The daily state chronicle., 1890-07-13
GERMAN SOCIALISM.
THE WORD SOCIALISM AND ITS
DEMANDS.
Especial Cor. STATE CHRoNICLE.)

Especial Cor. STATE CHRONICLE)
The word Socialism was coined in
England in 1885, and was first applied
to Robert Ovens theory of social recon
struction. 1t was borrowed by Reybaud
in 1889, and through him gained cur
rency on the continent Of Europe. So
cialism means an absorption into the
State of all the business functions not
already regarded as of a public nature.
The State is to be the only capitalistic
employer, while all its citizens are to be
wage-earners; or, as we now say, civil
service employees. Socialism demands
(D, the common ownership of the means
of production; (2), the common man
agement OF these means; (O, the dis
tribution of the annual products of in
dustry by common authority; (4), pri-
vate property in income Of such kinds
as books, plate, art galleries, &C., but
not in productive property.
The central idea of Socialism is eco
nomic; but socialists differ as to the forms
society will take in carrying out their pro-
gramme, and also as to the methods of
distribution. st. Simon and his school
said: "To each according to his capacity
to each capacity according to its work. y
This is the theory of merit.
Ely: French and German Socialism in
Modern Times 1899
Ely: Introduction to Political Econ
omy, 1889.
German Socialist Law of October 81,
1878, Amer. Jour. So. Sci, vol. 13,
p. 36.
Socialism of the New Testament, Uni
tartan Review, vol. 80, p 81.
Social Democrats in the Reichstag,
Harper's Magazine, vol. II, p. 343.
Socialism in Germany, North Ameri
can Review, April, 1890
Louis Blanc says that need should be
the basis of distribution, while Proud
hon claims that inequality of remunera-
ton and of fortune is injustice and theft.
Socialists say that labor creates all
wealth; they do not wage war against
capital, but against capitalism, which
they consider as simply stage in econ
omlc and social development to be sue
ceeded by socialism Just as capitalism
succeeded feudalism and feudalism, sla-
very.
HISTORIC SOCIALISM.
The historic form of socialism is usu-
ally known as Communism, which means.
as is evident from the etymology of the
word, a community of goods, common
production and an equal distribution of
what has been produced. Communism
originated in the ascetic life of Brahmin
devotees in the east 1t has fiourisbed
there for centuries and is still in exist
ence. We see it also in the MIR of the
Russian community. It was present
with our Teutonic forefathers in their
common possession of lands and is still
seen in the "allmendsp or common nas-
lures OF the Swiss and in Boston ssCom-
mon. Within the early families of all
natlons there was essentially a commu-
nlty OF property. The father was the
master of his defendants to the latest
generation; but he was recognized as
having no exclusive right to the wealth
OF the family. The sons grew up and de-
voted their time and attention to the
f1ocks and herds, and when the head of the
family died the property went on to bis
natural heirs with no thought of
Wills and similar modern contrivances
Socialism is not unknown in the New
Testament. The sect of the Essenos had
their property in common. The disciples
about the person of Christ were, perhaps.
not consciously communistic and we
know that Peter had his own house; but
they had common bag, and while none
lacked, none abounded in wealth. Some
passages In the Gospel, like the saving
of Jesus, that it was easier for a camel
TO go through the eye of needle than
Ior rich man to enter the kingdom of
heaven, and the command to the Young
man to sell all his goods and give to the
poor, would seem to indicate that a con-
vert was virtually required to reduce his
wealth to the level of the new commp-
nlty. After the ascension of our Lord
the disciples organized themselves into
q Dody that was openly communistic.
Neither was there any among them
that lacked: for as many as were posses
Sors OF lands or houses sold them, and
brought the prices of the things that
were sold and laid them down at the
apostles feet, and distribution was made
unto every man according as he had
need There was no law requiring this
as Peter expressly tells us, but senti-
ment was SO strong in its favor that vio-
aelon OF the custom was called a lie
against the Holy Ghost and exposed An.
aaiaS ana Sapphira to the punishment
o1 death. La this simple communistic
ooo,dy were laid the foundations of the
christian church. The aims of the
OF to day are seen to
De I'D accord then with the historic
orms OF communism, and it will he
pest to use the word socialism for
I'll OF these social phenomena. Historic.
'hy the two are the same: but com
nunlsm has now come to mean moro
,iolent ana extreme form of socialism.
very communlss Is socialist, but every
'ociaiisC Is not a communist The
OF communism was in France
ma Its great leaders were CADET. 17S9-
looo), SAINT Simon, Q760-1S25), Fourier.
l|2.lo3O, Louis Blanc, Q8l4-1SS3l
lnu froudhon, the father of anarchv
lSO9-l065.) Communistic or socialistic
movements came to an end in ENGLAND
IND France IN 1852. Since that time the
eaders OF socialism have been Germans
md Russians. - '''-''
THE RISE AND CHARACTER OF
GERMAN SOCIALISM,.
O6rman socialism took ire .:oo :, IL