New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-10-21
TIE GERnAN EORck BILL.

The German Chancellor has achieved another
Parliamentary triumph by playing of one
marty against another. He believes that any
stick is good enough to beat n dog with
When the Fatherland was COnvulsed with in
dignation over the GtrUciOus crimes in the
Avenue Inter den Linden he thrust aside the
National Liberals, with whom he had been
acting for seven years dissolved the Reich
stag and strained the laws to secure the re-
turn Of Conservative majority. When it
became manifest that that faction could not
control the new Reichstag. he turned his eyes
toward CanOssa, and by reopening negotia-
tions with the Vatican bargained for the sup
port of the Charlottesville party which he had
onco branded as enemies Of the State, and
which he had endeavOred to stamp out by
sentences of Imprisonment and repressive
legislation. When he became convinced that
so fantastic an alliance was impossible, he sud
denly wheeled about and effected compromise
with the Liberals. In the last Parliament he
could muster only 90 supporters. On
Saturday both sections of the Conservatives
and National Liberals, with a few Indepen-
dent Liberals, acted with him, and the Anti
Socialist bill WAS passed by vote of 221 to
149. Prince Bismarck is a practical states
man who always looks the facts in the face
When he cannot have what he wants. he takes
what he can get and makes the best of it.
His theory of Constitutional Government is
that a Parliament is to be managed in the in
terest of the Government, with majority, if
possible, but without one, if need be. AL
though he has not been able to force his ORA
comic law through the Reichstag without radi-
cal notifications, he has cOntriVed TO secure
a working majority of ~ votes.
This is certainly substantial, and possibly
a brilliant Parliamentary triumph. How much
importance is to be attached to the amend
ments offered in committee and in the
House cannot be determined until the
full text of the bill as finally passed
is before us. The Imperial Bureau has been
suppressed, the constitution Of the Court of
Appeals has been changed, more exact defni-
tons are given Of various printed works and
associations that are placed under ban and
what is more important than all else, the du-
ration of the law is limited 80 that the Act
will not be operative after March 81, 1881.
But even as it stands, with these and other
wholesome alterations, it is the most sweep
ing force bill ever enacted by National
Parliament.
There are certain tendencies in Germany
which cannot be drilled and hammered out
under the pressure of Imperial legislation.
The Fatherland is reunited and powerful, but
not industrial and prosperous. The mpliards
brought back from the wars have gone to
waste; taxation is rising; the revenue is
falling; the burdens of the military es-
adjustment have become intolerable, and
the complaint is everywhere made that
Germany is as impoverished as she was
at the close of the Thirty Years. War The
restlessness of the industrial and educated
classes and the reaction against the military
system cannot be legislated out of existence.
Prince Bismarck fought the Catholics with
force bills, and what has been the result
Their position as areligiOus body and as pOlit-
ical party has been strengthened. Is he likely