;w  •  ‘«’y.-WWWíWk'

•i*

140  THE  SOCIALISM  OF  TO-DAY.

the  party  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  Social  Democrats.  For  the
purpose  of  marching  together  to  the  poll,  the  two  parties  would
come  to  an  understanding;  but  when  it  was  a  question  of
organizing  societies,  the  conflict  of  principle  inevitably  arose.
Thus,  in  February,  1878,  a  general  meeting  of  delegates  from
the  miners’  associations  was  held  at  Essen.  The  formation  of
a  vast  federation,  which  was  to  unite  the  miners  of  all  Germany,
was  under  discussion.  An  oratorical  combat  of  the  most  lively
kind  soon  began  between  the  vicar  Laaf  and  the  Socialist
agitator  Herr  Hasselmann,  whose  burning  words  and  incisive
manner  are  always  enthusiastically  received  at  meetings  of
working  men.  “  Since  you  have  taken  the  ‘  Destruction  of
Christianity  ’  for  your  watchword  at  Berlin,”  said  the  vicar  I.aaf,
“  we  can  no  longer  act  with  you.”  Herr  Hasselmann  replied
by  citing  the  example  of  Monseigneur  von  Ketteler,  who  had
acted  in  a  very  friendly  way  towards  an  association  of  working
men  in  the  cigar  trade,  though  founded  by  the  Social  Democrat
Fritsche.*  The  following  day  Herr  Hasselmann's  paper,  Die
Volksstimme,  declared  that  the  miners  had  got  the  scent  of  the
tricks  of  these  intriguers  in  the  black  robe,  and  that  they  would
not  stand  any  “  Chaplainocracy.”  On  their  side,  the  Catholic
Socialist  journals  of  the  province,  the  Tremonia  of  Dortmund,
the  Essener  Blaeiter,  the  Essener  Volkszeitung,  the  Rheinisch-Westfalischer
  Volksfreund,  flred  all  their  artillery  on  the  Social
Democrats.  The  two  parties  disputed  the  balance  of  electoral
power  held  in  this  district  by  the  working  men,  who  were
employed  in  large  numbers  in  the  coal-mines  and  iron-works
there.  “  Miners,  follow  not  the  flag  of  the  Democrats,”
exclaimed  the  Christlich-socialen  in  chorus  ;  “  it  will  lead  you  to
your  ruin.  Range  yourselves  in  a  body  under  the  banner  of
the  Cross.  Therein  lies  salvation.”
We  have  sketched  the  main  features  of  this  debate,  because

r,,  Twh  hecn  elected  a  deputy.  It  was  on  his  testimony ­
  t  t  err  Bebel  relied,  in  a  debate  in  the  German  Parliament,  when
fPr  L  of  the  advances  made  by  Prince  Bismarck  to  the  Socialist  party.
^  of  knowing  Herr  Fritsche,”  replied  the  Chancellor.
But  he  IS  a  deputy,  several  members  exclaimed,  amid  shouts  of  laughter.
**  If  he  IS  a  deputy,  continued  Prince  Bismarck,  “he  is  incapable  of  telling
an  untruth,  and  I  adjure  him  to  prove  that  he  has  had  any  relations  with