The Anti-Socialist Law in Germany expired on Septem- ber 30th,
and has not been renewed. It is, indeed, almost impossible to renew it, for the Socialist vote has risen from 457,000 votes in 1878 to 1,427,000 votes in 1890, a sufficient proof of the futility of the law. The Socialists of Berlin celebrated the event at midnight with great rejoicing, and republished their programme, of which the following is the governing clause :—" The emancipation of labour requires the conversion of the means of production into the common property of society, and the social regulation of the labour of society, the product of labour being used for the common good and justly divided." Reconstruction on this principle is to be sought through the use of the democratic vote, and intermediately the representatives are to fight for " progressive taxation " in proportion to wealth, the right of combination, an eight- hours law, factory laws, and sanitary laws, besides a law prohibiting Sunday labour. There is not much harm in the intermediate programme, and before the ultimate programme is reached, the party will have split into sections according to their rate of advance. It is said that violent discontents are already apparent at the " luxury " of the leaders, who make money on the Press and as organisers of labour, and think themselves entitled to large rooms. The majority must have little rooms, and, with Socialists as with Radicals, minorities have no rights which majorities are bound to respect.
