Pictures of the Socialist Future
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PICTURES OF rrHE SOCIALISTIC FUTURE (ffretI!! abaptrJ:r from 3Bebel) BY EUGENE RICHTER MEMBER OF THE IMPERIAL GERMAN PARLIAMENT AUTHORISED TRANSLATION BY HENRY WRIGHT LONDON S WAN SON N ENS CHEIN & C O. PATERNOSTER SQUARE 1893 CONTENTS PAGE I. CELEBRATION-DAY II. THE NEW LA"VS 4 III. DISCONTENTED PEOPLE 6 IV. THE CHOICE OF TRADES 8 V. A PARLIAMENTARY SITTING II VI. ASSIGNMENT OF WORK 16 VII. NEWS FROM THE PROVINCES 22 VIII. THE LAST DAY TOGETHER . 26 IX. THE GREAT MIGRATION 30 X. THE NEW CURRENCY 34 XI. THE NEW D'WELLINGS 37 XII. THE NEW STATE COOKSHOPS 42 XIII. A VEXING INCIDENT. 47 XIV. A MINISTERIAL CRISIS 49 xv. EMIGRATION • 5I XVI. RETIREMENT OF THE CHANCELLOR 54 XVII. IN AND ABOUT THE WORKSHOPS 56 XVIII. FAMILY MATTERS 60 XIX. RECREATIONS OF THE PEOPLE 64 XX. DISAGREEABLE EXPERIENCES 68 XXI. FLIGHT 72 XXII. ANOTHER NEW CHANCELLOR 76 XXIII. FOREIGN COMPLICATIONS 78 XXIV. THE ELECTIO~ STIR. 82 XXV. SAD NEWS 38 XXVI. THE RESULT OF THE ELECTIONS 90 XXVII. A LARGE DEFICIT 93 XXVIII. DOMESTIC AFFAIRS • 97 XXIX. A STORMY PARLIAMENTARY SITTING 100 XXX. THREATENED STRIKE I 19 XXXI. MENACING DIPLOMATIC NOTES 12 I XXXII. GREAT STRIKE AND SIMULTANEOUS OUT- BREAK OF WAR. 124 XXXllI. THE CDUNTER-REVOLUTIQ,N BEGINS 126 XXXIV. DISHEARTENINGNEV'rS 129 ~XXV. THE LAST CHAP'TER • J 3t PICTURES OF THE SOCIALISTIC FlJTURE. CHAPTER 1. CELEBRATION DAY. THE red flag of international Socialism waves· froln the palace and from all the public buildings of Berlin. If our irnrnortal Bebel could but have lived to see this! He always used to tell the bourgeoi~ie that "the catastrophe was almost at their very doors." Friedrich Engels had fixed 1898 as the year of the ultimate triurnph of Racialistic ideas. Well, it did not conle quite so soon, but it has not taken nluch long-er. This, however, is immaterial. The Inain thing is the fact that all our long years of toil and battling for the righteous cause of the people are now crowned ,vith success. The old rotten regime, ,vith its ascend ency of capital, and its systelu of plundering the work ing,classes, has crumbled to pieces. And for the benefit of my children, and children's children, I intend to set down, in a hUlllble way, some little account of the beginning of this new reign of brotherhood and uni Yersal philanthropy. I, too, have not been altogether A 2 PICTURES OF without some small share in this ne\v birth of man kind. All, both in tilue and money, that I have been able for a generation past to snatch from the practice of my craft as an honest bookbinder, and all that Iny " family could spare, I have devoted to the furtherance of our aims. I aln also indebted to the literature" of Socialism, and to my connection with political clubs, for my nlental culture and my soundness on all social istic points. ~Iy wife and children are in full accord with me. Our beloved Bebel's book on wohlen has long been the highest gospel to lUy better half, Paula. The birthday of the new socialistic order happened to be our silver wedding-day; and now, behold, to day's celebration day has added fresh happiness to us as a" falnily. My son, Franz, has become engaged to Agnes Muller. The two have long known each other, and the strong attachment is mutual. So in all the elevation of mind, inspired by this great day, we have knit up this new bond of affection. They are both somewhat young yet, but they are, nevertheless, both good hands Oat their trades. He is a composito,', she a Inilliner. So there is ground to hope it will turn out a good match. They intend to rnarry as soon as the new regulations in respect of 'vark, arrangenlents of dwellings, and so 011, shall have reached completion. After dinner we aU took a stroll unter den Linden. My stars! what a crowd there was! And what end less rejoicing! Not one single discordant tone to mar the harrnony of the great celebration day. The police is disbanded, the people thelnselves maintaining order in the nlost exemplary manner. In the palace gardens, in the square in front, and all around the palace, vast crowds were gathered, which sho,ved unmistakable unanimity and steadfastness of THE SOCIALISTIC FUTURE. 3 ailn. "The new Government waS assembled in the pa~ace. Colleagues, chosen from amongst the forernost leaders of the Socialist party, have provisionally taken over the reins of GovernUlent. The Socialist members of the town council forIn, for the present, the corporation. W'henever, from time to time, one of our new rulers chanced to show himself at one of the windows, or on a balcony, the uncontrollable ecstasy of the people would break out afresh, showing itself in frantic waving of hats and handkerchief.s, and in singing the workrnen's Marseillaise. In the evening there was a grttnd illumination. The statues of the old kings and marshals, decorated with red flags, looked strange enough in the red glare of so much beng-al fire. "rhe days of these statues are, however, numbered, and they will shortly have to gi ve place to statues of bygone heroes of Socialism. I t has already been detern1ined, I hear, to reillove the statues of the two HUITlboldts from the front of the university, and to place there in their stead those of lIarx and Ferdinand Lassalle. The statq.e of Frederic the Great, unter den Linden, is to be replaced by that of our irnluortal Liebknecht. Upon our return home we kept up, in our cosy farnily circle, this double celebration till a late hour. My wife's father, \vho hitherto has not made luuch account of Socialisln, was with us on the occasion, and was very sympathetic and cheery. We are full of hope that we shall now soon vacate our hUlnble dwelling, three storeys high, and exchange it for something better. vVell, well, the old place, after all, has witnessed many a quiet joy of ours, no lack of trouble and sorrow, and plenty of honest endeavour as well. 4 PICTURES OF CHAPTER II. THE NEW LAWS. ONE hears the most exquisite stories of the scralnble there is on the part of the bourgeoisie to get across the frontier. But where are they to go to? Socialism is now dominant in all European countries, with the exception of England and Switzerland. TheArnerican stealners are unable to meet the demand there is on them. Those who can once reach the American shores are all right, as the revolution· there was very soon queUed, and all hope of success cut off for a long time to COlne. L.et aU such plunderers clear out, say 1. It is a good thing that, thanks to the suddenness with which the revolution caBle at last, they have not been able to take nluch with theine All State bonds, mortgages, shares, bills, and bank-notes have been declared void. These bourgeois gentry Inay as well at once begin papering the walls of their ship cabins with this trulupery. All landed and house property, means of communication, ma<:hinery, tools, stores, and such like, have been impounded for the benefit of the new socialistic State. The Onward, which has hitherto been the leading organ of our party, now takes the place of the old Irnperial .Advertiser, and it is delivered at every house free of cost. AU printing establishments having no\v become the property of the State, all the other papers have, as a matter of course, ceased to appear. In all other to\vns a local edition of the On'wcfJrd is issued with a sheet of 'local matter for each separate place. THE SOCIALISTIC FUTURE. 5 Provisionally, and until such time as a new Parlia ment shall have been elected, the conduct of affairs is in the hands of the socialistic .mernbers of the late Parlialuent, who, in the shape of a Committee of Governnlent, have to decide on those nUlnerous la\vs it will be necessary to enact in order to establish the new era. The old party programme which ,vas settled upon at the Erfurt Conference in 1891, has been prornul gated as an outline of the fundamental rights of the people. This promulgation proclaims that all capital, property, luines and quarries,machinery, means of communication, and all possessions whatever, have henceforth become the sole property of the State, or as it is now better called, the Community. Another decree sets forth the universal obligation there is on all persons to work; and all such persons, ,vhether male or fmnale, from the age of 21 to 65 years, are to enjoy precisely the same rights. Those who are below 21 years of age. will be educated at the expense of the State, whilst those who are above 65 will be luain tained in a similar manner. All private enterprise and productivity have, of course, ceased. Pending, how ever, the new regulations as to supply, all persons are to retain their old post~, and to go on \vorking for the State, as their master. Each person hac:; to render an inventory of all such things as may have reluained to him after the embargo just spoken of; things which some luight be telnpted to regard as private property, such as furniture, old clothes, bank-notes, and the like. In particular, coins of aU kinds are to be de livered up. New lnoney certificates are shortly to be issued.