The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-01-28
Sterile Labor AgitatiOns.

Sterile LABOR A<otAOA0"
Recently the Continental Correspond
ence. a reputed organ OF the I'D
perial government, published in Berlin.
fell upon August Bebel, the Socialist
leader of Germany, comparing nim'
much to his discredit, with Jaures IN
France and John Burns and Keir Har-
die in England. A sterile agitator, this
paper called him, and its estimate Is
borne ont by DR.. Theodore Barth, ed
itor of the Berlin Nation. who Is known
in this COUNTRY. DR.. Bartn uses no
names. but speaks of that Socialist par
ty which Herr Eebel has built up and
guided to failure. if we may believe the
Correspondence. Says Mr.. Barth:
The German Socialists exhaust thers.
selves by internal conflicts. in theoretical
discussions of the necessity for general
strike. for q struggle between the classes
and on the immoral political and soclai
condition OF things as they are. But
while these discus sfons become broader
and broader in scope and wagner and
wagner In practical object, the SOCIALIST
party is being swept away farther ano
farther from the attainme mt Of political
mower. They do not seem to understand
how futile is policy which fails to util-
lie the mighty forces of party majority
for the purpose of winning real ana POSI-
tive political victories. Beyond DOUBT
.ne Socialist party up to the present time
has done all in its power to isolate ltse1
from all other sections of the population.
1t has looked upon this isolation as
~ lint in isolation
will remain utterly powerless even II II
succeeds in attracting to itself hundreds
of thousands OF new electors. Only by
political cooperation with other parties
will the Social Democracy obtain gen
uine political influence, and the party
best fitted for such cooperative union.
the party to which the Socialists should
turn. is the democracy of tho bourgeois
class which makes for iniiV ~TR liberty.
not for collective absolutism. If these
two parties we're united they might
eventually initiate a policy of real re-
form.
Bebel not only directs the thinking of
his Socialist followers through The me-
dunn of his Social-DemOcratic paper,
Forward. but is their leader in the
German parliament. His methods there
d
The Social Democratic menat ers Of the
Bebel stamp, and especially Debel hinl-
self, have no consciousness Il the fact
that they are returned to parliament to
represent the present generation of work.
ingmen Helping the workman in the
struggle for existence. providing for him
in times of Industrial depression, these
are matters they leave to the government
and to the employers of laoOr. 1t is only
in wage disputes that they goaS the
workman TO extremes, s, as to capture
and secure him for tie Social Demo-
cratic camp. Bebol bell yves it his who's
duty to keep together il it's present form
and with all the NEAR at his command
the whole Social De- locratic party ma
chinery. Wcrkmen Who put their own
trade interests in trA foreground. speak
ers who champion A practical Idea, po-
litical economists 'sho VOL: o'it a new
prOgramme-an III Sc are, from the very
first. irritating o him. bec,use they
occasion a split thin the party and may
set aside his rev JlUtionarV rleIaces. IS
colleagues he p cfers fanatic,u writers
with a fine COZ Gnand Of abusive Ian
guage +" r.. Hose hearts heat warmly
for ths woramans cause.
In his paper DIR. Barth. who is free
from partisansh.p. declares :hat Social
ISM Is completely OStfaclLeu Dy Tue
German imperial government and the
members of that party un,ler a ban.
The other political parties ieacre them,
and the government will not recognize
them for any grade Of public employ
ment. The only way for them to gain
influence in affairs Of state, b. points
out, is through actual political work in
combination with other powerful ele-
ments in the reichstag.