NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE German Government do not succeed in either sup- pressing or conciliating Socialism. On Thursday, a Socialist candidate, Hof man, was elected for the district of Auer- bach-Reichenbach by 11,721 votes to 8,654, although at the last election the Member seated was a Conservative. This brings the number of Socialist Members up to 36, almost a tenth of the whole representation (397). Fortunately, there are many grades of Socialist opinion, and the party already shows signs of divided purpose, the majority becoming ordinary Liberals with a stronger devotion to the "cause of Labour." They all, however, hold that the State or the Municipality should be the sole employer, believing that it will be at once gentle and just. 'They should read what intelligent Russians have to say of the tyranny of the "Mir," which in rural Russia is the very Council of the Socialist dream. The root of the matter in Germany is that her sandy plains will not produce enough for the rising standard of comfort among her increasing population, which in the end, as soon as emigration to America stops, will be compelled to debouch southward.
