Page:Edward Aveling - Wilhelm Liebknecht and the Social-Democratic Movement in Germany (1896).djvu/15

 of the party that he has helped to build up. It is quite impossible to give anything like full details of that strength. But one or two points may be mentioned as illustrative. At the present moment in actual strength of votes the German Social-Democratic Party, with its million and a half of voters, which promises to be two millions in a very short time, is by far the strongest political party in the empire of Germany. The Centre, or Roman Catholic Party, ranks next. There are 47 Socialist members in the German Parliament. In the six divisions of Berlin, five were won by the Socialists, and the sixth was nearly won. In one of the divisions Fischer beat the advanced politician, and well-kownknown [sic] scientific man, Virchow. As to the main kingdoms and principalities of Germany, the Socialists are now represented in Parliament in all of them but Prussia, where the infamous three class system of voting obtains. This system the German Government are anxious to introduce into Saxony, as it plays dead into the hands of reaction. The 47 members by no manner of means represent the number of Socialist members that there ought to be in proportion to the votes given. If such a proportion really existed the 47 would be about a hundred. But the most interesting thing in respect to the Social-Democratic vote in Germany is its steady increase, election after election. It is again, of course impossible to give anything like the whole of the figures. But we may give them, say, for four of the large towns and for one of the States. Berlin, 1878, Social-Democratic votes, 51,164; 1890, 126,317; 1893, 151,122. Hamburg, 1878, 29,629; 1890, 67,303; 1893, 70,553. Breslau, 1878, 13,065; 1890, 21,555; 1893, 26,202. Munich, 1878, 5,295; 1890, 28,218; 1893, 29,907. Notice especially the growth between 1878 and 1890, i.e., during the twelve years of the anti-Socialist persecution. As an example of the growth of the Party in the States as well as in the towns, we take the agricultural and, indeed, feudal, district of Pomerania. There the figures run: 1881, 1,069; 1884, 1,909; 1887, 8,192; 1890, 20,631; 1893, 37,308.

The only other example for which we have space is that of the Socialist press in Germany. There are altogether 133 Socialist and trade union papers, and it must be remembered that the German trade unions are all really socialistic, and not merely passers of mere sentimental resolutions. There are 41 daily political papers, always