There was a man in the Socialist movement at that time who was pre-eminently fitted for that task, who for over thirty years had proven himself a master of discussion and an accomplished scholar—Frederick Engels.

Engels' friends urged him to rid the movement of this new intellectual incubus. Engels pleaded he was already over busy with those tasks, which show him to have been so patient and prolific a worker. Finally, realizing the importance of the case, he yielded.

Duehring had wandered all over the universe to establish his philosophy, and in his reply Engels would have to follow him. So far from this deterring Engels, it was just this which made his task attractive. He says in his preface of 1892:

"I had to treat of all and every possible subject, from the concepts of time and space to Bimetalism; from the eternity of matter and motion to the perishable nature of moral ideas; from Darwin's natural selection to the education of youth in a future society. Anyhow, the systematic comprehensiveness of my opponent gave me the opportunity of developing, in opposition to him, and in a more connected form than had previously been done, the views held by Marx and myself of this great variety of subjects. And that was the principal reason which made me undertake this otherwise ungrateful task."

Dealing with the same point, in his biographical essay on Engels, Kautsky says:

"Duehring was a many-sided man. He wrote on Mathematics and Mechanics, as well as on Philosophy and Political Economy, Jurisprudence, Ancient History, etc. Into all these spheres he was followed by Engels, who was as many-sided as Duehring but in another way. Engels' many-sidedness was united with a fundamental thoroughness which in these days of specialization is only found in a few cases and was rare even at that time. * * * It is to the superficial many-sidedness of Duehring that we owe the fact, that the 'Anti-Duehring' became a book which treated the whole of modern science from the Marx-Engels materialistic point of view. Next to 'Capital' the 'Anti-Duehring' has become the fundamental work of modern Socialism."

Engels' reply was published in the Leipsic "Vorwaerts," in a series of articles beginning early in 1877, and afterwards in a volume entitled, "Mr. Duehring's Revolution in Science." This book came to be known by its universal and popular title: "Anti-Duehring."

After the appearance of this book Duehring's influence disappeared. Instead of a great leader in Socialism, Duehring found himself regarded as a museum curiosity, so much so that Kautsky, writing in 1887, said:

"The occasion for the 'Anti-Duehring' has been long forgotten. Not only is Duehring a thing of the past for the Social Democracy, but the whole throng of academic and platonic Socialists have been frightened away by the anti-Socialist legislation, which at least had the one good effect to show where the reliable supports of our movement are to be found."

Out of Anti-Duehring came the most important Socialist pamphlet ever published, unless, perhaps, we should except "The Communist Manifesto," though even this is by no means certain. In 1892 Engels related the story of its birth:

"At the request of my friend, Paul Lafargue, now representative of Lille in the French Chamber of Deputies, I arranged three chapters of this book as a pamphlet, which he translated and published in 1880, under the title: "Socialism, Utopian and Scientific." From this French text a Polish and a Spanish edition was prepared. In 1883, our German friends brought out the pamphlet in the original language. Italian, Russian, Danish, Dutch and Roumanian translations, based upon the German text, have since been published. Thus, with the present English edition, this little book circulates in ten languages. I am not aware that any other Socialist work, not even our "Communist Manifesto" of 1848 or Marx's "Capital," has been so often translated. In Germany it has had four editions of about 20,000 copies in all."

The man who has the good fortune to become familiar with the contents of this pamphlet in early life will never, in after life, be able to estimate its full value as a factor in his intellectual development. I have persuaded many people to buy it and have invariably given them this advice: "Keep it in your coat pocket by day and under your pillow by night, and read it again and again until you know it almost by heart."

At this point you may hold up the pamphlet and announce its price. If this is done before the lecture, have the ushers pass through the audience, each with a good supply, and beginning at the front row and working rapidly so as not to unnecessarily delay the meeting. If the sale is at the close of the meeting announce that copies may be had while leaving and have your ushers in the rear so as to meet the audience. A good deal depends on having live and capable ushers. Our big sales at the Garrick are due to ushers being past masters in their art.

BOOK TALK NO 2.

THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO.

In the year 1848—over sixty years ago—Scientific Socialism was born. Almost every objection we now hear against Socialism holds only against the utopian Socialism which died and was discarded by Socialists more than half a century ago.

The birth of Scientific Socialism came as the result of the discovery of a great new truth. This truth revolutionized all our ideas about society just as Darwin's discovery, eleven years later, revolutionized our notions of organic life.

From 1848 forward there was no need for speculations and guesses as to how the world will be in the future or how it might be now if it were not as it is. From that time we knew that the present was carried in the womb of the past and the future is already here in embryo.

If you think you know the main outlines of the future society yet cannot find those outlines already developing in the society about you, you are nursing a delusion. You belong to the Socialism of Utopia—if your future society is not already here in part, it is "nowhere," as Utopia means.

We know today that science does not consist of a mere collection of facts. The facts of course are necessary, but science comes only when we push through the facts and find the laws behind them.

The discovery that gave birth to Scientific Socialism had to do with history. This discovery changed our ideas as to what constitutes history. The rise and fall of kings, tales of bloody wars, the news of camp and courts; these were supposed to be all that was important in history. This has been well called: "Drum and trumpet history."

Since 1848 history is the story of the development of human society. The introduction of machinery overshadows all kings and courts in history, as we now know it, because it played a greater part in social development than ten thousand kings.

History itself is not a science but it is one of the chief parts of "the science of society"—sociology.

Historical movement like all movement proceeds by law. When Karl Marx discovered the central law of history he became the real founder of modern sociology. His discovery of this law of history ranks with Newton's discovery of gravity or the Copernican revolution in astronomy. It ranks Marx as one of the men whose genius created a new epoch in human thinking.

Marx made the discovery before 1848, but that date is immortal because in that year it was published to the world. That date ranks with 1859 when the "undying Darwin" gave us "The Origin of Species."

The book was not intended for a book and became a book only by reason of its great importance. It was published as a political manifesto—the manifesto of "The Communist League." Hence its name—"The Communist Manifesto." This book is the foundation and starting point of Scientific Socialism and is indispensable to all students of social science or social questions.

The book itself explains why it is not "The Socialist Manifesto" as we might have expected. At that time the various groups using Socialist as a title were Utopian and some of them positively reactionary. There is a description and analysis of these groups in the third chapter which shows why Marx had no part in them. Their advocates know nothing of the new historical principle which now stands at the center of Socialist thought and which has successfully withstood half a century of searching criticism.

This great new principle is called: "The Materialistic Conception of History." It is not mentioned by name in the manifesto, but it is there like a living presence spreading light in dark places of history which had never been penetrated by previous thinkers. The key to all history is found in methods of producing and distributing material wealth. Out of the changes in this field all other social changes come.

Forty years later Frederick Engels gave completeness to the Manifesto by adding a preface which defines the main theory, gives an estimate of its value, and explains his part as co-author with Marx.

No other book can ever take the place of the Communist Manifesto. Its value grows with the passing years. It was the first trumpet blast to announce the coming of the triumphant proletariat.

The Manifesto's first two chapters and its closing paragraph are beyond all price. They are without parallel in the literature of the world. They sparkle like "jewels on the stretched forefinger of all time."

Here the speaker may show the book and state its price, and proceed with the selling. If the sale is made while the audience is leaving, nothing further need be said, and if the sale is the last thing in the meeting it is useless to ask the audience to remain seated during the sale. They get irritated and the meeting breaks up in confusion. See that your salesmen are posted at the exits where they will face the audience as it leaves. At one big meeting in Pittsburg where the sales of a fifty cent book reached over sixty dollars they would have been double but some of the sellers came to the front, and while the audience was clamoring for books which could not be had at the doors, these sellers were following the audience in the rear with armfuls which they had no chance to sell.

If the sale is made before the lecture while the sellers are passing through the audience the speaker should continue speaking of the book so as to sustain interest. There will be no loss of time making change if the right priced books are sold. 10c, 25c, 50c or $1 are right prices. At a public meeting it is a mistake to try to sell a book at an odd price as 15c or 35c or 60c. The demand dies and the audience gets impatient while the sellers are trying to make change.

The speaker who endeavors to make a success of book-selling at his meetings will find his labors doubled. The larger his sales the greater his labors. On my last western trip I sold on an average half a trunk full of books at each meeting and I had no spare moment from the work of ordering by telegram and rushing around to express offices and getting the books to the meetings. But the rewards are great. My trips are always a financial success and the books I leave scattered on my trail do far more good than the lectures I delivered.



CHAPTER XXII

CONCLUSION

In concluding this series I will group several items of importance which did not suggest themselves under any previous head.

Gestures should be carefully watched, especially at the beginning, when future habits are in the process of formation. They should not be affected or mechanical like those of the child reciting something of which it does not understand the sense.

A good story is told of the old preacher who could weep at will and marked his manuscript "weep here;" but, on one unfortunate occasion, to the great consternation of his congregation, got his signals mixed, and wept profusely during a reference to the recent marriage of two of his parishioners.

Never allow your thumb and fingers, especially the thumb, to stick out from the palm at right angles like pens stuck in a potato.

Never work the forearm from the elbow "pump-handle" fashion, but always move the arms from the shoulders. Do not move the palms of your hands toward yourself as if you were trying to gather something in, mesmerist fashion, but always outward as is natural in giving something forth.

Cultivate a narrative style. History, poetry, and all forms of literature take their origin in the story-teller who once discharged all their functions. The so-called dry facts of science, well told, make a "story" of surpassing interest.

If young, let no man despise thy youth. Plunge boldly in, blunder if needs be, but do something; experiment with your theories. Let the veteran who has no sympathy with your crude efforts "go to pot." The lapse of years has made his early inflictions look to him like the masterpieces of Burke and Chatham.

Never slight a small audience. Do your best as though you had a crowded theater. If you speak listlessly to a small gathering in a town, depend on it next time you go there it will be still smaller.

Preserve your health and take especial care of your throat. The speaker who doesn't smoke has a great advantage, and when the throat is at all relaxed smoking should be eschewed. The most dangerous time to smoke is immediately after the close of a lecture. Then the cells are all exposed from recent exercise, and it is positively wicked to so abuse them with tobacco fumes when they have served you so well. It is equally wicked to scald them with "straight" liquor. Any speaker who persists in either of these habits will pay a heavy penalty. If these things must be done, at least wait an hour or two after speaking.

All this is just so much more true of street speaking as the throat is more exhausted by the louder tone.

When you have worked out your lecture, and are waiting for the hour to strike, test its merit by this question: Does it contain enough valuable information to make a distinct addition to the education of an average listener? If you cannot affirm this, whatever merits otherwise it may have, fundamentally, it fails. When the enthusiasm has worn off, your audience should be able to decide that, in its acquaintance with modern knowledge, a distinct step forward has been made. Anything else is building on sand.

Always be firm, positive, courageous. First get a mastery of the question, and then let your audience realize that you know what you are talking about. The great merit of a certain speaker of long ago, seems to have been that "he spake with authority." Remember truth is not decided by counting heads, and if you are correct, even though the majority, in some cases in your own audience, may be against you, they will be obliged eventually to come to your position. True, in the meantime you may be obliged to suffer a temporary eclipse, but this is one of the permanent possibilities of the career of the real teacher.

Weigh carefully, investigate thoroughly, consult the authorities, be sure of your ground and prepared to defend it against all comers, and then—

"Plunge deep the rowels of thy speech, Hold back no syllable of fire."

THE END