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cause.
THE FIGHT FOR EXISTENCE 215
It was determined that the German social democrats
must be put mentally, morally, and physically upon
the rack. Even the briefest summary of the provisions
of the anti-socialist law will illustrate how determined the
reactionaries were to annihilate utterly the socialist movement.
The chief measures were as follows :
/.
Prohibitory
1. The formation or existence of organizations
which sought by social-democratic, socialistic, or
communistic movements to subvert the present State
and social order was prohibited. The prohibition
was also extended to organizations exhibiting tendencies
which threatened to endanger the public peace
and amity between classes.
2. The right of assembly was greatly restricted.
All meetings in which social-democratic, socialistic,
or communistic tendencies came to light were to be
dissolved. Public festivities and processions were
regarded as meetings.
3. Social-democratic, socialistic, and communistic
publications of all
kinds were to be interdicted, the
local police dealing with home publications and the
Chancellor with foreign ones.
4. Stocks of prohibited works were to be confiscated,
and the type, stones, or other apparatus used
for printing might be likewise seized, and, on the
interdict being confirmed, be made unusable.
5. The collection of money in behalf of socialdemocratic,
socialistic, or communistic movements
was forbidden, as were public appeals for help.
//. Penal
1.
*Any person associating himself as member or
otherwise with a prohibited organization was liable