The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-10-13

To exercise material influence on Socialist
counsels and purposes. for the reason that
it l. really not "A Socialist vote 81 all. Ac-
cording to Bebel's estimate. there are IN
the German Empire AT most only COON
convinced Socialists. but they find them
selves followed at the polls by a mixed null
titude Of two millions odd. who come Ia them
not because they care In the least for the
doctrines taught or for the remote ideal
nut forward, hut solclv because they want
n little present help In time OF irouble,
the reiress 81 grievance that are actually
oppr~-ing them. and because they believe
the Social Democrats To constitute the
marty THAI IL most ready Ia take up their
oause Under the circumstance the policy
OF the party has tended To h. shaped, not
by the ideals Of the inner circle ~ believers
but by the wants Of the unconveried mass.
the immensely p~reponderant partner In
the coalition.
This state 81 things has penSbly changed
tbs, attitude Of the Socialists In Germany
toward social reform Formerly they
con.idered social reform ~ something
aui,e outside IL their proper business.
which was To prepare men by word and
organization for the great social revolu-
ton, on witch alone they built their hop-s
They had. consequently. done their social
reforming A. II thew were ashamed Of H..
and had been always studious IA explain
! hat the reforms they asked for wer. mere
palliativ-s and 10y nP means real remedies
for the disease from which society was In
their opinion pen-hing. Many Of them not
only de-pi-.si the -miser able reform bust
ness a. Bebel once called IL. but disliked
IL. believing II to run actuslly counter TO
their true revolutionary work, Asmuch
a. IL Contributed To appea-e the gathering
d~iscintsnt. All that IL changed now, the
Social Democratic party having adopted
social reform A. one 81 the most essential
preparations for the coming social reveiu-
tiop The new formula was thus eS-
messed by yollmar In his speech At the
stuttgart Congress of 1865 He who raises
the position Of the working people economi-
cally. politically and intellectually in
creases their strength for further battles
and placee q sure foot on the way leading
to the final seizure 81 the powers Of the
state
I, Ia not improbable that the German
Socialist. will ere long u even the
fundamental doctrine which taught that
IN. private ownership Of land. ~ well a.
Of industrial plant. ought 10 he abolished.
Tn. pea.antry have Always been objects
az p.cular interest To the Ger man Socialist.
because " IL a maxim among the old revo-
mtionary hands that without tho CO.
operation Of the peasant no revolution
can be successful. In the German Empire
there are about three millions ~ email
proprietors tilling their own fields with
own hands. That IL 10 say, The peasant In
AZ once laborer and capitalist. He v a
private owner Of the means 81 production.
and he cling- to his little hit Of private
propert with a fanatical attachment.
II, therefore. tho Socialists are Ia win over
the peasant. they must save 20 him his
property This was recognized by the
opmmittee appointed by the SOCIAL Demo-
cratic Congress At Frankfort In ise<to pre-
pare an agrarian programme for the party
II proposed To nationalize the large s-tais-.
bu, recommended tina, the peasant should
he left In the po~-e-sion of his property.
and. AZ the same time. re~cued from tho
raparity Of the pnvat" capitalist by the
establishment % a state bank 20 take over
his mortgages and charge him the west
possible rate Of interest. This proposal.
though supported by Rebel. was rejected
nj the Brsslau Congress Of the following
wear by n vote ~ thr,-' To one The qus~-
ton, however. was really rather postponed
than decided. and Mr.. RAJ believes that
the Social Democrats OF Germany will
ultimately occupy the ground taken IN
1894 by the French Socialists At the Con-
sre.s Of Nantes, when they made the main
tenance Of peasant property q plank al
their programme. having discovered that
Socialism never had any quarrel with pro-
duccr- owning their own means OF pro-
ducing. but only with non producers own
ing other peoples means Of producing,
and that the land 81 the peasant In a. much
the instrument 81 his "a In the car
p~~n,er's plane. which nobody thought Of
making collertive property.
Before leaving this branch 81 the sub
ject, We should note another practical
result OF the marked change in the atti-
tude OF the Social Democrats ~ Germany.
Formerly they rejected tho idea OF any
compromise with what they termed the
bourgeois parties. and ~ lately a. isas
the Congress Of Cologne condemned every
species % cooperation with other political
ORGANIZATIONS for elections 10 the Prs-
sian lAndtAs. although the property quail
f~cations for the franchise In Prussia are
80 classified A. Ia give the Social Demo-
Gratis no hope Of returning candidates
Of their own. Iiebknecht said that the
hahi, Of voting for candidates 81 a differ
ent PARTY from their own would IL apt
TO sap their veurration for their own prin-
cple~. and In 1903 Bethel agrced with him.
BEFORE isea. however. Ret~l changed his
mind and carried a motion a. the Goths
Congress Of ised recommending Social
D,mocra,s to vote q, the lAndtag ~l-c-
tinn- for any Opposition candidate who
would undertake Ia vote for s~uT~r--iins
IN Prussia th- present classified prur~rty
francois. by universal Sunras- Co
ot-rs,ion with thn mSidl~-clas- voters
a, the lAnd,ag elections ~ss actually
made obligatory NV the May-nc" Congr---
- 100. ~ rapid and fr-qu~ni ar tho
mnigine. - The lat,~r-dAy soSSal Define
cra,s ~ TIN ~Am- -pir, ~ compounds
th- Hamburg Consr-- IN los r~--~d q
rl~ foT Tho TIM AIFfsarhins cl-rt'"".
fos lis kS.GAssS - Iss s1sos n4Ai N eoe-