Omaha daily bee., 1892-04-24
LITTLE HOPE TOR PRESENT SUCCESS
WHAT THE FUTURE MAY BRING FORTH
rocp,r,cnted isg? bu jams Gordon Bsnnst.,1

BERLIN, April 2S.--lNew AorR berhlu
Cable-Special TO THE BEE. There is
great deal of human nature in Paul singer.
who j have just interviewed. he is not
flaming, f1arinE social democrat out quite
the reverse. He is philosopher. Singer
would make poor martyr. He would resent
being asked TO give up life for. any
cIuse. He would not rejoice If he
were asked TO sacrihce his liberty
Had he come into the world twenty
years earlier YOU might have found him now
holding as prominent place IN the ranks OF
the bourgeoise rs that he occupies in tho
great army Of socialists in France, which
suggests both shrewdness and skepticism
He is not hard TO read In the past he has
been prosperous man, and has enjoyed HE.
He has not allowed socialistic events 10
stand too much III the way OF his taste Tor
sociRbility Most OF US would find II much
easier TO get on with the practical gentleman
like Singer than with Ill enthusiast OF
Bebel's stamp.
They tell me ne is rich. ] asked man
who knows him well why oesng rlcn' he had
joined the socialists. 'He snys IL Is the only
sale party for a man OF means TO belong to
nowadays" was the answer.
Herr Singer struck me as q sensible, prac-
tl"nl, uncommonly modern gentleman. With
B spel and Liebnicht Singer stands nj the
head of the German socialists. Until his
Temporary expulsion from Berlin in 1856 he
was partner i'll q large manufacturing firm.
OF late he has given up business and has de-
voted himself TO political and municipal
duties. His apartments on the ground floor
in the Llnderstrasse are furnished simply
but comfortably. His study is q small,
gloomy room looking onto courtyard and is
wei supplied with books. His cigurs are eX-
celleut. z
r What They Would Have.
~ have called said when we had ex =
CHANGED courtesies, 'in hops that you will
clear III one or two points which your friend
Bebel lef; obscure in his talks with me. Sup
pose, for the sake OF argument that the So
cial democrats had a majority in the German
Pnrliaments, or in the country, what would
they do with itr'
~ eau quite understand said Singer,
''thRt a practical people like the Americans
should put that question but can also uu-
derstand why Bebel did not answer it. No
doubt he knew thLt ii was not possible to
give precise reply. The future de-
pends on circumstances. We cannot
pledge posterity. In twenty years
people will care very little for opinions or
plans which ! might unfold to you today
Tney will have their own views. But as L
matter OF fact, ] don't believe that there is
nny likelihood of our ever obtaining a par
liRmentary majorty. The bourgeoise Of
which the existing government is virtually
the expression, would not allow it.
So soon us the bourCeoise found
that we have become menace to their power
in Parliament, they would try to checkmate
us. j anticipate that one of the first things
they would do would be TO restrict the sui
frage in some way or other-not, of course
blunuy Plainly, they would get RIO Of
universal suffrage ! do not mean that
they would venture TO abolish il
of hand That would be impossible But
they would hedge the right of voting with
Limitations and conditians so that the electo-
raj power of the working mon would be, if
not destroyed, much lessened The Bour-
geoise are quite alive 10 the Importance OF
the socialist movement. They know that
the struggle between themselves and the
masses is matter of life or death, and they
will use every means 10 avoid destruction.
ii would be ldIe denying that. having the
material power in their hands, the army and
the police at their orders, they may make a
New Masters Coming In.
s'Their mission in the world has been
accomplished in The 100 years which have
gone by since the French revolution made
them masters. In their turn they will have
10 give way TO new masters-the democracy.
That they will try TO save themselves, how
ever-that They will try TO get rid Of uni
versal suffrage Is, ] repeat more tnan proba-
hle. That may mean revolution. Even il
we had an electoral majority in the
country, would that fact necessarily
imply that we should oe able 10 bring about
the changes nj which We Rin.2 All cannot
get over this other fact That the bourgeoiss
might still control the army and the police
We trust most 10 the natural development o.
the economical situation, which by The
gradual concentration of wealth and indus
trial machinery in the hands of the few il
steadily alternating and lmpoverishing the
many.
The modern tendency OF things is Us you
know 10 suppress small industries and re
place them by large industries, and to bind
together these larger enterprises in rings
and trusts, In the course of time these viii
be completely vested in small number ui
huge syndicates, 80 that the people will be
practically erged out. Then we shall see 9
reaction.
Cannot Rest ON Bayonets.
Another point should be remem bered
The present military system is two-edgec
weapon. II forces al kinds OF men into the
ranks, socialists ana nonsociallsts. The
spread OF social democracy among the troops
thus becomes intelhgible. II mhy easily
come 10 pass some day that when The Bour
Eeoise call upon their own creature, tn,
army, 10 defend them, they may get no re
sponse As o FrenchmRn once ohsery ed
You can do many things with Dayonets, bu
you cannot rest on them con ne pent pa
sasseoir sur des bayonettes').
The condition OF the German working
classes is pitiaDle indeed. II has never been
more SO. How pilabls II 10 you may gues