PICTURES OF THE

(Freelg adapted from Bebel)

BY

EUGENE RICHTER

MEMBER OF THE IMPERIAL GERMAN PARLIAMENT

AUTHORISED TRANSLATION BY HENRY WRIGHT

LONDON
SWAN SONNENSCHEIN & CO.
PATERNOSTER SQUARE
1893

ISBN: 978-1-56769-214-3

Foreword

The Writing on the Wall

Bryan Caplan

George Mason University

In the mid-nineteenth century, a new political movement arose: socialism. Germany was its epicenter. The German Karl Marx was its leading thinker, and the Social Democratic Party of Germany its leading organization. The socialists denounced capitalist inequality and argued that the obvious solution was government ownership of the means of production.

CHAPTER I.

CELEBRATION DAY.

THE red flag of international Socialism waves from the palace and from all the public buildings of Berlin. If our immortal Bebel could but have lived to see this! He always used to tell the bourgeoisie that “the catastrophe was almost at their very doors.” Friedrich Engels had fixed 1898 as the year of the ultimate triumph of socialistic ideas. Well, it did not come quite so soon, but it has not taken much longer.

CHAPTER II.

THE NEW LAWS.

ONE hears the most exquisite stories of the scramble 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. The American steamers 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 quelled, and all hope of success cut off for a long time to come. Let all such plunderers clear out, say I.

CHAPTER III.

DISCONTENTED PEOPLE.

AGNES, our prospective daughter-in-law, is quite inconsolable, and Franz is hardly less depressed. Agnes is in fear for her dowry. For a long time past she has been industriously saving up, and more especially so since her acquaintance with Franz. Her industry was such that she would scarce allow herself time for her meals, and the sums which her companions spent in finery, in pleasures, or in short excursions, she devoted to the increase of her little capital.

CHAPTER IV.

THE CHOICE OF TRADES.

BIG red placards on all the hoardings remind people that in accordance with the regulations of the new Labour Law, all persons of both sexes, between the ages of twenty-one and sixty-five years, are required within three days to register themselves with a view to being told off to some trade. The old police stations and various other public offices come in nicely for this purpose.

CHAPTER V.

A PARLIAMENTARY SITTING.

IT was only with considerable trouble that Franz and I managed to-day to squeeze ourselves into the House situated in Bebel Square (the King’s Square of old days). A settlement was to be arrived at in respect of the savings bank funds. Franz informs me that amongst the 2,000,000 inhabitants of Berlin, there are no fewer than 500,000 depositors in the savings banks.

CHAPTER VI.

ASSIGNMENT OF WORK.

THE union between Franz and Agnes is suddenly put off indefinitely. The police have to-day distributed the orders relating to the occupations of the people, which orders are based partly upon the registration lately made, and partly upon the plan organised by the Government for regulating production and consumption.