it mission" replied Herr
Liebknecht 'Icame here more to learn than to
instruct It has been my pleasure, and in one
respect my duty. to keep informed of what is
progressing in this new world. If | have any
mission at all here it is t. disabuse the mind Of
the general public as to any red specter' hover
ing around the socialism preach. / want to
tell America and my friends that there is no
| such organization as an Anarchist party. TAese
men have no party. Such party does not exist
with emphasis In Europe regard these
anarchists as spies organized by the so-caled
government In this country-ahl Most; re-
member the poor fellow. When he was arrested
in Germany stated publicly and steadily that
the best thing they could do with him was to
send him to slunatic asylum. They did not do
it. but imprisoned him. The poor fellow grew
worse and worse while in German prison. His
mind became still more affected. Then he came
to this country, and your officials have made the
same blunder they did in Germany. Instead
of sending him to a lunatic asylum they have
imprisoned him, and he'll be more blatant when
he comes out than when he went in know
the poor fellow we'll; he hates me thoroughly,
but have only pity for his erratic BRAIN"
you have heard of the Chicago Anarchists"
said the reporter.
81 have" replied Mr.. Liebknecht, "and it
would be inhuman on my part to say anything
against men who are under sentence of death.
And yet cannot fail to compare them to a num-
Der of Germans In the fatherland. who are ever
mans are very poor politicians. While they know
there is something wrong going on at the head
they keep on brooding, brooding forever. Some
times leader speaker will arise and throw
out even a mere catchword, simple idea, aud
these fellows-honest at heart honest to the
| very core-will endeavor to carry out the idea
practically, and will make fools or criminals OF
themselves If they were politicians. such as
| the American Republic furnishes in abundance.
they would not SO readily put their necks into
| the halter"
"Have you ascertained whether the socialism
| you represent has any adherents in this country
| outside Of the German elementa' asked the re-
| porter.
THAT is just what am most anxious to as
certain. This will be my study and will con-
(! suit Americans we'll Germans on the sub
| ject. Remember. the Socialists of Germany are
| there indeed party in the full sense of the
word. Whether the socialism of America, So
called, is party. even branch of exist
ing party in Germany. it will be my endeayor to
ascertain. From all can learn they have the
same platform, the same principles as we."
What are theseg' asked the reporter.
Before l answer that question / desire to
state that do not come to America to asSail my
native country or its government MY place to
do that is in the Reichstag. Further, [ do not
4
come here to study, to learn. to observe Now,
| the socialism which proclaim has in view the
| proper division of the nations wealth, or. in
other words. the equalization of property Take
| your Vanderbilt, with his hundred millions of
| dollars. yonr jay Could with his vast wealth
| and consequent power, and say that the govern
| ment-no not the government don't want to
| call it goyernment-the administration of the
| country should step in and administer such vast
possessions. Too much wealth side, too
much poverty on the other SHE. ruined the great
Republic of Rome 1t will ruin this Republic of
the United States unless some check is put to it
and healthy middle class is encouraged and pro-
tected TO hold the balance of peace, not of power
between the rich and the truly poor. Even Ger
| many, under its present administration. begins
to see the force of these ideas / am also a mem
Der of the Landtag, and Germany's administra-
ton is thinking seriously of taking charge of the
coal mines in Saxony, whore the few rich
constantly antagoniZing the poor. So much as to
property. Now, to education It is the duty
of the state to give every child not only thorough
moral but physical training The children are
| the nations wards We improve the welfare OF
| our people by making good citizens of them.
| know what you want to say about the laborers'
| high wages here, but you must, in a matter like
| this always take in the pro rata When your
millionalres make their thousands by the hour
| as is done here. what is the relative gain of a
wageearner, even if he does earn more than his
colleagues in the Old World2 AS rises mis- income
| here, so his expenses It is this problem
that socialism is endeavoring to solve, and in do
| ing we threaten nothing, We conspire not