Page:General History of Europe 1921.djvu/654

4Q8 General History of Europe should be done. Marx, in an eloquent appeal to them in I847, 1 called upon the members of this "proletariat," "who have nothing to lose but their chains," to rise and seize the means of production themselves. His appeal had no effect at the time, but it has been the hope of the socialists ever since. 884. Socialism and Democracy. Modern, or "Marxian," so- .cialism is therefore a movement of the working class. As such, it must be viewed as part of the history of democracy. It is never satisfied with partial reforms so long as the conditions re- main which make possible the control of the work of one man by another for the latter's benefit. So it insists that the workers shall keep one aim clearly in mind and not be drawn into other political parties until the Cooperative Commonwealth is gained. There is one other important element in socialism. It is inter- national. It regards the cause of workers in different countries as a common cause against a common oppressor capitalism. In this way socialism was a force for peace between nations until the war of 1914. QUESTIONS I. What do you understand by the "Industrial Revolution"? What is spinning? weaving? Give some account of the way in which our modern way of spinning and weaving by machinery grew up. II. What conditions were necessary for the development of modern machinery ? Do you understand just what makes a steam engine run ? When did steam engines begin to be used in factories ? III. What was the "domestic" system of industry? What is the principle of the factory system ? Give all the results you can of the introduction of machinery and the growth of factories. What do you understand by "capital"? Contrast the theories of the capitalist with those of the factory hand. Why were trade-unions formed? Why do some business men oppose them? IV. Describe the theories of the socialists of the first half of the nineteenth century. Why do modern socialists regard these theories as impracticable ? Who was Karl Marx ? W T hat advantages do the socialists claim would come if our present system were abolished? 1 The Communist Manifesto, written jointly with Frederick Engels. Marx used the word " communism ' to distinguish his plan from the socialism of the " dreamers " who looked to capitalists to help.