Daily globe., 1879-03-19
THE CRISIS IN GERMINY.

The condition of affairs in Germany is
sufficiently critical to cause alarm for the
permanence of the government. The de-
the most stormy character. Bismarck's ar
bitrary and despotic course in attempting to
check the freedom of debate naturally
awakened considerable opposition in all
quarters, but especially from the socialistic
element, which, even under the most favor
able circumstances, is noisy and intractable.
The very fact that such step was proposed
by the premier shows that there has been q
very dangerous growth of the revolutionary
element among the German people. The
frequent attempts at assassination rendered
the passage of the anti-socialist bill an i'm.
perative necessity for the preservation of the
empire. But, rigorous as were it's provis-
ions, it has but scotched the snake, not
killed it. The effort to interfere with the
liberty of debate in the reichstag was too
extreme an act of despotism to meet w.Sh
favor, even from the supporters of the gov
ernment While it would bear hardest upon
those disturbers of the peace whom it would
be desirable on all accounts to suppress, it
would be too much like double-edged
sword, and might wound even the most earn
est of the emperor's supporters. For that
reason it was rejected as much as from an
inherent love of the rights of the German
citizen and representative.
All appearances indicate that the whole
German nation, especially that portion which
centers and draws its political inspiration
from Berlin, is ripe for revolution. Even
though the suggestion of the possibility of
republic was received with cries of derision
and personal rebuke from the presiding
officer of the reichstag, close observers can
not have failed to note that the tendency of
the times is emphatically in that direction.
Though the mass of the people
have as yet but crude idea
of the character of republic, they appear
willing to plunge blindfolded into the expert
ment, we'll knowing that any change from
their present condition will be an improve
ment.
If Bismarck, at the close of the Franco
Prussian war, had made an honest endeavor
to place the government of the country upon
broad and liberal constitutional plane. the
present difficulties that beset him would
never have arisen. AS long as people are
we'll governed and have the privileges of free
speech and freedom of individual action.
they care but little whether the nominal head
of their government is called president, a
king, an emperor or czar. But Bismarck
was ambitious greedy to exercise imperial
power-and he undertook to subordinate the
peoples interests to his own ambition. He
began system of repression. Of course
that provoked opposition, and he was soon
embroiled in contentious that kept constant
ly accumulating until the country is now
resting upon volcano that, when it bursts,
will hurl the present dynasty from power as
surely as fate. The chancellor assumed too
much. He forgot that during the past CEN
tury the world has progressed, and that the
days of despotisms are numbered. Yet he
has undertaken to establish a despotlsm
more absolute than any other in Europe, in
which the liberty of the citizen is as
naught when it suits the ruling power to