The Progress., 1893-10-07

I "ars, we observe the blind fatality with
which the ruling powers of the world
are preparing for war. A great war
within 10 years seems now inevitable.
And when it comes who can foretell the
aEe sweeping results? All the great pow
ets of the old world are each day cnlarg-
ing and fastening their preparations for
/ the event. Each army maneuvering il
/ planned on vaster scale than its prede-
| cessor. Each year adds n new squadron
/ to the ironClad battleships that are to
contend for the mastery Of the seas.
/ These ships and guns and armies will
surely be put in motion soon. Who
can tell the outcome? What will be tho
answer of the common people to tho
scourge Of war? Hitherto it has been
silence and suffering. Nut today the
masses are moving under 4 resistless i'm.
pulse toward an international federation
and a world peace.
THE EUROPEAN CRISIS
James Gordon Bennett sent recently
TO the San Francisco Chronicle brief
review by cable Of the European situa.
tion, which reveals the condition of un.
rest and uncertainty among the great
powers startling enough. He says:
While ! would not have my readers considet
me a pessimist or bird of bad omen an
again compelled to say that the situation ol
European affairs is far from reassuriDG. Signs
OF coming storms may be on all sides ol
tho political horizon. There is not single
country in Europe actually without interior oi
external turmoil. In Germany the situation
is particularly bad. The conflict between the
N hn antalo Ia ,Irf,
gravated form, and IL can be brought to ~
end enly by some unconstitutional act on thr
part Of the emperor, who wishes an increase IN
the army. which the people have refused to
sanction. New deputies, hostile to the imperial
plan, will be elected.
Grave news comes from Austria There i,
an internal crisis resulting from constantly in
creasing i'll feeling between the Czechs. Mag
vars and Germans. In England the home rul1
troubles are increasing. not to mention certain
recent happenings in the royal family. OF
which II were better not TO dwell. France
hardly out of the Panama crisis. is To- havJ
next September general elections which will
upset public life. The French statesmen also
have to deal with several troublesome colonial
matters, including the Siamese incident, which
may result seriously, not 10 mention man.
complications with England.
Italy IS passing through a financial crisis
and also has n ministerial crisis. Since yesioI-
day the Internal situation Is not auspCioCi
and her foreign relations are weighted down
by military expenses
Spain and Portugal have n financial crisis
which Is leading them surely and quickly g.
bankruptcy. Belgium has not come TO the end
OF her constitutional crisis. Sweden and Nor.
way are in open conflict that may result in
forciblo division.
The Servian coup d'etat and the little king
have brought no quiet.
Bulgaria Is in the throes of long STANDING
Il. L 4
the people and General Stamboulof.
Most of these predictions as to elec-
tions and their results have since been
verified. and many new developments
confirming them have more recently ap.
peared. What the result will be when
this powder magazine is exploded by
some royal fool throwing the stub of hia
cigarette into it. who can tell?
SOCIALISM.
Third-We observe this world move
ment among the masses in the tremen-
dous development of socialism among
the masses of the old world.
Socialism is everywhere in Europe the
rising power. 1t is no longer a voiceless
mob to be suppressed by club and bay
onet. 1t is resistless uprising of tho
millions whose representatives are fast
crowding the parliamentary assemblies
of every nation. In Germany, with her
broad and deep culture of the masses,
they lead the way. In the last elections
their increase was enormous. Other par
ties rise and fall with local events but
the Social Democrats have with each
election steadily and swiftly advanced.
Beginning Is years ago with but few
thousand votes, they polled at the last
election about 10000 in the face Of
the combined opposition of the govern
ment and all the traditional conserva-
tive forces of society.
Already the socialists have captured
the great cities, almost without excep-
ton. Berlin is theirs by such great
majority that if it were an independent
community they could reconstruct So
ciety in it at once. Munich. Hamburg,
Bremen. Lubbock, LEIPZIG, Glsuchau.
Gotha, Dantaig. Nuremberg and Magde
berg are all socialist, with others to hear
from. As the population of every coun-
try in the world is rapidly concentrating
in the cities, the party that gains con-
troll of the cities is the party of the fu-
ture.
The emperor may well look to his
guards. The hour of the common peo-
pie surely draws nigh.
PLATFORM OF GERMAN SOCIALISTS.
Are these socialists the enemies of
man and society? This is the platform
of the German Social Democracy. Read
for yourself:
Universal suffrage, male and female, direct
election by secret ballot. one citizen, one vote
and biennial parliaments
The initiative and referendum.
Annual revision of taxes.
Local self government and the election of all
public officials by the people.
Universal military training for national de-
fense instead of a standing army.