The Washington herald., 1913-09-14
,oopynshs ls1a b. a D. JsoObson.>

August Bebel, who was one OF the
greatest Of antI-miIItarists in Europe
was the son Of a noncommissioned Of
ficer. The harsh disciplinary methods
applied to prfvates In the German army
sixty years ago, made an indelible I'm
preston upon his boyish mind More
than once" he said reminiscently, "have
witnessed how young and old men.
who were to receive extra punishment,
had to submit TO the hideous process Of
'cross-locking.' The delinquent had TO
lie down on his stomach and had his left
hand fettered to his right foot. and his
right hand TO his left foot across his
back. and in that position he was left
for two hours" Bebel himself suffered
from no lack OF parental discipline IF
thrashlng'' he said, ARE the highest ex-
crescence Of educational wisdom, 1 must
have become a perfect" It is no ex-
aggeration to say that since the death
Of the Iron Chancellor no political figure
has occupied public attention IN Germany
more than that Of the man who began his
life as a wood-turner and ended it as
toe undisputed chief OF one Of the most
powerful political organizations Of
modern times.
August Bebel was born at Cologne
February 2 lSSo His people were in
very humble circumstances, and Bebel
never spoke OF them. When he was a
child they removed from Cologne TO
BrauwePIer, and arterward TO wetZIar.
In Rhenlsh, Prussia, and IL was IN these
little towns that the future Socialist leader
obtained the only schooling Of his life.
AT the age Of fourteen he was ap-
prenticed to a wood-turner. He became
vr-Na d RH- aF
servitude were over he took up his stan
and bundle, and, following the example
OF the German youth OF the time, started
Gut TO face the world As 'Handwerk's
bursche," he Travelled through Central
and Southern Germany.
He crossed the border into Switzerland
and Austria. working at his trade wher-
ever he went When he was twenty-four
he returned home. and later chose the
city Of Leipzig as his place Of abode. At
the time the position OF the Saxon work.
man was one of destitution; political
rights he had none Bebers keen eyes
had long been directed to the labor move
ment and with characteristic enthusiasm
he threw himself into the cause, which
could already boast the leadership OF
Ferdinand Lassalle- He began to speak
at labor meetings, and It was in the labor
organ at Leipzig that his first articles
appeared His spirited efforts made him
conspicuous, and when, in 1867, he ven
tured so high as to offer himself as
Parliamentary candidate for the Saxon
constituency OF Glauchau-Meerane- TO
the North-German Reichstag. he was re-
turned by a handsome majority. He was
the first Socialist ever returned TO any
German Diet. and it is interesting 10
hear that the party. which now com
mands several millions OF votes, In those
remote days only had a membership or
q 600 He sat in the North-Gernan Par
lament until It was replaced by the Inn
periaI Reichstag in ISL. and since that
day his Parliamentary activities have
heen uninterrupted. Until 1877 he sat Tor
Glauchau; from 1877 until 1881 for Dres-
den: from 1881 to 1896 for Hamburg; from
1Sa9 until 1898 for Strassburg. and since
1seS again for Hamburg.
IjttIe notice was taken Of Bebel, out
side his own party, until in ISL he Dit
terly opposed the unifcatiOn of Germany:
The abuse. which was then treeiy leNeleu
al him. was intensified when, In numer-
o,,s speeches and articles, he defended
the Paris communards and the members
oF the 'Internationale" This was
Bebers widest political move.
Rstveen 1s72 and 1881 he was repeatedly
tried and punished for treason for lese
majestic against the German Emperor ana
tho King Of Saxony, for libelinG Prince
Rjsnsrck. and other high personages'
Altogether he spent fifty-seven months III
various prisons and fortresses.
An This. Of course. had the effect or IN
cressinv his popularity and authority IN
his marty. His energies now were ueSot-
cd 10 states economics, ana IN 1914 ~ MNeH
he was expelled from Saxony IN CoLLs E.I
ouence OF the enforcement OF .,,..- tIe =,
Socialist law he took this opportunity VI
sOT,ntir, bInself wholly to journalism as
r1aans Of livelihood. In $50 ne nhdlAy
oot,ied at Berlin, and speedily assumed
Iao5tn1 position on the directorate ol
- narty and IN the guidance OF the
sr;,,,ant Socialist organ, Vorwaerts. since
ther Rebels history has been the history
Of German Socialism .-,,s,
In co-operation with MS irlehus'
s,nger and Liebknecht- beoel sIeaS
SrIhrted to the organization OF tne
c', yrorkinC classes He found
go, chaotic and disorganized mass
-. .actJon of them at cross-purposes
LET the other. He left them pow
o-srI and disciplined body OF men, Win
Sa2-,te objects In view and conscious
~ tbeIr class interests and power
craa+ service also was rendered py Dc
SsI IN the development of the Socianst
Drass All his life he was eminentIy
. journalist, and was nrm oehever
Sn tbe press as one of the most power
fnr Of the agencies in the hands OF
. eitators. The present hourisnins
stste of the German Socialist press Is
IarTelv due to the work of BeoeL
Tn his relations with his colleagues
Rabel. as 1 remember him, was dicta-
toriai, In private life the most amiable
~ men, gentle, kindly, and concilla-
torv- ne was intoIerant of contradic-
tion at the council board, and always
was ready to brand as heretics those
NJ his friends who had the temerity
To disagree with him. Hts famous con-
fIict with the Revisionists Of the party
showed this side OF his character clear
Iv. He was one OF the most hidebound
of Marxists, and to the last he was un-
able to see that the dogmas of that
great apostle OF socialism had lost
much of their hold on mems minds.
The Revisionists-that is, the men of
the party who recognized the futillty |
Of much OF what Marx taught-were
by Bebel, and their desire
/. -.