The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-07-02

was limited to very small number OF adj
| herents. Three months after It's foundation
| the General German Workingmen's. AS
ISOLATION numbered scarcely nine hun
| dred In itself. this would have been no
mean success. but Lassae had counted upon
| figures very different from these. He did not
| want to be the leader OF propogandist So
| ciety. but the head OF u popular movement.
| For the present. however. the masses kept
aloof from the now organization. 1t is con-
coded by Mr.. bernstein that, from some points
OF view. Lassalle was splendid worker. At
time he was capable OF developing positively
colossal energy. but It was not given to him to
do solid steady. persistent work. He kept up
n lively correspondence, tried to win over all
sorts OF notabities to the association. and was
not very particular in his choice. But the
main thing, the agitation among tho masses.
he left severely alone. Moreover he did not
even seek to secure for the association n good
weekly newspaper organ, although he had
the means to do so. In Berlin he obtained
at first only a very moderate measure OF sue
cess. Even those who, under the influence Of
his lectures and writings. had their names en-
tered In the books Of the association. soon
dropped out OF 1t. so that the association which
in December. 1863. had in Berlin over two hun
dred members. counted In February. 1864.
barely three Dozen the greater number Of
whom were not workingmen. For the pam
phet ITO the Berlin Workers." published in
october. 1868. the civil authorities brought a
charge OF high treason against Lassalle. and
had him arrested but,at the ensuing trial the
Court dismissed the case.
The nim OF Lassale. considered as social
reformer was to abolish the present methods
OF producing commodities. but the means
which he proposed left the present methods
untouched His aim was organized social pro-
duction: his means were individual associa
ton. which only differed from the plan OF the
anti-Socialist. Sehulze- Delitzsch. In that it
was to be brought about by means Of state
credit and State help. Everything else. as. for
instance, the fusion OF the associations, was to
be left to their own voluntary decision. 1t was
expected OF them. but was not made condi
ton, The State was to advance tho necessary
resources by guaranteeing credit but only to
such workmen as desired to start associations.
The associations. therefore. in any given in
dustry so long rs they did not embrace the
whole OF that industry. would have to COM
pete with establishments OF tho same kind
already in existence. and would therefore be
forced to submit to the conditions OF such
com petition. Tho inevitable consequence of
this would be that within the associations
that every association would have to try and
force up it's own profits high as possible.
even though 1t were at the expense OF other as
sociations or OF other categories OF labor. With
or without State credit. the associations re-
manned private concerns made up OF more or
less large groups Of workers. Individual
qualities. individual advantages. individual
good fortune played u conspicuous part in
them. The question of profit and loss had tho
same significance for them as for other pri-
vate business concerns A community on the
other hand organized on the principles OF
Marx and EnGcls would not proceed to the
specialization OF production by way OF subven-
ton Of productive cooperative societies. but
would. even though the cooperative form
should be made use OF. start with org an
iZing production on n socialized basis. 1t
would aim to annihiiate competition and tho
so-called iron law OF wages by placing at ono
stroke all the materials and Instruments of
production. and all the machinery Of distri-
button. in the hands of the Social Democratic
State. Transplanted into the midst Of a
capitalist society. as Iassalle proposed to
transplant it. cooperation must in one way or
another always assume capitalistic charac-
ter. Thus. according to Mr.. Bernstein. the
Lassalle cooperative societies would only have
differed from those Of Schulze- Delitzsch guam
titativeiy. not qualitatively: only in extent.
not in essence: that is to say according to the
modern social democrats. the weak point OF
the Lnssalle programme was that it put the
cart before the horse. Lassalle desired the
Specialization Of production. and Of the instru-
ments Of production. but because he thought
the time not come for saying 80 to the mob. by
which he meant the rabble Of idealess persons
OF all parties. and yet wished to disseminate
the idea itself among the masses, he set forth
what seem ed to him the less dangerous pro-
posal OF productive. cooperative associations
with State credit.