Socialism.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4383, 20 January 1883, Page 2

Socialism.

Speaking editorially of the alarming spread of communism -in France, the London Daily .News says:—Russia, as we know, is honeycombed with Nihilistic and anarchic confederacies. Agricultural out* rages and incendiary fires are {becoming as common in the Baltic provinces of Russia as ever they were in Russia pro* per. Patriotic German journalists are eager to contend that these doings are fomented for <some mysterious purpose by the Russian authorities themselves. In Germany itself — educated, scholastic Germany, which has to take prematurely to spectacles because it blinds its eyes with over-study—thesocialistic movement is more rife than it is in the most ignorant parts of Europe. So long as the . days of Ferdinand La Salle, Prince Bis» marck saw the importance of the move* ment, and endeavored to become, its ..patron, and to turn it to his own account. Much more recently he has brought for* ward scheme after scheme of a tempered socialism by virtue of which he endeavored to make the government the great annuity society, life insurance company and co-operative store for all poor populations. The strange socialistic republic which was started some years ago in Carthagena, and which had to be suppressed as Cavaignac suppressed the Paris Commune in 1848, was evidence enough that socialism had taken hold of the Latin race outside the limits of France. It is quite possible that the present disturbance in Lyons, and the alarms spread through* out France may be easily got rid of, but. it is none the less evident that a spirit of revolt is growing up among the poor classes all over Europe, which, by. the very necessities of its condition, suggests a sort of common brotherhood with a common watchword. *