88 
7'HE SOCIALISM OF TO-DAY. 
present too much isolated. Upon the solution of this question 
depend the future of States and the fate of civilization. It 
remains to be seen whether the different classes of society 
have enough forethought, energy, and wisdom to contribute to 
the constitution of a new order of things. If they give proof 
of these qualities, they will be governed by free institutions and 
elected rulers ; if not, they will be kept down by the iron hand 
of Cæsarism.” Herr VVagener, like Prof. Huber, advocated 
the immediate formation of trade councils, in which working 
men should have their representatives, and which should be 
invested with the right of settling wages. In England it is 
well known that, in cases of strikes, masters and men often 
submit their differences to arbitration. The proposal, then, is 
to create a body of permanent arbitrators, and to give an 
executive force to their decisions. 
From 1866 to 1870 foreign affairs absorbed all attention, 
and orthodox Political Economy was all-powerful in the 
councils of the Government and in the Chambers. It was 
there represented by distinguished men, such as the Minister 
Delbrück, the Deputies Lasker, Braun, Bamberger, Julius 
Faucher, etc. It is to their influence that are due the abolition 
of laws against usury, a policy of free-trade shown by the 
reduction or suppression of certain custom duties and the 
monetary reform, upon the basis of a gold standard, necessitating 
the forced sale of silver. The Imperial Chancellor did not 
interfere, because “ it did not belong to his department.” But 
his ideas are not by any means those of the orthodox economy. 
The Protectionists have always placed their hopes in him, and 
he recently proved, by bringing about an increase of the 
custom duties, that he is on their side.* 
* In 1876 I was present in Eisenach at the “ Social Science Congress” 
of the Kathedersocialisten. In the first sitting Herr Rudolf Meyer rose 
to propose that the question of German industry, and of the means of 
remedying the intense crisis through which it was passing, should be placed 
on the orders of the day. As Herr Meyer was a friend of Councillor 
Wagener, it got noised about that he had been sent to Eisenach by the 
Chancellor in order to obtain a vote in favour of protection. To escape 
the danger it was ruled from the chair that, since the question was not on 
the programme of the congress, it could not be discussed. We may add 
that this supposition was unfounded, for shortly afterwards Herr Meyer