g2  THE  SOCIALISM  OF  TO-DAY.
for  their  good,  he  is  convinced  ;  but  it  is  their  good  as  he
understands  it,  and  realized  by  him  and  not  by  them.
Existing  society,  in  the  period  of  transition  through  which
we  are  passing,  also  presents  some  striking  contrasts.  No
doubt  science,  as  applied  to  production,  astonishes  us  with  its
marvels.  Each  international  exhibition,  more  magnificent  than
its  predecessors,  exhausts  our  admiration  more  and  more.  The
rich  are  infinitely  richer  than  formerly,  the  well-to-do  classes  are
far  more  numerous,  and  the  labourer  himself  is  certainly  better
provided  with  comforts  than  heretofore.  Nevertheless,  the
misery  in  the  manufacturing  centres  cannot  be  denied.  What
want,  what  suffering,  whenever  a  prolonged  crisis  restricts  the
demand  for  labour  and  lowers  the  rate  of  wages  !  It  is  the
description  of  these  evils,  attributed  to  competition,  which
forms  the  starting-point  for  all  shades  of  Socialism.  The
greater  part  of  Karl  Marx’s  famous  book.  Das  Kapital,  is
nothing  more  than  an  abstract  of  the  miserable  and  even
revolting  facts  which  are  proved  by  English  parliamentary
documents.  The  Conservative  Socialists  accept  as  exact  this
sombre  picture  of  our  present  social  state,  while  they  refer  its
cause  to  industrialism  and  “  bankocracy.
In  order  to  remedy  these  disorders  three  systems  are
advocated.
The  Economist  says  ;  Let  natural  laws  have  their  course.
Liberty  cures  the  wounds  she  causes.  Open  a  free  career  to
individual  initiative,  and  all  will  be  for  the  best  in  the  best
of  all  possible  worlds.
The  Democratic  Socialist  asserts  that  happiness  and  justice
will  be  established  as  soon  as  the  instruments  of  production
shall  be  made  collective  property.
Finally,  the  Conservative  Socialist  sees  salvation  only  m
the  return  to  those  institutions  which,  under  the  old  régime,
guaranteed  order  and  quiet  to  men.  tree  trade,  free  competition, ­
  free  usury;  these,  according  to  him,  are  the  plagues
that  bring  evil  to  all  societies  upon  which  they  fasten  themselves. ­
  ,  •  ^
One  of  the  leaders  of  the  Liberal  party  in  the  German
Parliament,  Herr  Ludwig  Bamberger,  justly  points  out  a  singular