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waited. What is worst of all is that German courts were found which, even before the proposed law was known, proceeded as though it had already become law, and condemned striking laborers who had offended against others to four and eight, and even ten years in the house of correction.
Nevertheless it was nearly nine months before the bill, which on September 6 was said to have been near completion, actually saw the light of day. With commendable tact the government succeeded in keeping it completely secret during all stages of its preparation. It came as a total surprise to the Reichstag on the morning of June i of this year. At the same time there appeared, as is customary, a statement of the reasons for the bill, and a few days later a memorial, which pictured excesses connected with strikes, and attempted thereby to gain votes for the law. Three weeks later the first reading of the bill occurred in the Reichstag. In spite of the decisive defeat which the government suffered on this occasion, it held fast to the bill, and the ultimate decision will not be reached until November next ( 1899), when the Reichstag reassembles.
The bill proposed to the Reichstag has for its purpose the protection of the freedom of the "voluntaries." All persons who belong to no organization, who want to live in peace with their employers, who are satisfied with their wages, and have accustomed themselves to live within their wages — all these are to be protected against being compelled by the members of an organization to join in their wage conflicts. The argument in favor of the bill assumes that these " voluntaries " are peaceable, orderly, and especially desirable elements in the state, and that it is an important and urgent task of the sovereign power to pro- tect the identical interests of these classes and the state. It overlooks, however, the fact that these voluntaries consist of very diverse elements. In part they are elderly people with large families, who would prefer to work along quietly on moderate wages rather than to scrimp themselves and their fami- lies for a time in the hope of better income. In addition to these there are also people of very doubtful character, loafers and tramps, who seize the opportunity to quickly earn a few
