National Republican., 1886-09-16
Some European socIalists.

inc hOCldl ulONGuGuJ III
ready assumed three distinct forms in the
great countries of Europe; Communism,
which has been described bya great thinker
as a religious tenet; socialism, a moral re-
form, and cooperation, an economical
scheme. Socialism lies, therefore, between
the two other systems on the supposed
pathway Of reform, and 1t may prove
worth while to consider some Of its causes
and leaders as they have appeared to Eu-
rope. 1t is well, once and forever, to rid
our minds Of prejudice with reference to
this subject. Popular sentiment in the
United States just at present is not favor
ably disposed toward those who are re-
garded as labor agitators, or In any way
connected with movements which aim at
altering the structure Of society, and Eu-
rope does not generally regard such inno-
vators with affection. 1t was au ola
English corn.law agltator who wrote:
Who are the socialists? Those who have
yearnings
For equal division of unequal earnings;
Who never do work, but who always are will
ing
TN5Gts HRttHtfwer"iH IKE or or dislike this new
movement, the causes which produce it
seem to exist In the nature OF things and
are not to be obvlated by hatred, contempt,
Itdlcule, or even poetry.
There can be little doubt that the deca.
dencc of religious belief In Europe has been
the main Influence IN creating conditions
which call for reforms quite unconnected
with theological systelns and not to be stim-
ulated or impeded by the Christian doctrine
OF reward and punishment in another
world. The English civil war which ended
In 1919 by dcprvlng Charles [ OF his head
put an end practically to the divine right
OF kings; and the revolution which In 1888
placed foreigner upon the English throne
gave expression to the rights, not divine but
human, OF the governed masses. The
American revolution strengthened the
form of this expression, aud the teach
ings OF Voltaire and Rousseau, eliminating
in the French revolution, wrote down hu.
man rights and privileges permanently In
italics. The intelligent and impartial
observer will observe readily that each OF
these great achievements was carried out by
natural, not supernatural, methods. Lib
ertv, fraternity, and equality were on the
tongues, IL not In the hearts, OF all men,
and those with keen vision caught glimpses
of new heaven and new earth, of veri-
table FL Dorado. But as time went on the
working millions Of Europe saw that war
and glory, fine speeches and poetry did
not make labor more remuneratiye or hon
orable, nor did 1t even cheaper bread. The
repeal OF English corn laws In 1S49 was to
have redressed at least the grievances of
British laborers, and to q small extent IL
did so, but within five years more thln
three millions of British subjects were
compelled to starve or emigrate.
The existing misery was not confined to
England. All Europe was under arms, and
the laboring classes, rendered desperate by
poverty and suffering, in many cases the
results of glorious war, cried In vain for
help. France, as usual, came first to the
rescue with the systems of st. Simon, Fou-
rier, and Louis Blanc. Germany moderated
the demands Of the great French reformers,
and, with the toilsome care of his race, Karl
Marx established the international, which
was meant to be an association OF the
worlds working classes. Ferdinand Las
sale, with more directness OF purpose aud
more administrative skill, followed Marx.
In lS47 Marx formulated the two prn.
ciples which stu rule German, aud indeed
European, socIalism (1l The interests OF
the working classes In their struggles
against the capitalists, being everywhere
the same, rise above the distinctions Of ma
tionalIty; (2) Workingmen should acquire
political rights in order to break the yoke
Of the capitalists.
Lassalle was by no means SO hopeful or
so cosmopolitan as Marx, and desired that
the association Of workmen should be
confined exclusively at first to Germany,
and that II should be assisted by the state,
Lassale saw three stages In the develop
meut of labor (l) Tho ancient and feudal
period, which, through the subjectlon OF
the laborer, sought association without
freedom; (2) The reign Of capital and the
middle classes established in 1889, which
sought freedom by destroying association;
(3) The new era, beginning In lS4s, which
was TO reconcile association with freedom
by introducing the co operative principle.
We have only mentioned those two
names at present to combat the notion that
tho leaders Of socialism, as all socialists IN
popular estimation, must be miserable
wrctchCs who desire our shilllngs In return
for their pence. Marx and Lassalle were
men, who, II not touched with tho humanl-
tartan idea, might have been the conyen-
tlonal leaders OF Germany or OF any civil