It is this reality in its political form which I hope to set forth in the following pages. We will try to discover what the Socialist movement is doing in politics, how much of theory has been merged in political practice, what its everyday parliamentary drudgery is, and, if possible, to tell in what direction the movement is tending. Before we do this it is necessary to state briefly the history of the underlying theories of the movement. FOOTNOTES: [1] "By bourgeoisie is meant the class of modern capitalists, owners of the means of social production, and employers of wage-labor. By proletariat, the class of modern wage-laborers, who, having no means of production of their own, are reduced to selling their labor power in order to live."--FREDERICK ENGELS, _Notes on the Communist Manifesto_, 1888. [2] See SOMBART, _Socialism and the Social Movement_, Introduction, for discussion of the class movement. [3] _The Socialist Movement_, p. 147. [4] The all-embracing character of Socialism was eloquently phrased by Millerand in 1896: "In its large synthesis Socialism embraces every manifestation of life, because nothing human is alien to it, because it alone offers to-day to our hunger for justice and happiness an ideal, purely human and apart from all dogma." See ENSOR, _Modern Socialism_, p. 53. [5] _Garantieen der Harmonie und Freiheit_, pp. 57-58, edition of 1845. [6] Letter I, addressed to David Ricardo. [7] Tract No. IV. [8] _Socialism_, pp. 71-72. [9] WELLS, _New Worlds for Old_, p. 36. [10] MILL, _Socialism_, p. 72. [11] LOUIS BLANC, _The Right to Labor_, p. 63. [12] _Organization of Labor_, p. 87, 1847. CHAPTER II THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIALISM I Socialism began in France, that yeast-pot of civilization. It began while the Revolution was still filling men's minds with a turbulent optimism that knew no limit to human "progress." Saint-Simon (Count Henri de) may be considered the founder of French Socialism. He was of noble lineage, born in 1760, and died in 1825. He took very little part in the French Revolution, but was a soldier in our Continental army, and always manifested a keen interest in American affairs. Possessed of an inquiring mind, an ambitious spirit, and a heart full of sympathy for the oppressed, he devoted himself to the study of society for the purpose of elaborating a scheme for universal human betterment. Before he began his special studies he amassed a modest fortune in land speculation. Not that he loved money, he assures us, but because he wished independence and leisure to do his chosen work. This money was soon lost, through unfortunate experiments and an unfortunate marriage, and the most of his days were spent in penury. He attracted to himself a number of the most brilliant young men in France, among them De Lesseps who subsequently carried out one of the plans of his master, the Suez Canal; and Auguste Comte, who embodied in his positivism the philosophical teachings of Saint-Simon.