The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-12-17
The Other Side of tho Picture.

At the close of the Franco-Prussian war
bright and happy future seemed to DO in
store for Germany. Brilliant victories had
| been won; the hereditary enemy of the
country was crushed; the longed-for union
| was contaminated, and the wounds inflicted
ip the,bloody strife we're to be healed by
| an almost fabulous war indemnity. The
new imperial government was looked upon
as . healthy, vigorous institution, frce
from the defects that had crept into the old
mODarchies of Europe, and able to grapple
with the impending social dangers. Do
mestic fears were forgotten, and the les
| sons of the war had removed all fears of
foreign aggression. What wonder, then, if
even matter-Of-fact, unpoetical German
| imagination took fire and dreamt its dream
| of glory, peace and plentyf
But the stern realities of the new system
soon dispelled the bright visions of the
hour, and confirmed again the old truth,
| that even the most successful war does not
bring in its train any lasting advantages to
the great mass of the people. They have
to bear the load and undergo the fearful
sufferings of the struggle, but its honors
and emOluments pass into other hands.
Hence, the fipal result of almost every war
has been the increase of misery of the
lower classes. Those of Germany form no
exception to the general rule. At the out
break of the war the farmer was summoned
from his pillow, the artisan from his work
shop, the clerk from his counter, families
were left to shift az best they might, or to
depend on the paltry and precarious relief
of q parsimonious government. When
peace was restored, thousands of the re-
turned veterans found their business me-
elected, their families deeply in debt, and
had to begin the battle of life over again,
under very. unfavorable circumstances
When they compared their gloomy pros
poets with the honor and wealth lavished
upon generals and politicians when they
bebeld an enormous amount of war in
demnity devoted to objects which bore no
relation to their interest and welfare, they
very naturally began to show symptoms Of
siscontent and resistance. Threatening
unions were formed strikes were organ
lied in the large manufacturing towns and
railways, and the popular press began to
TEEN with bitter speculations on the an
tagonism between capital and labor.
Things have at last come to such pass
that social situation is to- day, in Germany,
as pregnant with danger as it is in any
other country of Europe.
In view of this state of affairs, a violent
pamphlet written by F. A. Held, lately APP
peared sin Berlin, which contains some
startling revelations. TIE author confines
ments may, with due allowance for dispar-
other city of Germany. Wedaily hear"
says the author, the cry that Berlin is be-
coming the capital of the world. Yes,
Berlin is great, but is it happy You who
take your daily walk under the Linden,
examine the wan and worn countenances
of the poor that crowd your path, and then
go to the humber quarters aud gaze upon |
the misery and wretchedness that reigus |
there in every dwelling. Berlin is becom- |
ing the capital of the world by reason both |
of it's greatness and its misery"
The latter part of this assertion the
writer supports by quoting statistics. Ac-
cording to the last official census in 1867,
there were in Berlin 81, 900 persons that
lived in cellars. There were also 2265
that could not be heated. Up
wards of one hundred Thousand persons
occupied over-crowded rooms, none OF
which contained less than six persons.
Since 1867 the population of the city has
been increased by 100000 persons, the