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Show THE SPREAD OF SOCIALISM. Tho Socialist movement has gained so much ground of lato years both in Europe and in America that publicists and statesment all over the world aro beginning to devote to It an Increasing amount of study and nttentlon. According Ac-cording to tho London correspondent of tho New York Sun: "No subject Is causing greater concern to European publicists nnd satesmen at tho present pres-ent moment than tho amazing spread In all countries of tho so-called Socialist Social-ist movement." In England, according accord-ing to this correspondent, tho sudden advent of that now force has dum-founded dum-founded the politicians of all parties, and Its significance has as yet scracely been realized. For tho sweeping victory victo-ry of tho Liberal party is in reality the swan-song of that party. It foreshadows foreshad-ows tho party's destruction, for out of tho victory of tho Liberal party rises tho far greater trlumps of tho Social Labor party. As Blatchford observes In Tho Clarion, the leading English Socialist paper: "Tho Labor party Is only tho advanco guard of tho Socialist Social-ist party, and tho Socialist party is coining, and coming to stay." The fact that tho Labor men have cast in their lot at tho last election with tho Lib-rals Lib-rals proves nothing. In the words of The Clairlon: "It is not because the Liberal party is not prepared to go tho whole of tho way with us that we aro hostile to them. It Is because thoy aro going a different way altogether." The strength of tho Socialist party In tho House of Commons Ins been considered con-sidered elsewhere In Tho Literary Digest. Di-gest. But it may be stated hero that every Socialist candidate and membo-of membo-of Parliament signs the constitution o' the party, from which this statement of purpose may bo quoted: "To secure, by united action, tho olectlon to Parliament of candidates promoted, In tho first instance, by an afllliated society or societies in the I constituency, who undertake to form or join a distinct group in Parliament with Its own whips and Its own policy on labor questions, to abstain strictly from Identifying themselves with, or promoting tho interests of, any section of the Liberal or Conservative parties." A wider policy still is foreshadowed by tho avowed Socialists. Many things will havo to happen, and somo partle? will havo to disintegrate, .before tha' wider Socio' stlc policy Is put Into practice in England, but the Socialists aro sure that their time is coming. An ever-growing current of republicanism republi-canism In Germany, according to the Berlin correspondent of Tho Sun, will yet sweep away monarchy and autocracy auto-cracy from Germany, and the twentieth twenti-eth century mny yet see "a great republic re-public on each sldo of the Rhino, with Alsace-Lorraine peacefully divided bo twecn them." It may bo a dream, adds tho correspondent; but if It Is not, If fato has such a revolution In store, It wljl be duo chtofly to one cause, tho spread and finally tho triumph tri-umph of Social-Democracy. After sketching tho history of the Social-Democratic Social-Democratic movement, and going for Its origin as far back as Karl Marx and Ferdinand Lassallo, tho writer gives somo of the fundamental alms and Ideas of Social-Democracy as follows: fol-lows: "The aim of Social Democracy Is not to divide all property, but to combine It and use It for the development and improvement of mankind, In order to givo to all a Hfo worthy of man. Work shall become a duty for all men able to work. The word of the Bible. 'He that does not work, neither shall he eat,' shall become a true word." Other alms aro to do away with the commercial aspects of marriage that obtain in German society, to Insure freedom of conscience to support absolutely ab-solutely church and state and to extend ex-tend theso principles beyond the confines con-fines of tho Germnn Empire. All thes.e together with such privileges as universal uni-versal suffrage and secret ballot for men and women, freedom of speech and freedom of the press, equality of men nnd women beforo the law, establishment estab-lishment of tho churches, free lega' proceedings and free medical attendance, attend-ance, form the parliamentary program of the party. This Is the platform with which Bebel hopes to arrive a his Utopia and which Prince von Bue-low Bue-low takes every opportunity to deride. de-ride. Twenty-five years ago tho Social-Democratic Social-Democratic voto at the polls numbered number-ed only somo 300,000; in 1903 It num bered something moro than 3,000,000 or nearly 32 per cent of tho entire vote. The one fear of tho Social-Democrats Is that after tho death of Bo-bol, Bo-bol, who is growing old. there mny be found no competent leader to succeed him. Tho Paris correspondent. In describing describ-ing tho condition of Socialism In Franco, quotes from an nrticlo by that advanced French Socialist Emllo Pou-uet, Pou-uet, editor of La Voix du Peuplo. Says Mr. Potiget: "Tho French working class is organized organ-ized from an economic standpoint Int" a party of class strife, tho Labor par-ty, par-ty, which has adopted and made its own tho doctrines of tho Association Internationale do Travnllleurs. Tho Confederation Generalo du Travail i tho controlling organization of th working class affairs. This organization organiza-tion is absolutely federative, and ha' for Its basis the absolute autonomy or tho perons nnd unions affiliated." Tho worker gives his adhesion to tho union of his trado, and tho union, not to remain isolated, affiliates Itself locally with tho various unions of tho locality, thus making the Bourse do Travail, and then, from a national standpoint, with tho union of the samo trado. thus constituting tho Federation Nationalo Corporative. The aim of the syndicate organization Is to try to Improve Im-prove from day to day tho Immediate conditions of tho workers by tho reduction re-duction of the hours of labor, to increase in-crease tho wages, the sanitary condi tions of factories and workshops, and tho moral independence of tho work-mnn. work-mnn. The more general nnd comprehensive compre-hensive alms of the party aro to lessen les-sen tho capitalists' privileges and In time to abolish salaries, the ono remedy, rem-edy, thoy think, for sweating and human hu-man misery. Tho outlook of French f Socialists also Is broad; tho only reil frontiers to them aro those of capital, and tho only real classes aro two: tho sweaters nnd tho sweated. In Russia the Social Revolutionary party holds that truo democracy can bo embodied In the republican form of government. For tho present Its alms are to put Into tho hands of the nation the free choice of the forms of government govern-ment and of tho establishment of tha political and social order. This party will, however, resist any form of constitution con-stitution granted, so to speak, by the grace of the autocratic power, and will continue to strivo for these guaranties: Freedom of speech and the press; free- , dom of meeting and association; free- W dom of creed and personal security; tho right to vote for ovcry citizen ol legal ago, without distinction of creed, sex, or race. The party alms at tho establishment of a federal state, based upon a wide system of communal and municipal self-government. In short, tho party desires a Russian republic. The party, it may be said, Is opposed to an ngresslve foreign policy, and lr It had its way it would abolish tho army and institute a national militia instead. In all these countries tho various va-rious Socialistic movements nro rapidly rapid-ly and constantly increasing. And how is it in tho United States' According to Eugene V. Debs, in an article entitled "The Growth of Social-Ism," Social-Ism," tho cry of tho American Socialist Social-ist Is: "Let others talk, about tho tariff and finance tho enlightened worken demand de-mand tho ownership of tho tools of Industry, In-dustry, and thoy aro building up tin Socialist party as a means of getting them. Tho working class alone mado tho tools; tho working class alone can use them; and tho working class must thereforo own them." Tho working class, ho says, aro beginning be-ginning to spell "solidarity" and to pronounce "Socialism." They aro yearning for emancipation from the galling yoko of wago slavery. Capitalism, Capi-talism, ho says, is tho connecting link between feudalism and Socialism. According Ac-cording to his statistics, tho Socialist voto in tho last election showed u count of 400,000, but, ho adds, "probably "proba-bly twice as many wero cast." From now on, ho cries, "There Is a now Richmond Rich-mond In tho field!" Literary Digest. |