The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-18
GERMANY TO BE A REPUBLICo
Three Million v otcs Now Cast by the Social
Democrats-Their Aims.

Dem0crats-Their Aims,
BERLIN. March els Germany on the
road to re~puhlicanism? There are many
here who think so.
They say the Germans are essentially
democratic. They point to the separation
Of Norway from Sweden as n proof of how
easily nowadays a great political change
can be effected. 'Chey hold that the com-
ing ages AVE no Use for monarchs and
autocrats.
Reasoning along this line, they con-
clude that we shall yet see, and probably
during the twentieth century, a great re-
public on each side Of the Rhine with Alsace-
Lorraine peacefully divided between them.
1t may be a dream; but if not, if fate has
such a revolution in store. it will be due
chiefly to one cause. the spread and finally
the triumph Of Social Democracy.
That movement, as recent events pretty
plainly Indicate, is a very different thing
now from what it was when it started a
little more t! an forty years ago. The warlike
preparations made here on January Fl last
in anticipation of Social Democratic dis
turbances show this. Those preparations,
though they Appeared superfuous and
even absurd to foreigners in Berlin, in
reality we're not only justified by the oc-
currences a few days before in Hamburg
and by the temper of the working class all
over the Empire, but were a serious if tardy
recognition on the part OF the Kaiser and his
ministers ~or Social Democracy's growth
and power.
What is this Social Democracy of W hich
one hears SO much and OF which, as every
one here knows, so much will yet be heard?
1t is a working class movement with two
aspects, one social and the other political.
and among its many objects under both
aspects the great and chief aim is to ele vate
and better the condition of the working
classes, the pToletariat, first of all in Ger
many and then in every other country.
LAssALLE's~ PROJECT
As a social moveme mt Social Democracy
was originally due, in large measure, to
the transition in Germany from agriculture
TO industry, fer the ira Gition meant the
aggregation Of workrnen in the towns ard
the growth among the workmen Of a de-
sire for social bette lTnent and CT a spirit
Of union which might help them to its full
flment. The actual organization dates
from 1863, when the Jew Il ssalle founded
at Lipsic the General Union Of German
Workmen, though it should be mentioned
that already in lsi7 Karl Marx and Fred
erick Engel had issded a manifesto in favor
of international communism, which was
addressed to the working classes of Europe
and which doubtless suggested to the
philoscpEic and visionary L&ssaile the
ground idea Of his Social Democracy.
Lassllle's two principal demands were
universal suffrage and the formation Of
workmen's communities which should en-
ploy State loaned capital and divide among
themselves the entire product of their
labor; In other words, the substitution
Of the State for the ca pitalist and en-
ployer.
Lassalle was killed in a duel a year after
founding his union, and Be cker and Schweit-
ger succeeded as presidents; but they
lacked Lassalle's intellect and enthusiasm,
and in 1909 rival Social Democratic move
ment on an International and more utili-
tartan basis, and the parent Of the present
movement, was started by Bebel and Lieb-
knecht with the foundation Of the Union
CT German Workmcn. In 1875, at the
congress or Party Day in Gotha, Bebel's
society agreed TO merge with that of Las
sale on the lines of the programme there
and then laid down. The present name,
Social Democratic Party Of Germany, was
not formally adopted until 1850 at the Party
Day at Halle, when also the establishment
of its exoellently edited and richly vituper-
alive party organ Vorudrts, was decided
on.
FUNDAMENTAL AIMS.
The fundamental ideas ard political
aims Of Social Democracy have been formu-
lated at various annual congresses as
follows:
The aim Of Social Democracy is not to
divide all property. but TO combine 1t and use
1t for the development and Improvement Of