Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-03-13
GERMANY'S SOCIALISTS.
An Ex-Civii Service OniciaI Gives some
Interesting Facts.

pected strength developed by the So
cialiStS, who have doubled their vote Of
three years ago and succeeded in plac-
ing the Government or Cartel party in
the minority was explained yesterday
by a prominent ex-official of the German
Civil Service, now resident in New
York.
Two causes" he said, "have COM
bincd to help the Socialists this time;
the attitude of the Emperor on the la
Dor question. and the widespread dis
satisfaction among the thousands Of
petty Civil Service officials in Berlin
and other large cities. Ii Is not alone
the laborcrs who are Socialists; the
clerks i'm the various bureaus. the tcle-
graphers. poStoflice men, railroad en-
ployeS and the mining clerks are in
sympathy with the Socialists almost To
man. although till now they have been
Seterrcd from an open acknowledge
ment of their support. The pay of these
men in Germany is something pitiful:
DESC a year would be very big average.
and out of that sum they have 10 pay
various taxes To the government. An
official who Is fortunate enough TO draw
salary Of 5000 marks. will be- taxed
very nearly 20 per cent. If YOU include
income tax. class tax and other assess
mentS. The government inSpcctS all
the pay-rollS of the corporations. and IL
is Il great hardship on poor clerks and
letter carriers. who are living from
mouth to mouth. and whose wives are
compelled To take in washing or sewing.
to find big slice Of their income melt
away in taxes. Now. as the government
controls nearly all the mines. railways
and tclegraphS, aS well aS many big en-
terpriScs, such aS railway palace ear
companies. &c. the number of Civil Ser
vice employees is very great.
"Bebcl. who is elected in Hamburg. !
happen to know very well. lie iSoncof
the most fascinating orators in the So
cialist ranks. and possesses considerable
means. His residence is one OF the fin
est in Hamburg. Bcbcl never tires Of
eXpatiating upon his theories. but he adj
mitS that he is not fool enough to carry
them personally into practice.
Singer. the Socialist. who has been
reelected in Berlin, is leading employ
or of labor. lie is ab0ut a. years old
and own an extensive mandatory OF
ladies garments. where hundreds OF
girls are employed. remember that
he had considerable trouble with his
girls not long ago: they struck against
reduction in wages. aud after few
days negotiations Singer was compelled
to yield He is an extreme Socialist.
although it would seem he does not ear
ry his thcrorics mto his own business
Still. know that he has made Sacri-
fees for the party and give ii much
money at different times.
"Dic,z. who with Bebcl and Mctzgcr
is elected in Hamburg, Is cigar manu-
facturcr. He was at one time in Berlin
but came under the exclusion law-thc
small scigc' aS it Is called in Germany
which empowers the authorities to
forbid man 10 enter certain city or
leave particular district. This is for
the purpose of preventing the spread of
the Socialistic propaganda. After his
baniShmcnt from Berlin he went TO
Hamburg and has been very active there
ever since. lie is still young man and
Is considered rather able Is 4 speaker.
His opponent at the polls was Bis
marck' personal candidate, WOcrrmann.
a rich ship-buildcr Of Hamburg, and Il
great employer Of labor
..Vollmar. who head the polls at
Madgcburg, has singular history. lie
is a tall. fine looking. high-brcd fellow,
with blonde muStachc and hair. His
mother left snug fortune, upon which
her son now lives aS his inheritance. lie
was at one time in the Civil Service, but
resigned of his own accord, his Sympa-
thcs with the Socialists being too
strong for him to honorably retain a
government post He is probably 81
years Of age.
"AmcricanS will remember Licb-
knccht. who has been elected in the
Berlin district. He is one of the oldest
members Of the Socialist party and may
be said To have sat at the feet Of the
master LaSallc. He is literary man.
aud is exceedingly clever, apart from his
political vagaricS. When he was in this
country. several years ago with his wife.
there was breeze over his sudden exit
from the rooms a prominent New York
club. from which IL is said lac had been
expelled for the reason that he, while
merely guest. undertook To air his doe
trines too freely to suit the members.
He was moderately successful as a lee
turer here. He is unqucstionably man
of strong intellectually.
.Stole. who is elected in Danzig is
comparatively a new man, and 50 is
Mctzger. who is Bcbcl's associate Ia
Hamburg One of the most surprising
things about the fight is the defeat Of
good old Professor NirchOw. Of Berlin.
by dccrcpit old bookbinder named
.JaniSzcwsky. who has been thorn in
the side of the local authorities and has
been repeatedly prosecuted. In this
ease the canvass must have been sym
pathetic one.
What about the prospects Of the
government party in the ReichStag in
view Of the majority being wiped Out?'
.Wcll the supplementary elections
may make things look little better
for the government. although the Cartel
is practically collapsed. The Cartel, or
Conservative combination. which had a
clean majority in the last Reichstag.
consisted Of the National Liberals. the
Free Conservatives and the old German
Conservatives. With the aid Of the
ClcricalS. the government may still be-
able 10 successfully cope with the oppo-
sition. but the Clcricals. who We be-
100 strong. will hold the balance of
power IT j. highly probably that the
Clcricals will support all measures in
troduccd by the government relating To
labor. Indeed. IL Is only littl" WINE
ago that the POpc's cdict went ont
tHrough the Archbishop Of Brcsiau. or
dering that support should be- given 10
the government measures Ia me h'l'h-
stag IN furthcrancc Of the Emperor
labor ulatform. The next Diet viii have
10 consider the Social laws. aud the gov
ernmcnt party look forward, to some eX-
t,nt to having the Socialists with them
nm these matters Fifteen votes may al
any time bring up any motion ~ inc
Reichstag. 50 that no matter no" mu'h
latter results might cut down the 80
cialist's vote. they cannot De- d'-
priyed Of the right Of motion, "hi,n -
a great point gained. But ih'y nav
certainly gained wonderful trlIinpn ,l
when il Is remembered that th' vi" P"i
~ which. with it, allies. formerly com com
noscd scyen-cighths Of the rhtii' W.
Iian Diet i I'm hopeless minority.
wiped out by Fire.
C,xcrxx,rr. ONO. March l2.-The /
c.,l,ou Jackson county. Ohio. |