The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-03-06
The Gernann Elections.
From the n. O. Piearr1ne.

FROM the N. o. Picayune. ri a
The complete returns of the election
for the German parliament show q
large, though not decisive, gain for the
Ultramontane party, as it is called. The
distribution, politically, of the. members
elect Is as follows 225 National Liberals
IL Socialists, 10 Conservatives, 10 Par
tlcuiarlsts,.15 Poles and Danes and IL
Radicals. The number of Ultramon-
tanes is 115. This gives 172 for ali shad-
es OF opposition, and a majority of 3 fol
the National Liberals, or government
party. The result shows material fall
ing Offin the strength of the government.
One conspicuous fact was the lack of in
terest displayed by the people. In Ber-
lin, Q example, ont of 100, 7S3 registered
voters only 33,785 came to the polls.
This indifference to a contest which
seemed to have excited the most bitter
animOsities, and which has engendered
CONTROVERSIES of a very violent character
throughout Germany, is especially re-
markable.
1t cannot be accounted for Oh the sup
position that the people we're really de-
void OF interest in the question at issue.
1t. is therefore, in all probability, owing
to the indisposition Of the Liberals to
ally themselves with Bismarck, and per-
haps to the growing feeling that the war
on the Catholic Church though ~calcula-
ted to win the sympathies of Protestant
and Liberal ~adversaries of the Papacy,
Is conducted by Bismarck in q manner
which looks like religious persecution.
Indeed, Bismarck's repressive measures
have already been denOuncedby leading
Liberals in Germany and other Countries
as q denial OF religious freedom. If this
view is correct, the cause of the cab
stentionD Of SO many voters is to be
found IN the indisp0sition Of the mass
of the Liberals to take sides in a contest
in which they would have to choose be-
tween the support of religious persecu-
ton, or direct alliance with the Ultra
mOntanes. In the one case they would
violate the principles which all Liberals
avow, and notably, that of free states -
and in the other, they would seem to
c~Ountenance the idea of Papal suprem-
acy, and the doctrines of the Syllabus.
against which they protest with 30 much
earnestnesS. "
With regard to the probable effect of
the UltramOntane gains, the London
Times says:
Flushed with their partial success, the
Ultramontanes may be expected to re-
double their protests in the House and
tIlelr resistance OUTSIDE OF 1t. just strong
enough to give trouble, but too weak to
cause real embarrassment, they will on
ly aggravate the angry feelings of their
ady~ersaries, and probably bring down
upon themselves fresh measures of cOer-
ciOn, which will hardly tend to bridge
over the gulf that has recently opened
between the two great parties in the
land. The position of the Ultramontan-
es in this respect is the more unfavora-
BILE as ecclesiastical matters belonging
to the jurisdiction of the State PaTIia-
ment are settled by assemblies elected
a restricted franchise, and according
" provided with a much smaller in
gredient of Ultramontanism than by
the manhood system which is admitted to
the central Legislature of the country.
One indication of the truth of this as
sertion, remarks the Chicago Triune, is
furnished by the arrest and imprison-
ment of Archbishop Ledochowski which
has taken place since the election. As
by the election, is sure of a
majority On the question of raising the
military budget, there is nothing to de-
ter him from carrying out his opposition
to Ultramontanism and enforcing the
authority of the State with a high hand.