, 1874-02-14

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Although our news by telegraph, via Ame-
RIGA, reaches as far as the 26th, still concerning
the results of the elections to the German
Reichstag we have nothing later than what is
found in the London Times of the 10th, accord
ing to which the elections havs turned out
apparently in accordance with those recently
held to the Prussian Chamber of Deputies.
The chief effect is a REIMBURSEMENT of parties
with reference to the critical struggle of the
moment. Exceptin the Danish and Polish dis
tricts, 1.-THE French not voting) al Isecondary issues
are for the present absorbed in the struggle be-
tween German nationality and the ecclesiasti-
cal forces which are deemed unfriendly to Its
uDfettered development. The contest may be
often conducted with an indistinct appreciation
of the real issue, and it is no more to be sup
posed that all who vote on the ecclesiastical
side are opponents of Unity than that all the
adherents of the National Liberal Party are
hostile to the Roman Catholic Church. Still,
it is significant of the real tendencies of the
conflicting forces that in point of fact the main
interest of the elections lies in the relative
success of the Ultramontane and National
Parties. Whether wisely or unwlSely, far or
short sighted, BiSmark's policy has produced
what he has often deprecated, a war between
the Emperor and the Pope, and the German
people have been called upon to pronounce as
to the supremacy Of the civil or Of the eccIeSl-
astical power.
In Prussia the Protestants have an over
whelming predominance, but when Bavaria,
Baden, and Wirtemberg are thrown into
the scale the balance becomes far more
even. In Bavaria especially, where % Ultra
montanes have been elected against q LII
berals. In the other two South German
states the Liberals have gained. Almost every
where else there is an overwhelming preponder~
ance of Liberals returned. The approximate
result, as given by the Times correspondent
is, that in an Assembly of 397 members there
will be 100 Ultramontanes and 225 Liberals.
The other parties are mere fractions, among
which there are IL Socialists. The victory OF
the Government seems to have been greater
than at the Prussian elections. The Times
Correspondent points out that the mode. OF
election gave an advantage to the UItramOn-
tanes of which they were deprived IN the PruS-
sian elections. In the latter, though every
man has a vote, the franchise Is SO distributed
between the upper, middle, and lower classes,
that the numbers of the latter cannot o7erpoWer
the political influence of the more wealthy
classes. In tD6 O6ruldu eItCtlOHS, VI CHo JUL
trary, every vote has an equal influence and
thus at Cologne, where a Liberal was returned
under the class franchise Of Prussia, the man
hood suffrage of the German elections has
given a small majority to the Ultramontane
candidate. 1t is, of course, the lower classes
who are most liable to the influence of the
priests.
But although the Ultramontanes have been
defeated, they are sufficiently strong to give the
Government trouble, if on a critical vote they
should be joined by the other irreconoilablo
fractions. There is, says the Times Cores
pondent, a growing feeling that the German
Franchise should be remodelled on the PruS-
sian system, and uneasineSs is felt at the power
conferred by manhood suffrage on mere num-
bers. 1t has been, aud is still, one of Prince
Bismark's chief difficulties that he has to rely,
both in his ecclesiastical and political policy,
on the support Of the extreme no less than OF
the national parties, and he has, perhaps, been
forced beyond the limits of prudence in admit
ting so wide a suffrage for the elections to the
Garman Reichstag.