Letter to Karl Marx, April 26, 1868

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To Marx in London

Manchester, 26 April 1868

Dear Moor,

The business with the rate of profit and the value of money is very neat and very clear. The only thing that is unclear to me is how you can assume m/(c+v) as rate of profit, for m does not flow solely into the pockets of the industrialist who produces it, but has to be shared with the merchant, etc.; unless you are taking the whole branch of business together here, therefore disregarding how m is divided up between manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer, etc. In general, I am very keen to see your exposition of this point.

Wilhelmchen, as you will have seen, is now also singing the praises of the honourable Jakobus Venedey! And they resemble one another just like one jackass resembles another. I have had enough of it now, I shall not write to him any more. Let him make a fool of himself on his own account.

To write 400c+100v+100m is quite acceptable, just as is £400 3s. 4d.

You have seen that the comfortable relationship between the honest Bismarck and his Reichstagers is beginning to come to an end; the latter want to make the officials of the debt administration legally answerable, and Otto the Great cannot stand that, naturally. He’ll not build them no fleet for that.

To give full expression to the hangover affecting handsome William because he confiscated the lands and property of his cousin Georg, the Prussian commission to administer King Georg’s property is composed of General von Kotze and Regierungsrat Sauerhering (literally).

It is very nice of Jenny that she dutifully drags you out to go for walks. I hope that she does not allow herself to be scared off by your physical indolence disguised as your need to work; in the present fine weather it would be shameful if you stayed at home. I hope that no traces of new carbuncles have shown themselves.

In the Customs Parliament old Rothschild sits right near to Wilhelmchen, and behind them the bunch of jackasses called the ‘People’s Party’.

Could you not collect some of the mineral stuff and send it here for analysis? I have not yet seen Gumpert.

The recent Women’s Suffrage meeting here was of course attended by the whole Borchardt family, male and female (only Mama Borchardt absent). Gumpert has a nice row with Borchardt. Borchardt had accused him of an infringement not only of medical professional etiquette, but of all ethics (because in the house of friends, where Borchardt is the doctor and a child had died of scarlet fever, Gumpert had expressed his surprise and astonishment that Borchardt should have allowed the other children and their friends to view the body — Borchardt has ‘grounds’ for declaring scarlet fever non-contagious) — and Gumpert has brought the case before the medical society here, whereby he has little to gain, however, since the committee consists of nothing but jackasses, a fact which he should, of course, have considered earlier.

When will the young married couple return, and have you found an apartment?

Best greetings to all.

Your
F. E.