The Irish standard., 1907-02-09
1t Also Means That the Force of Socialism
Which Was Threatening Society
Has Been Broken.
While the Former Result is to be Deplored,
Lovers of True Liberty Are Thank
ful For the Second.

The elections to the German Reich
stag are a surprise both gratifying
and OF doubtful benefit, says Robt.
ELLIS Thompson i'll the Irish World. IT.
was one OF the cases in which the ideal
solution OF the problem would have
been the defeat OF both parties-of
the Emperor and his Chancellor OH
the one hand, and OF tho Socialists on
tho other. Tho Empcror's victory means
an increasing power Of the military
rule of the Hohenzollern dynasty at
tho expense OF popular government.
But it also means that the force OF
social. disintegration, which has been
threatening all government and all lib
erty in all parts OF tho world, has
ceased to make head in it's career for
the destruction OF society as 1t exists.
At every election since 1887 tho So
cialiyts have cast a rapidly increasing
vote, until at the choice Of tho recent
Reichstag thelr vote far exceeded that
OF any other party in the empire. In
the big cities they gained steadily upon
tile National Liberals, and upon the
Progrcssists, until almost every import
ant center Of population, from Ham
burg TO Breslau, was represented by
Socialist members. In the present di-
viled condition of German parties they
did not approach a. majority iii tho
Reichstag, and their vote was so con-
centratcd in the manufacturing centers
that they could not elect members pro-
portionatcly to their numbers. Rural
Germany generally. and tho Catholic
districts in particular, arc much too
strong in their representation for 81
Socialist control In Italy local mis-
government las driven the farmers
over to the Socialists, but not in Ger
many.
IT. has, however, an ominous situn-
ton that the German cities generally
were rallied to the support Of n So
cialist revolution, especially in view Of
ll5 IuSI LIdl AIileS, ouSik thii't
Marseilcs, i1avo exerted q. decisive
| weight in the promotion Of revolu-
tions. which tho French people did
not desire. IT, also was embarrassing
that the Socialists were strong enough
to secure Il victory by combination
with any other large party, as often
as they found a. common standing
ground against the government. And
at the rate OF growth which the So
cialists showed at every election, it
seemed as IL tho workingnen OF the
country were falling into line in a
way which would find imitators in
every other country. In fact, this in
crease has done much to commend
Socialism to initiative minds even in
America, while it has tinged the opin-
ions, of our newer German immigrants.
The decay OF Socialism indicated in
the numerous defeats or it's candidates
last week, began from within. The
standard statement Of tho party's prin
cipIes is found in Karl Marks work
on Capital. The leading purpose Of
the book is to prove that so long as
the wage system continues there can
be no material change for the better
in the condition Of the wagc-carners.
They must sink lower in the social
scale until they become practically the
slaves of the capitalist class. In prov
ing this Herr Marx takes his start
from the teachings of the school Of
Political economists founded by NAL
thus and Icardo, and accepts their doc
trine that the iron law Of wages"
shows that the workinglnan is but Il
beast of burden like any other, that
his price in the market is determined
by the same laws of demand and sup
ply as control the price OF oxen and
horses. and that he can do nothing to
improve this condition short of over
throwing the whole system of private
capital, and transferring the instru-
! n1cnts Of production to the state.