THE SOCIALISM OF TO-DAY. 
4 
political soil, and sends representatives to Parliament, it 
endeavours to make known the means by which it hopes to 
realize the reforms it has in view. This is what it claims :— 
“ The German Socialist party demands, in order to pave the way for the 
solution of the social question, the creation of socialistic productive associa 
tions aided by the State, under the democratic control of the working 
people. These productive associations for manufacture and agriculture 
should be created on a sufficiently large scale to enable the socialistic 
organization of labour to arise out of them. As basis of the State, it de 
mands direct and universal suffrage for all citizens of twenty years of age, 
in all elections both of State and Commune; direct legislation, by the 
people, including the decision of peace or war ; general liability to bear 
arms and a militia composed of civilians instead of a standing army ; the 
abolition of all laws restricting the right of association, the right of assembly, 
the free expression of opinion, free thought, and free inquiry ; gratuitous 
justice administered by the people ; compulsory education, the same for 
all and given by the State ; and a declaration that religion is an object of 
private concern.” 
This programme of practical politics does not contain any 
thing very subversive of order. All that it demands is found 
either in Germany itself or in the neighbouring country of 
Switzerland, except the aid to be given to productive associa 
tions, an experiment made in France in 1848, without any 
success. With regard to the final object, “the Socialistic 
organization of all labour,” the terms are extremely vague. 
What is the precise meaning of the word “ Socialist,” which 
recurs so often, and what is this new organization they have in 
view ? We shall endeavour to determine this by examining 
the writings whence these ideas have come. It is a remarkable 
thing, as was affirmed by the deputy Bamberger, that nowhere 
have socialistic ideas found a more cordial welcome than in 
Germany. That, according to him, is owing to the speculative 
character of the nation, which is easily seduced by ideal visions 
of Utopia. Not only do these visions allure almost all the 
working men, but even the middle classes cannot resist them \ 
and one often hears, “Well, perhaps all would be better so ; 
why not try?” Furthermore, Socialism has penetrated to the 
upper classes ; it sits in academies ; it occupies professorial 
chairs in universities, and it is scholars who have originated the 
party cries which working men’s associations now repeat ; it is