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FERDINAND  LASSALLE.
It  was  only  towards  1862  that  Lassalle  became  the  champion
of  Socialism  It  was  the  epoch  of  the  struggle  between  the
Prussian  Liberals  and  Prince  Bismarck  on  the  subject  of  the
reorganization  of  the  army  and  the  military  estimates,  which  the
Chainber  obstinately  rejected  for  several  years  in  succession,
i  he  Liberals  endeavoured  to  gain  the  support  of  the  working
classes.  Herr  Schulze-Delitzsch  had  acquired  an  immense
influence  over  them  by  organizing  throughout  North  Germany
mutual  loan  societies,  co-operative  societies  for  consumable
stores,  and  for  the  purchase  of  raw  materials.  He  wished  to
found  them  entirely  upon  the  principle  of  “  self-help,”  utterly
rejecting  all  aid  from  the  State.  Lassalle  threw  himself  into
the  movement  in  order  to  propound  and  defend  those  Socialist
ideas  which  we  shall  examine,  and  to  the  propagation  of  which
he  gave  himself  up  with  an  absorbing  energy.  During  the
three  years  of  his  active  apostleship  he  devoted  his  days  and
nights  to  organizing  meetings,  delivering  addresses,  and  writing
parnphlets.  In  this  short  period  he  succeeded  in  making  of
Socialism,  hitherto  vaguely  diffused  among  the  masses,  a  compact ­
  political  party,  having  its  recognized  place  in  the  electoral
arena.  He  alone  accomplished  in  Germany  what  the  Revolution
  of  February  had  done  in  France,
In  the  “  Working  Man’s  Programme”  {Arbeitcr-programm  *  )
he  endeavoured  to  show  that,  just  as  the  middle  classes  had
succeeded  to  the  territorial  aristocracy,  so  the  “  fourth  estate  ”
the  working  class,  by  means  of  universal  suffrage,  were  destined
eventually  to  become  the  ruling  power  in  the  community
Prosecuted  for  having  excited  hatred  between  the  different
classes  of  society,  he  defended  himself  with  great  skill  in  a
pamphlet  entitled  “  Science  and  Working  Men  ”  (die  Wissen
Schaft  und  die  Arbeiter).  “  In  1848,”  said  he,  “the  working
men  were  at  the  mercy  of  ignorant  agitators.  We  should  bring
science  within  their  reach  and  instruct  them,  so  that  they  may
learn  where  their  real  interests  lie,  and  know  how  to  act  in
consequence.”  In  showing  that,  by  the  laws  of  historic  evolution,
democracy  must  ultimately  triumph,  he  had  only  maintained—