New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-11
IN THE GERMAN EMPIRE
Results Of Socialist Conuention-The
Polish Question-Ciuil Code
Berlin, September 40 10Y

that party itself from a "one million" on lso3l
into 6 three million" party Gin 1909, OF greater
and greater national Importance. And Il is sig
nhcant that this tirle, fresh after their ,,c,o-
,ious campaign from which they enersaa ,,,,b
sn accession OF nearly a million new voters and
gain OF almost a score OF seats On ,ha
Reichstag. the entire German press has trea.aa
this party convention Of numerically the strons
est political element in the empire as a matter
OF the FIRST magnitude. and has devoted more
.pace and mere editorial argument to IL than 20
anything else
Proudly and with head erect did Paul Singer
the president OF the convention. say that the
eyes OF the world turned at that hour
toward Dresden and toward the delegates there
assembled. But from the point OF view OF a
Socialist there was really not so much cause
for pride and elation would al first appear;
for with barely victory achieved, the Socialist
marty has turned 20 wrangling. Nay. worse;
Il is rent 90 Two. and the two unequal halves
view each other with feelings far from friendly
Yet the turbulent trial which socialism is now
going through is. perhaps. a necessary process,
and. at any rate Il is OF great intrinsic interest
20 the outside world as well For II is the strug
sic between the old and the new, the young
ana the old. the irreconcilables and the oppor-
tunists. To make my meaning plain. will say
that the cid and hitherto dominant faction Of
the Socialist party founded on and stil be-
lieving IN the doctrine Of Marx and Ergels, and
headed by such veteran leaders as Bebel Singer
and their lieutenants. has probably made SITS last
winning stand against the new. the younger
and more conciliatory element whose views have
been moulded by Bernsteins writings during
the past decade. and who are now led by Bern
stein himself. by Won vIlmar Auer. Won Ger
ZACH, Gohre Heine and others.
Bernstein IL HIS books and pamphlets has de-
rnolished some OF the foundation pillars and a
good portion OF the very fabric OF thought on
which German socialism has rested for fifty
years. He disproved the 'pauperization theory"
on which much Of the agftatory power Of
Mars teaching rested; he showed plausiby
how socialism could attain nearly everything
Il strives for without bloodshed and general
catsclysm. adapting its modes of action 10 vary
ing conditions and circumstances. The party
within the German Socialist party which has
grown up under the milder and less radical
teaching Of Bernstein IS now known as the Re
,isonist'. it has steadily gained strengthr-at
first mostly in Bavaria well the rest Of
South German: of late among the younger ele-
ment of the party everywhere. OF the million
new voters who Joined the Socialists at the polls
IN June by far the greater portion was Re
visonist" and the score OF new Socialist dele
gates in the Reichstag likewise belong 20 the
Bernstein faction. OF the older leaders. too. a
Nevertheless. at the Dresden convention. just
concluded the test OF strength precipitated there
by Bebel and Singer showed that the following
Of these two as Yet outnumbers the Revision
fists" in the proportion Of to 3. This does not,
however, show the real strength OF the two fac
tions for much Of the influence OF Bebel and
Singer with the more or less unthinking and
gullible masses Of the German proletariat is due
not 10 the doctrines they espouse. but to their
personal magnetism and to the deep feeling Of
gratitude these masses owe them their IN
daUnted spokesmen for many years martyrs
20 the cause who have tasted long and often the
hitter bread OF the jaiL This much is certain:
The overwhelming number OF thinking Socialists
IN Germany the so-caIled 'intellectuals." and
comprising as they DO the brains Of the party.
the men Of academical training. the writers.
editors. physicians. artists. etc. have gone over
a. The 'Revisionist'' side-that IS, that side
which advocates q revision OF the party creed
and party platform Bebel and Singer are both
old. and as I pointed out, their influence the
party rests even to-day largely sentimental
nor Intellectual, grounds. The day may be
foreseen-snd Il cannot be very far ofr-when
the "Revisionists" Will have Il all their own
svav
Meanwhile however the Bebei faction have
once more triumphed. They have made a sys-
tematic attempt TO deprive the Bernstein doc
trine and its mouthpieces Of influence by pass
ing party resolutions forbidding Socialists 20
write for anti-Socialist publications. and making
others ineligible 10 party Offices and honors
Their triumph. however, viii be but a short
lived one. The "Revisionists" know that the
future OF the party is theirs.
The Polish question in Prussia Will not down
The so-called Ansiedelungs Commission. l. e.,
the commission TO which is Entrusted the task
OF settling farmers, estate holders, mechanics
and professional OF German blood in the
Polish provinces OF Prussia, meaning the prov
tnoes OF Posen, East Prussia and West Prussia
Is well as the eastern half Of Silesia-this Gem
mission, say has fund OF 350ocoooO marks.
or about 100000. st Its disposal for these
purposes But the latest published reports OF
this body show Enthusiastically that Its work
has SO far. that is. within a number OF years.
proved q total failure Altogether. the commits
sion has settled twenty-five thousand persons
OF German blood IN these strongly Polish parts
OF the provinces named, and that is less than
one-half OF i per cent. On the other hand, the
Polish element in these provinces, varying be-
tween 80 and IS per cent OF the total popu-
lation there, has increased at an enormous rate
despite the big emigration from there to the
United States as well q the west OF our own
empire The fecundity Of the Poles In Prussia
Is fully 90 per cent greater than That or the
German element, and the hygienic Improve
ments effected in the Polish provinces as IN the
rest OF the monarchy have at the same time
vastly decreased the mortality, notably among |
'he children AS result OF all this, we see
that IN spite OF the efforts OF the aforemen-
TONED commission. with its practically ilimit-
able funds, and in spite OF all the official en-
enlargement given by the Prussian Government
10 % he