Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-08-24
GERMAN SOCIALISTS
Who They Are and the Legislation TIL,
Desire to Have Passed.


Desire to Have Passed.
A number of Socialists were recent,
tried and sentenced to various terms %
Imprisonment in Prussian Poland. A,
this same time the German Reichst,c
was discussing bill propos d by Prince
Bismarck. restricting the operations Of
the Socialists more severely than was
done by the previous law. These events
call renewed attention to the growth
of Socialism in Europe, and especially
in Germany. In almost every country
where Socialism exists, it is found that
among its leaders and chief promoters
are many Germans. 1t is so notably
in the United States and England.
In Germany itself the growth of the
par ty which calls itself Socialist
and which is more or less revolution.
airy in its methods and aims, thouob
not favoring physical violence, has be-
come seriously inn srtant matter to
the Emperor's government and divides
Bismarck's anxious attention with the
prospects of a general Europe IN war.
A deputy in the Reichstag. Herr Charles
Grad. has included in an essay recent
ly published certain facts in regard to
Socialism in Germany which show US
how steadily it has increased. and
what real power in German politics
it has become to-day.
Socialism may be said to have made
its appearance rs political factor in
1871. In that year. out of total Ger
man vote of nearly four million, the
Socialists polled one hundred and
twenty-five thousand votes. After the
lapse of sixteen years, during which
Socialism steadily grew in spite of re-
pressive laws and an iron handed
regime. the German Socialists cast
vote Tin 1880 of seven hundred and
sixty-three thousand votes-more than
six times as many as in 1871. A party
which can cast three-quarters of mil
lion ballots, out of total of seven and
half millions, has certainly become
an important element in the State.
Herr Grad further shows that the in
crease of socialism during the sixteen
years has been mainly in the great CEN
tiers OF population. In Berlin. the cap
ital of the Empire, for example, the in
crease was from two thousand and
fifty-eight votes in 1871 to ninety-four
thousand two hundred and fifty-nine
in 1887. In the Reichstag itself the
Socialist party ranks fourth in point of
numbers. being only exceeded by the
Conservatives. the Liberals and the
Catholic Center"
The large proportion of the German
Socialists are not, as the Socialists in
America appear to be. lawless and vio-
lent men, who wish to use force to
overthrow existing society. They
would warmly resent being classed
with the so-called Anarchists" They
do not engage in secret combinations
to breed revolts. Much less do they
aim to achieve their purpose by the
methods of arson and assassination,
which mark the course of the more ex-
treme Russian Nihilists There is
movement in favor of what its
leaders call, and call truly, Christian
socialism.
The Socialist leaders in the Reichstag
"iC, III ocfciti iHStstnCcS, men OI learn
ing and culture. graduates of univer-
sites, and competent in debate and
legislation. Their purpose is to con-
vert Germany into a social democracy
by legal and political agitation. The
founders of German Socialism. Ferdi-
nand Lassalle and Karl Marx, often de-
clared that the most formidable wea-
pom they desired to use was the ballot,
and this is also the assertion of their sue
cessors in the Socialist leadership.
They only ask for the liberty of utter
ance. which. to be sure is not fully al
lowed them under the Empire; but still
they have II voice in the Reichstag. and
some scope of free speech in the press;
and with these advantages, they find
the increase of their numbers rapid
enough to encourage them to hope and
labor for fin ii success.
On the other hand, it is certain that
Prince Bismarck will make every posi-
BILE effort, and use all the powers he
can acquire, to check the influence and
growGh of Socialism. Youths COM
pGntOn