he elaborated his views in a pamphlet entitled "Reaction or Reform." Last of all he made an address at the convention of the National Socialists, which appeared in all the newspapers and roused the liveliest approval on the one side and equally energetic disapproval on the other. By means of all these utterances he and his colleagues have at least accomplished this one thing, namely, that the majority of the educated, in so far as they are independent of the capitalistic interests, and also a large number of influential employers, are at present among the opponents of the law.
It is, of course, not possible to say at this moment whether anything, and if so how much, of the scheme will be enacted. Before these pages reach the eye of the reader the daily press will have scattered information on this point.[1] At present, however, we may affirm: First, whether this scheme becomes law or not, the introduction of the bill in Parliament has exerted an inexpressibly embittering and exciting influence on the laboring classes. The sin that has thus been committed will not be atoned for by many years of effort. For a long time to come the laborers will have no more confidence in a government which can introduce such a bill and give it the encouragement of its name. The monarchical sentiment, which for a long time has not been especially strong, has suffered a tremendous blow from this law and the speeches which preceded it. It is significant of this state of things that even a man like the well-known Pastor Göhre, who as late as the May number of this journal reported upon the National Socialist party, of which he was a member, has left the party on account of the imperial speech at Oeynhausen, and, as we hear, is about to join the Social Democrats.
Second: On the other hand, this bill has unintentionally had good effect. Among the educated citizens of the middle class the demand for social reform has been manifested during the last summer more strongly than for years before. It grows more
- ↑ [We are indebted to Mr. A. M. Simons, editor of The Workers' Call, for accounts from Vorwärts of the defeat of the bill and the subsequent passage of a bill legalizing workingmen's coalitions. The suggestion above (p. 453) makes it questionable, in the absence of further details, whether this latter item is wholly to the advantage of the laborers.—Ed.]
