THE FORERUNNERS—FICHTE AND MARLO. 9 
The writings of Weitling attracted but slight attention. 
Possibly they helped to spread in Southern Germany the 
revolutionary leaven which burst forth in the insurrection at 
Baden in 1848, but there was then no German Socialist 
party.* 
After the revolutionary movements of 1848 had resulted 
throughout Europe in a period of reaction, the march of 
socialistic ideas, completely arrested in France, at least in all 
publications, began to assume a scientific character in Germany. 
Under the name of Mario, Professor Winkelblech published, in 
parts, an important work, which was still incomplete at his 
death in 1859. This work is entitled “Investigations on the 
Organization of Labour, or System of Universal Political 
Economy.In a striking passage of the preface he relates 
how he came to interest himself in social questions. 
He was visiting the north of Europe in 1843, in order to 
study the progress of manufactures there. One day, just as he 
was leaving the factory of Modum in Norway, he turned to 
take a last look at the Alpine-like valley in which it is situated. 
While he was contemplating the lovely scenery, a German 
working man came up to him and begged him to carry home 
a message for him. They engaged in conversation. The work 
man related his history, and showed how small were his wages, 
and what privations he had to undergo in order to live upon 
them. This made Mario reflect How comes it, he asked 
himself, that this charming valley, which seems a corner of 
Paradise, should conceal such misery? Is the fault in man or 
in nature? “Until now I have been admiring the power of 
machinery and the marvels of the factory, without ever inquiring 
into the lot of those employed therein. I have been calculating 
the amount of the products, without ever seeking to know how 
* Among the German socialistic writings prior to 1848 may be also 
cited, Destruction and Reconstruction, or the Present and Future.” by 
Michael (Stuttgart, 1846) ; “ The Condition of the Working Classes in 
England, by Frederick Engels (Leipzig, 1845). This latter work con 
tains some interesting facts taken from the English inquiries into the 
subject, and is in part the source from which Karl Marx drew his ideas. 
t Untersuchungen über die Organisation der Arbeit oder System der 
iVeltœkotiomie.