FERDINAND LASSALLE. 67 
takes place to-day, only upon a more equitable basis The 
general welfare would be much greater, not only because 
distribution would be more equitable, but also because pro 
duction would be on a much larger scale. One of Lassalle’s 
disciples, Baron Schweiter, gives the leading principles of the 
scheme in a small pamphlet published after the death of the 
master, under the title of “The dead Schulze against the 
iving Lassalle. ’ * Losses at present arising from works under 
taken at haphazard, and consequently often useless, would be 
avoided; efforts which now merely result in ruining com- 
petitors would then be directed towards ends profitable to all • 
the labour of workmen would be more productive, because, since 
the whole product would belong to them, they would try, in 
emulation with one another, to render it as large as possible; 
and finally, the idle, not being able to live without work 
would enter the ranks of the great army of producers, which 
henceforward would comprise all citizens. 
Lassalle succeeded in winning over to his ideas two of the 
ost eminent men, in their different ways, of contemporary 
ermany—Ketteler, bishop of Mayence, and Prince Bismarck, 
in the sitting of the of September, 1878, the Imperial 
Chancellor spoke of his connection with Lassalle ; he said that 
«e had never met a more agreeable talker, and that he should 
^ve been delighted to have him for a neighbour in the country. 
We appears still to share the faith of the celebrated agitator in 
eo-operative societies endowed by the State. 
At this same sitting, he said, “ I did, in fact, consult with 
cassalle upon the subject of the aid to be given by government 
o co-operative societies ; and even to-day I cannot think that it 
ould be a useless thing. I do not know if it was the effect of 
ssalle’s reasoning or the result of my own experience in 
t gland, during my sojourn there in 1862, but I have always 
o ught that by organizing co-operative societies, such as 
in fh country, a real improvement might be effected 
. condition of the labourers. I conferred with His 
the ^ interest in the working classes, and 
i^mg gave a sum of money large enough to make an experi- 
* Schulzegegen den lebenden Lassalle.