"Give the working-man the right to work as long as he is healthy, assure him care when he is sick; assure him maintenance when he is old. If you do that, and do not fear the sacrifice, or cry out at State Socialism directly the words “provision for old age” are uttered,—if the State will show a little more Christian solicitude for the working-man, then I believe that the gentlemen of the Wyden (Social-Democratic) programme will sound their bird-call in vain, and that the thronging to them will cease as soon as working-men see that the Government and legislative bodies are earnestly concerned for their welfare."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Military leaders from GermanyPrussiansChancellors of GermanyGerman foreign ministersMinisters of Germany
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Speech to the Reichstag (9 May 1884), quoted in W. H. Dawson, Bismarck and State Socialism: An Exposition of the Social and Economic Legislation of Germany since 1870 (1891), pp. 34–35
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Otto_von_Bismarck
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Related Quotes
"Der König herrscht aber regiert nicht."
"Die Politik ist keine exakte Wissenschaft."
"I ask you what right had I to close the way to the throne against these people? The kings of Prussia have never been …"
"I shall soon be compelled to undertake the conduct of the Prussian Government. My first care will be to reorganise th…"
"I grant that I am full of prejudices; I sucked them in with my mother's milk, and I cannot possibly argue them away."
"Nicht durch Reden und Majoritätsbeschlüsse werden die großen Fragen der Zeit entschieden — daß ist der große Fehler v…"
"Faust complains of having two souls in his breast. I have a whole squabbling crowd. It goes on as in a republic."
"The social insecurity of the worker is the real cause of their being a peril to the state."
"I am of opinion that the idea of the Christian State is as old as the ci-devant Holy Roman Empire, as old as all the …"
"Only a country's most vital interests justify its embarking on war. ... Aye, I made the war of 1866, fulfilling my ha…"