St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-02
BlsMARCK'S RETIREMENT.
1t Will Be fastened by the Re-
cent Socialistic Successes.

Special Cable TO the Globe.
BERLIN, Sept. 1.-The socialistic vic
tory at Berlin, in the election Of Herr
Liebnecht by large majority, and
largely increased SOcialistic vote over
the returns of the last election, will
probably hasten the retirement of
Prince Bismarck. as the overwhelming
defeat or the three government candi-
dates was, in great measure, due to
the iron chancellor project OF com
pulSory system of securing for work
men a provision for old age, or perma-
nent disablement. The bill, which was
recently published. aims at providing
for workmen turned seventy years of
age or disabled by illness, pensions of
from $50 TO $3.50 per annum. The
money is to be raised by contributions
equally divided between the state, the
masters and the wOrkmen. The adj
ministration of the funds is TO be under
taken by the guilds of employers,
which were established by the insur-
ance act OF 1884. The workmen's con-
tributiOns will be compulsory, and are
TO be recorded by means of stamps TO
be posted in receipt book" kept by
the employers. The claim to the pen
sion for old age will be established by
annual payment lasting for thirty years,
in each of which the daily quota has
been paid upon 500 days wages. Larger
pensions than $50 are earned by cOntri-
buttons spread over a still longer term
of years. Women are to pay and re-
ceiye tWo-thirds of the amount paid and
received by men. no person entitled
to a pension under the bill can. after
the passing of the measure. receive as
sistance under the ordinary poor law.
The bill has been much discussed. and
HAS BEEN SEVERELY HANDLED
by Prof. Platter. of Zurich, and by some
Of the Liberal journals and speakers,
the Socialists using il with telling effect
as a campaign document. Prof. Plat
ter's criticisms briefly summarized, are
as follows: In the first place he
points out the high limit of age fixed
by the very stringent conditions of
preliminary payment would render
illuSOTy the provision for old age. even
if the small sum of $50 were enough 10
support life. He thinks that the masters
guilds are bodies i'll suited for the func-
tiOns allotted TO them, and are little
likely to give satisfaction TO the work
men who, moreover, object to the
receipt book" as a measure of police
espionage, placing them still more than
at present in the hands of their en-
ployerS. The whole bill, he alleges.
aims not at benefiting the working
classes, but tranSf eTTing from the rich
to the poor the burden of supporting
those who cannot work. The poor law
liability at present falls upon the we'll
to-Go classes, and particularly upon the
landlords.
The criticism of Prof. Platter, and
leading editorials from Liberal Journals
with copious extracts from the speeches
of Liberal members of the reichstag.
were printed in pamphlet form and
widely distributed throughout Germany,
and have. undoubtedly, made many
Socialist voters among the wOrkmen.
The principal feature of Prince Bis
marck's administration in late years has
been the attempt TO combat the social
istic movement in Germany. Repress-
i've legislation of the most stringent
character has been accompanied by
laws of which the professed aim is to
better the position of the working
classes. A compulsory system of insur-
ance against accident and against
temporary illness has been i'll force
for several years, and the present bill
for securing for workmen a provision
for old age or for permanent disable
ment was brought forward by the chan
cellor short time ago with the hope of
detaching the vote of the workingmen
from the Socialistic party, but the re-
suit of the election Thursday shows
that Prince Bismarck has failed in his
object