Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-08-21
A CaSt-IrOn Government and an Indif.
ferent People.
COLOGNE Cor. Chicago Tribune.l

The German Empire is an anomaly
1t consists of civilized people and a
cast-iron Government. The latter has
a giants strength, and is tyrannous
enough to use it like giant. If Ger
man pantheist should wish to adduce a
familiar example of an all-prevading
power, he need only name the German
State
1t shows itself first and foremost in
the army and navy. In time of peace,
out of population of Al, 900, 600, 405,-
600 men, nearly all of them between 20
and % years of age, are withdrawn from
productive labor, and vigorously drilled
IN the science of slaughter. Every citi-
zen, unless he belongs to one of two I'M
fortunate classes, must sacrifice to the
State the first three years of his man.
hood entire, and then be liable to SER
vice, in case of war, to nine years more.
The two fortunate classes are the sick,
who are wholly exempt, and the volun-
teers. These latter serve only one year
and they have special privileges; and,
unless punished during the year for neg
lect OF duty, they become officers in the
event of war during the next nine
years. 1t seems, at first sight, as if
everybody would volunteer but there
are difficulties. A man must offer him.
self before he is 20; must be then pre-
pared to pass an examination SO rigor-
Gus that many boys $50 the head of a
great German school says ruin their
health in examining" for it and Il EST,
If accepted, himself pay for his board
and lodging, his clothing and accoutre-
ments. This entails cost of from 800
to 500 thalers Ga thaler is s. cents in
currency. Consequently, only young
men who are both rich and well-edu-
Gated can volunteer, and the ranks of
the three years conscripts are kept full
The only distinction of uniform between
the two classes is slender green and
white cord on volunteer shoulders. The
discipline of the army is severe. The
officers are under more rigid control, in
some ways, than the privates. Thus,
an officer cannot carry the slightest
bundle, not even a ladys shawl or fan.
He cannot move in any society except
the highest. He cannot marry unless
his intended wife and his own, between
them, have at least IA, 900 thalers' worth
OF property. He is, moreover, sent to
church, like school-boy, at stated in
tervals. The cost of this army of $780,
600 men is something enormous. What
Germany would pay for her war-force of
1913, 900, l have no means of knowing !;
but the dinaondch de GOtha for 1873
gives the figures In time of peace: For
the year 1872, the total expenses of the
Empire were lis, $40, 4S9 thalers. Of
this sum, the military and naval expen-
SEES Gncluding a trife over IL, 300, 900
for pensions) absorbed 112, 300, 992
thalers. And this in time of peace
This enormous money-cost is, however,
but one item in the sum total. 1t is i'm
possible to estimate the loss of national
wealth caused by the withdrawal of SO
many thousands of young men from
productive industry, and still more i'm
possible to weigh the harm to Germany
and the world which may result from
training whole people, in its impress
ible youth, to war. Such a subject
must be felt by subject to monarch.
The Emperor's study, which 1 saw
just as he had left it few hours before,
seemed like an index of the national
spirit. The only pictures were those of
battles almost every book was on the
art of war; the WRISTBANDS, paper
weights, etc., were made of tiny balls
and bombs and on high desk was
sadly worn map of Europe, on which
Schleswig- Holstein and Alsace-Loraine
were covered with letters and lines of
red ink. There was scarcely an object
in the room which suggested ANYTHING
exceptwa