The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-16

| :.
vided state insurance and state old
age pensions. Disappointed that these
concessions encouraged instead Of lull-
ing the movement, he followed with his
socialistengesitz. and repressive laws
became the policy Gof the government
and still are.,,y<5 y
In the face of this, largely because
of it. the Social Democracy rose from
voting strength 'ots311.ss1. with twelve
| representativestin the reichstag, in 1881,
to 1,427,2sS ana thffty-five representa-
tives in 1890 land. 1,7S6,738 votes and
forty-four repSgsentatives in 1893 Bas-
ed on the proposition, that the rich grow
richer and tho poor, poorer because of
private ownership of the means Of pro-
duction aided by laws granting special
privileges. the Social Democrats would
have all the economic functions of So
ciety, performed abE' through and for
the commonwealth. With this pure So
clalism there was mixed homogeneous
+ ~ much Of pure democracy. There was
10 De liberty of speech, religion and the
press, not qualified, but absolute; uni
Versal suffrage and education. aboli-
elon OF standing armies, substituting
national militia; equal rights for all
and special protection for working
classes. Under this queer conglomerate
OF Utop1an dreams and plain democ-
racy, with Bismarckism as back
ground, it is not strange that the party
led by Liebknecht, Bebel and other en-.
thusiasts actually cast plurality Of
the votes in the election of 1893 Nor is
II strange that between it and the
present emperor there is bitter antag-
onlsm that shows itself in the demands
OF the latter for more stringent So
c1alistengesitz, and in the opposition in
the reichstag to all measures for the
increase of the military power of the
government
During all these years Of repression,
agitation, discussion and real thinking
the leaven Of democracy has been
working and driving off the volatile
gases of socialism. ! Within the ranks
OF the Social Democracy has risen this
sane democracy. which takes nothing
for granted, lbut examines, investi-
gates, holds fast that which is good
1t denies that the rich are growing
richer and the, poor poorer because it
has found that it is not true there any
more than it is here. It finds that the
authority Of the socialistic state must
necessarily be more CALLING, more arbi-
trary, less responsible than is even a
monarchy, and it returns from the
dreamland Of collectivism to the sane
realms and solid ground of Individual
ism, retaining that which it found
good and rejecting: that which, when
not positivelyHbad, was impracticable.
1t still demands reforms that are radi-
cal, but gains the strength that comes
from lessened hostility of other ele-
ments, driven into antagonism by the
extremity of the socialistic features of
the movement; Slight indications are
noticeable of the beginnings of sim
liar reaction among those extremists
who have. formed. new political orga-
nizations in this country to attain ends
distinctively secialistic Even Populism
is losing much of the wildness of it's
first outbreaks ans}i the doctrine of. the
nationalist ton of the means of produc-
ton and distribution no longer finds
unquestioned assent. We may have to
go farther on our course in state social
ism before the positive reaction sets in,
but, however far we may go, the
reaction will be. but the stronger and
more certain. Humanity has found no
roadway out Of despotism yet except
that of democracy.