Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1878-11-09
GLIMPSES OF GERMANY.
Too Much Standing Army and Too
Many Princes.
Ovcrmuch Government az Bad as A
want of Liberty.

Four hundred and one thousand six
hundred and fifty nine men, three hun
dred and one batteries OF artillery, with
ninety-slX thousand niue hundred and
tcrtv-tw0 ho SeS are to-day, and
have been tor years, actually what they
call in Germany the army on Il peace
footing. One million two hundred and
eighty three thousand seven hundred
and ninety one men more. four hundred
and twenty-five batteries OF artillery.
with two thousand five hundred and for
weight cannons and three hundred and
one Thousand five hundred and thirty
six horses are actually in reserve and
readiness to become any day the army
on War footing. Every hysically quail
flied German must serve TOR twelve years
the first three IN the standing army,
the following four years in the reserve,
the last five in the Landwehr. Beside
this, every person is liable to be called
into military service. in case OF an inva-
sion, who has attained the age OF seven
teen and not passed his torty-thIrd birth
day. In one way or the other. counting
the militia OF the various states with the
annual service of the reserve. there are
even IN this period OF profound peace
probably about 900. 900 OF the Young
| est. the strongest and most energetic of
Germans engaged i'll playing soldiers
| The country is one vast military camp.
even in peace. 1t Is a curse to the people
Another curse is the terrible number
of princes and sovereIgnS. Ii our coun
| try suffers some times from an excess OF
legislation. the Germans are groaning
under the load OF too much executive.
| What earthly use is there tor the twenty
tour sovereign kings, dukes and princes
who still keep up as many establishments
OF ldlencss and luxury at an enormous
expense to the people? a lot OF more
useless and costly creatures than these
| German rulers cannot we'll be imag gined.
Not counting either the king OF Prussi;.
or the emperor OF Austria. and leaving
ont Hanover. IIesse. Hamburg and liul-
stem, that were swallowed up by Prus-
STA, there still remain to-day twenty-tour
different thrones and crowns, with aS
many potcntates and princes, with their
courts and cabinets. their uomp and GER
emouy of sovereignty. To be sure, the
courts and cabinets OF some are but car.
features OF royalty the pomp and show
OF others but Il farce. Still, here they
are, aud the people must pay for them
The aggregate expense oi these super,
iluuuS princes must be immense. 1t is
impossible to obtain absolutely complete
figures, as some OF these second hant
sovereigns initiate their greater neigh
bors in everything, except publishing
the estimates and expenses OF their gov
crnment; but from the most authentic
information contained i'll the famous
! 4 fol- hn N
doubt that, directly and indirectly. thes'
supcrtuous princes must cost millions
if not tens OF millions, every year.
For it must not be forgotten that Will
some OF these rulers have but few sub
iects, others have hundreds OF thousands
and millions Take, tor instance, tn
young king of Bavaria, or the king c
Wurtemburg, or Baden, and they hav
infinitely greater control over their sui
iects than the queen of England ha
over hers. Foreigners who think tn
emperor OF Germany rules over tn
whole empire, simply do not undcrstan
the complicated situation of that arm
and sovereign ridden people. Ever
particle of the paraphernalia OF royall
is scrupulously and expensively obser'
ed in most cases. Some OF these prime,
keep up, comparatively, Il more eXpcl
sive state than the old emperor, who's
. habits, as usual with the Ilohcnzollern
are rather plain The king of Bavar
has nearly five millions OF subjects. al
the expenses of the royal house amou
to six million marks (there are tol
marks to 4 dnllar) annually. eXclusi
of his much larger private income iro
estates belonging to the crown. T
debt OF the state is $50 600, 600 mark
Now. the population of Bavaria is abo
the same as that of the state OF NJ
York What would the people OF t
empire state thiuk, if. IN addition to
federal taxation and exclusive of tn
municipal expenses. the executive OF
states should cost them million and
half dollars in gold, and they had a st;
e.. debt Of two hundred and eight miilio
of dollars? The king OF SaSony
two ami half million subjects. I
civil list, exclusive OF all crown prop
ty. is about half million Of dollars
nually. The state has debt OF abou
hundred millions OF dollars, more Il
half of which was caused by rairoa
OF course this civil list Of half mill