Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-08-07

we're fit to kill aud be killed at that age
they claimed they were fit to vote. Laugh
ter and cheers.) He would like to say
further that he considered all so-called
universal suffrage lie and sham which
Excluded women. (Applanse.)
HOW ELECTIONS ARE. CARRIED ON.
Germany was divided into 397 electoral
districts. Since 1867 they had one member
or every 100, 900 population. Since that
ime Germany had, like other countries,
Undergone an industrial revolution, which
lad driven millions out of the country dis
riots into the towns. Berlin had in the
interval increased in population from 600,
100 to l 600, 600, so that now they ought to
AVE sixteen members instead of six
lad over and over again demanded an in
;rease of seats corresponding with the
population, but the Government steadily
'efused to grant it. He Liebknecht) was
elected at the last election for division OF
Berlin which had a population Of about
ialf million by a poll OF Al, 600 votes. The
socialists had now five out of the sixteen
divisions Of Berlin. If Berlin had the six
zen members it was entitled to, the 20
'ialists would have fifteen. (Cheers.) AT
he last election in all Germany they polled
Yearly 1, 800, 600 votes, and they we're in
he right in saying they represented fully
,ne-fourth of the German nation. Cheers }
Il their electoral system was more reason
IN unr1ld pf
orty- seven members, at least hundred
Cheers.)
THE ONLY REASONABLE PLAN
would be proportional representation, as
IN Switzerland. That was the only equal
AIR and just system of representation
tCheers.) 1t was
Law OF THEIR PARTY
hat only members of the party could be
ielected, and the selected candidate had to
idhere to every point of their program.
added to every address to the electors was
ne full program Of the party, so every
ne that gave his vote for the Social Demo
ratio candidate knew what he was voting
or. (Cheers.) They were the only party
hat told the electors what their aim was
Cheers.) When their candidate was
elected they had nothing further to dc
ave print addresses and voting papers.
md watch that no trickerv was practiced
IN Hamburg, for instance, where theil
nemies spent enormous sums endeavor-
ug to defeat them, an election sometimes
ost the party 10, 900 marks. In Berlin the
ost was 5000 or 8, coo, but in very many
,laces the cost was only few hundred
narks. They had
NO RETURNING OFFICERS FEES
% deposit, and so could run candidates
Everywhere. At the last election they
'ontested 800 of the total 397 seats.
Cheers AT the next they would contest
avery seat, and he estimated that they
would poll from 500, 600 to 1,00O 600 more
'otes. (Cheers.)
ABOUT "PERMEATIoN.n
He had been asked to say something
bout their relation to other parties. Tha'
ould be stated in two words. The Social
Democratic Party was one for itself
lbolish capitalistic production. They
wanted to abolish private ownership in til,
leans of production, which meant the en-
lavement of the workers cheers)-an6
nut in place Of that common property il
he ownership of those means. When tina
vas done the workers would cease to beck
dotted slaves, and not till then. Cheers.
The So called Democrats or Progressives.
ls well as other parties in Germany, were
lgainst that. 1t sometimes happened tina
ONE of those parties would vote with then
n the ReichstaG on political question, bu
whenever it was a question involving
Socialist principle they were all and Away
lgainst them. Cheers He had beer
lsked to say If they ever made compromise
With any other party. If any member
heir party over made compromise witt
any other party he would be at once turned
Mt. Loud cheers.)
HOW THEY ACT UNDER SECOND BALLOT.
They had second ballot in Germany,
md if in the first they were defeated they
were not so much in the clouds as to re-
fuse to vote for the candidate of another
party on every occasion. If, for instance,
there was question like that of the pro-
posed new military law at the last election,
when the Government were asking fol
more soldiers, they would and did vote for
the candidate who promised to vote against
it, But that was not compromise. (Cheers.)
At the principal election, where they could
have one of their own candidates, they
went wholly and solely Tor principle. At
second ballot election, where they could
not have candidate of their own, they
acted practically. (Cheers.) He would
never make compromise with any party
if he were in the position they in England
were. (Cheers.) In Germany they had
been offered cand idatures by Progressives,
but they had never accepted them.
Cheers How could they make an
alliance with party which perhaps the
next day they would have to fight? That
would be democrat izatiou in the extreme
(Cheers.)
STATE SOCIALISM.
He had been asked to state what they