The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-03-14
Is German Socialism Dead?

This year may be said to mark the
centenary of the beginning of modern
socialism, since 1t was in 1917 that
Robert Owen laid his plan for So
cialistic community before the COM
mittee on the poor law Of the House
of Commons. That was a year of
great industrial unrest in England,
hundreds of thousands of workmen
having been thrown out of employ
ment by the closing factories and
mills, while vast armies of soldiers
and sailors, returned from the Napo-
leonic wars, competed for such jobs
as were left Owens scheme came
to nothing. in it's immediate effects,
but it started an agitation which has
never since ceased. That same year,
1917, witnessed the launching of
definitely socialistic propaganda In
France, under the leadership of the
COmte de Saint Simon, whose politi-
cal speculations then assumed a COM
munistic direction. The socialism
of Owen and the socialism of Saint
Simon, while claiming many adher-
ents, eventually passed into the dis
card, and were replaced by the sci
entific and revolutionary" socialism of
the German school, headed by Karl
AAo1 a. iiilo 10 Liz cOCldlloIl Will
the world now knows-the socialism
which has built up a tremendous or
ganization in all the civilized nations
of the world-the socialism which
was depended upon by many to pre-
vent just such war is is now rag
ing in Europe.
Karl Marx, the German Jew who
fathered the modern socialistic school,
died thirty-four years ago today. Mar.
IA, 1888. He was born in May of
1878, and next year the socialists of
, the world will celebrate his centenary.
Marx had many great associates
and successors in carrying on the So
cialistic propaganda, including Fried
rich Engels, Ferdinand Bebel and Will
helm Liebknecht, the latter the father
of DR.. Karl Iiebknecht, the latter
day leader of the German social dem
ocracy, who is now serving a term
in prison on conviction of high trea-
son, due to his opposition to the war.
1t is Marx, however, who is honored
as the founder and father Of the
movement. He was undoubtedly the
ablest of the brave pioneers who en-
dured imprisonment in Prussian pri-
sons for "the cause" Marks great
| work Capital" is the so-called Obi
BILE of Socialism" and the bitterest cri-
tics of the MARKHAM creed admit that
it is a monumental work.
Marx and the other German pio-
neers were often imprisoned, and ex-
PEELED from the country, but they
continued their work in England.
Half century ago the social demo-
Gratis returned five members to the
| North German diet and since then
| the party has grown in power and in
| fluence, in spite of-or perhaps par
TALLY because of-the persecution Of
| Bismarck, until before the war it was
the most powerful Of German par
1 ties. That is, it was the most power
full numerically, but, under the Ger
man system of government, the So
cialists, in spite of their millions,
| could do little more than talk and
agitate.
| There are indications that the Ger
man social democracy for time con-
sidered dead or at least hope1essly di-
vided. will become a greater menace
to the Hohenzollerns than ever once
peace is concluded. The masses Of
the Teuton socialists have been loyal
to the government during the war, but
! it is now known that it was socialist
sentiment which forced the Kaiser to
make his peace proposal The era
of reconstruction following futile
war is more than likely to witness
the awakening of the giant of Ger
man socialism, and it is quite within
the realm Of the possible that the GEN.
tenary of Karl Marks birth a year
| from next May may be celebrated by
the hosting of the red banner over
| the palaces of the Hohenzollerns
German socialism is not dead but
| sleeping and talking menacingly in
| it's sleep.