42

THE  SOCIALISM  OF  TO-DAY.

CHAPTER  V.

FERDINAND  LASSALLE,

ERDINAND  LASSALLE  is  looked  upon  by  his  disciples

as  the  Messiah  of  Socialism.  During  his  life  they

listened  to  him  as  to  an  oracle,  and  after  his  death  they
venerated  him  as  a  demi-god.  To  them  he  is  the  object  of
a  real  worship.  In  1874  they  celebrated  the  tenth  anniversary
of  the  day  upon  which  he  was  taken  from  them,  with  ceremonies ­
  which  seemed  like  the  rites  of  a  new  religion.  They
do  not  hesitate  even  to  compare  him  to  Christ,  and  they
believe  that  his  doctrines  will  transform  existing  society  as
Christianity  has  renovated  the  ancient  world.
Lassalle  did  not,  indeed,  reveal  to  the  world  any  new
truth.  He  only  popularized  ideas  borrowed  from  Louis  Blanc,
Proudhon,  Rodbertus,  and  above  all,  Karl  Marx.  But  it  is
incontestable  that  it  was  the  energy  of  his  style,  the  rigour  of
his  polemics,  and  to  a  still  greater  degree  his  eloquence  and
personal  influence,  which  brought  Socialism  from  the  regions  of
dreamy  philanthropy  and  obscure  books,  little  read  and  understood, ­
  to  throw  it  like  a  firebrand  of  strife  and  dispute  on  the
public  streets  and  into  the  workshops.  In  two  years  his
burning  words  and  fiery  pen  had  stirred  all  Germany  and
created  the  democratic  socialist  party.  He  exercised  a  fascination ­
  like  Abelard,  charming  women  and  inflaming  crowds.
He  traversed  the  country,  young,  handsome,  and  eloquent,
“  drawing  the  hearts  of  all  after  him,”  and  left  everywhere
enthusiastic  disciples  and  admirers  who  formed  the  nucleus  of
working  men’s  societies.  There  is  no  example  in  our  times  of