, 1873-08-06
DESpOTTShf IN GERMANY,


sean by mn American. Tho conclusion Which
will force ftsof upon the Intelligent reador iH,
that tho Gorsnnn Government Of to-day ia ono
Of tho most absolute and despotio ever known
to tho world. Thoro hnvo boen autocracios that
pnnlerod moro to tho caprice Of doBpot, and
thoro havo boan aristocrnclos in tho foudal
days, which ona1avod tho maBsoa in manner
that would not bo possible ut tho proHent tmo.
but thoro has novor boon 30 thorough and Bys-
temntio n domination OF tho State over tho
individual. Tho German Empire is tho on1-
bodinent Of tho Patornnl Syatern. Tho
State is oyorything; tho oltizon nothing.
1t Is tho principle Of Protection ap-
pliod univorually. Government in Germany
moans that personal rights, personal opinions,
personal religion, porsonnl education, and ovory
other individual thing, must submit to tho will /
Of the stato. Tho influence Of PruBBia was
sian war; since tho war, North Germany haa
boon Prusainnfzod to tho core. Tho aubjoction
OF the people, and nil thor inatitutionB to the |
Government, has always been tho policy of |
Prince Bismarck in which, no has fad nn ef!i-
cent md strong-heatlcd coaajutor In tho King
martial proponsitios Of tho halo and burly King
William, who lunches with his holmot on his
1load and sloops in camp-bod, havo nlways |
proved mn effective support for Diamarck'a
budgets; and now tho system, which haB been
80 solidly established in Prussia for years, has
pormcated all TINT pnrt Of Germany which Prua-
Bia has practically absorbed.
Tho military prowous Of tho Government is its
main reinuco. Tc sustain it tho people of tho
Empire aro taxed 112. 300, ,9D2 thalors yoar,
which Representa-, nt 5por cont, tho interest on a
public dobt of 2,24G, ,01o, $40 thalors equivalent
to as many American dollars on n rclatiyo basis
Of values botwoon tho two countries. III othor
words, tho pooplo OF Germany pay as much a1l-
nuS1ly for tho support OF an ar1ny in time of
poaco as tho pooplo Of America pay to discharge
tho interest md reduce the dobt which resulted
from 1vo-years civil war. Every male citizen
iB subject to military service for twolvo years.
throo years absolutely and nino years in case of
war. Tho military discipline falls upon tho par
ticular timo wllon manhood B forming, aud it's
lessons last for lifetime. This military sorvice
and othor restrictions on marriage havo bad Of
feet on tho morals Of tho lower claBaoB. It ia
nlso direct cause Of tho degradation Of
| women, who arc forced to till tic 1olds, follow
| tho p1ow, and bow themselves to unwomanly
work. while tho mon aro onlistod in tho army for
the good Of tho State. Tho degradation Of wom-
! On Of tho lowor olasscs, morally or physically, is
an essential olemout Of complete despotsm.
Education md religion arc regarded as mere Oh
ements Of that intangible but all-absorbing pa-
torrity known as tho Government. Both arc
compulsory. Every child must go to school,
and every child must DO confirmed. Tho lawa
arc somewhat different in tho different Statos,
but all point a1iko to tho strengthening of tho
Empire. Tho womon lsoop up their church,
going PRACTICES tho men drop it altogether after
thoy hnyo iasuod from tho schools. Both
conditions arc regarded Us advantageous to
tho Government. Just now t1oro is a porsocr-
tion OF tho Catholics aud a crusade agninss tho
Jcsuits,-n becauso thoy are Catholics md
Jcsuits, but because their principlos and prao-
ticos arc opposed to tho dospotism of tho State.
If AfcthoaAm prevailed in Germany in tho aamo
degree and with tho aa,no forco as in this coun-
try, Bismarck would turn his lance against 1t
just as readily as Lo has against Catholicism.
Tho police systom is military in discipline and
Jcsuitcal in practice. It poryados all Germany.
Thero ls no personality, no domoBticity, No
eociallty, no pross FREQ from its aurvoil-
lanco Tho police Of oyery city havo n com
rlose descriptive directory Of ovory man, woman,
and child, whotlor thoy nro rosidont or Transient
Tloy arc organized mainly to watch the intorests
Of tho Government; incidentally to protect tho
citizens. Tlloy exercise judicial aa we'll ns oxccu
-tivo powers in public and criminal n,atterR Tho3
arc social spies, who stop at no means to obtai1
J information that they dearo. Not only ths
: mails but tho telegraph, the oxpross, ami
tho miiroad syBtomB nrn under Goyernmon
control, and all agencies aro used for Govorn
ment purposes whonoyer it Is suspected tha
, private ends clash with them. Tho prcss II
totally subjected to police authority. Shortly Of
, tor tho brlof AuBtro-prussian war of 1866, tn
> formal presa Censorship Nas nbolishod, but /
| waa only to throw tho control Of tho press NOR,
} completely into tho hands Of tho police, VIII
have SINCE suppressed newspapers aud ln,pria
3 oned editors Without waiting for censorship
q Thoro waa recent effort to pnss a liberal Pros
t bill In tho Roichhtng. Bismarck asked post
0 poncment, and mado q "concossion' with
l now I'LL of hls own. Tie concession only give
Il tho police wider scope than oyor, for 4 tournu
= may DO s'lmmarily punished for anything whic1
in general throatona tho right Of property, III
o institetion OF tho family, tho military syston
oto. 1t Ia mn authorization for suppression O
newspapers for general aud indefinite oirenso
TINT raay ho construed ut ploasuro. Tho politicu
o Ignorance Of tho people IL almost incomprohe1
IL aible. Though tlloro ia a system Of unyerat
. suffrage with property distinctions, tho poopl
y do uOI understand it, md TIM rannrn1 ionf in,o,,