New-York tribune., 1879-01-01
GERMANY.

The supremacy of Germany as the strongest Power
on the Continent is still uHqucsioned. by virtue
Of this military prestige her master-diplOmatst
| virtually the arbtcr of the Eastern question when
it was discussed In the RadziWill Palace. But al
though united and powerful, the Fathcrland is not
industrial and prosperous. The miards brought
back from the wars have gone to waste taxation is
rising; the revenue is falling; the burdens
of the military establishment are intoler-
able; and the rcstleSsness of the industrial
| and educated classes has promoted the growth
of political party with revolutionary tendencies.
Parliament was opened on February by a message
from the Throne relating TO the introduction of a
stamp tax and an increase of the duty tobacco
and 10 foreign affairs. The Chancellor and the
National Liberals did not get on smoothly on eco
nOmc questions. but there open rupture until
after the first attempt to aSsaSSinate the Emperor
This attempt made (Nay l2) by HOedel q
tinker and Socialist, and was followed by the INTRO
ducon of an ll-dlgcSted act for the suppression OF
Socialism. Tho first clause was defeated May
23) by an overwhelming majority, and the
measure was hastily withdrawn. A second
attempt to assassinate the Emperor was made early
in June by Carl Nobing and the Government, TAX
ing advantage of the horror caused by these daS-
tardly crimes dissolved the Reichstag and ordered
q general election. After canvass In which the
pressure OF the Government was brought to bear
against the National Liberals with whom the Chan
cellOr had been acting since 1866 the election
held late in July That party lost about fifteen
seats but still slightly outnumbered the COnserya-
tvcS, and everything seemed to depend upon the
position the Centre or Catholic party would take.
The Chancellor undertook to come TO direct
understanding with the Vatican over the heads of
the Catholic leaders in Germany He invited Mon
sgnor Masela, the NunciO, to call upon him at Kis-
slngen. and afterward returned the visit. The ne
gotlations were interrupted by the death of Car
din;u Franchi and subsequently reopened. but were
ultimately broken OF through the unwilllngness OF
the Centre to support the antl-SOcialist bill, The
debate IN the Parliament opened on september 10,
and the hill referred 10 a committee OF twenty
one The measure which had been thrown out
would have invested the Government with discre-
tonary power FOR three years publications meet
lngs and societies having Socialist tendencies. The
measure authorized the central authorities III
the Federal States To prohibit public meetings for
year. to prevent the sale of nterdictcd pubica-
tions 10 restrict the purchase of arms to expcl
Socialist agents and to fine and imprlsOn printers,
booksellers and lnnktcpcrS and II created an I'M
perial bureau to enforce these regulations. This
measure shOrn of some of its worst features and
It- duration was limited 80 that il would not De
operative after March 81, 1851: and il was
finally passed by Il vote OF 22I 10 ] 10,
both sections of the National Liberals and
tho Conservatives voting for IL and the
Centre against Is. BY efectng compromise
with the National Liberals the Chancellor has thus
secured the passage of his force bill without being
compelled to yicld his ground III his great conflict
with the Vatican. This reprcssive measure ~ now
being nndy enforced, and the Emperor has vcn-
tured to return III triumph To Berlin. neither
Socialism can he drilled and hammered ont of cx-
stence under the pressure of imperial legislation is
problem that will be solved during the coming year.