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

What were the relations OF Lassalle to Bis.
marck2 There Is no doubt that In the winter
of lS63-64 Lassalle had repeated important
private conferences with Herr Won Bismarck.
then Prime Minister Of Prussia. When. four
teen years later. Bismarck introduced his gag
bill against German social democracy. the
Countess Sophie Won Hatfield. the lifelong
confidante OF Lassalle gave the representa-
tives Of the prosecuted party some circum-
stantial information on the point In Septem-
ber 1873. n Socialist member. Bebel brought
the matter before the Reichstag. whereupon
Bismarck admitted having had interviews
with Lassalle. and only made attempts to deny
that they had reference to political negotia-
lions. Bebel. on the strength OF COM
munications made by the Countess HAITI
field. said: Those conversations and
negotiations turned upon two different
matters: first upon the granting OF universal
suffrage. and secondly upon the granting OF
State help to productive, cooperative assoca-
tion. Prince Bismarck had been completely
won over to both proposals by Lassalle. He
only refused to introduce universal suffrage
until such time as the Schleswig- Holstein war
had been satisfactorily concluded. In conse-
Quence Of this hesitation serious disagree
ments arose between Lassalle and Prince
Bismarck and 1t was not the latter who broke
off the negotiations. but 1t was / must en-
phatically state. Lassalle who caused the
breach. and who declared he could not enter
into further negotiations" To this Bis
marck replied: Our conversations undoubt-
eddy turned upon the question OF universal
suffrage. hut under no circumstances upon
an introduction of it. l never in all
my lifo entertained 80 monstrous an idea
as to grant universal suffrage by forcing 1t
upon tho Chamber" Bismarck is here, OF
course. referring to the Prussian Landtag; as
amattor of fact he did. soon afterward. make
universal suffrage the basis for the Parliament
OF the North German Confederation, and sub
sequenty for that of the German empire. He
went on to say regarding productive. co0pera-
tive associations that he was mot even 10 -day
convinced of their ineXpediency." only tho
political events at the time had not allowed OF
the carrying ont OF the experiments initiated
in this direction. Moreover. he protested
that 1t was not he but Lassalle. who had
desired these meetings. and who had written
to request them. while he Bismarck had con-
scented to see Lassalie out Of mere caprice.
what could LassaIle have offered or given
me2 He had nothing at his back. The do ut
des Is at the bottom Of all political negotia-
ton. even when one doesn't for decency's sake
say so. But when one Is forced to say to ones
SELF What can you. poor devil. give? There
was nothing he could have given me as Minis
ter" Mr.. Bernstein considers 1t perfectly
clear that tho man who never lied Officially"
here dealt very unofiicially with the truth.
Lassalle would not have gone to the Minister.
nor would the latter have repeatedly sent for
the revolutionary Jew"-Bismarck him
self admits this may have occurred
some four times. while the Countess
Hatzfeldt maintains that it was three or four
times wcek-just for the sake OF chat
Moreover. one has but to read the speeches OF
the representatives Of the Government and
the articles In the official press OF the period to
be convinced how greatly the Bismarck Minis
try was then taken up with the idea Of de-
stroying the Progressist majority In tho
PrussiaI Landtag by introducing universal |