Letter to Eduard Bernstein, October 23, 1884

Author(s) Friedrich Engels
Written 23 October 1884


First published, in Russian, in Marx-Engels Archives, Book I, Moscow, 1924
Published in English for the first time in Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 47


ENGELS TO EDUARD BERNSTEIN

IN ZURICH

London, 23 October 1884

Dear Ede,

Herewith the preface.[1] If you are going to add the libre échange[2] to it, include what I have appended on the last page, otherwise alter it.[3]

I have also taken out a money order for £ 1 in your favour, this being Schorlemmer's contribution to the election fund. You are probably already aware that Schorlemmer was charged in Darmstadt. When the arrest was made at Haug's house in Freiburg, they also found a copy of the Sozialdemokrat addressed to his brother[4] —ergo domiciliary search, resulting in the discovery of letters from Schorlemmer which contained indifferent jokes about Bismarck — resulting in further inquiries about him at his mother's house and at Höchst where he then happened to be. To spare his mother unpleasantness he took his departure. Caused a great furore in Darmstadt.[5]

At Bebel's suggestion I have sent Schumacher some information about Rittinghausen in 1848.

What has by now, alas, become a very lengthy preface does not see the end of Mr Rodbertus; in the preface to the 2nd book of Capital[6] I shall mount another attack on his 'discoveries' about surplus value. Odd that Ricardo should be so completely forgotten in Germany! Regards to Karl Kautsky.

Your

F. E.

Should Dietz send the manuscript and proofs of the preface to Zurich, kindly send them on here.

  1. ↑ F. Engels, 'Marx and Rodbertus'.
  2. ↑ 'free trade'
  3. ↑ See previous letter.
  4. ↑ Ludwig Schorlemmer
  5. ↑ When he visited his relatives in Darmstadt in the summer of 1884, Carl Schorlemmer was detained by the authorities on suspicion of bringing illegal literature into Germany. Being a British subject, however, he succeeded in avoiding punishment (see also F. Engels, 'Carl Schorlemmer', present edition, Vol. 27).
  6. ↑ See present edition, Vol. 36.