Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-11-05
rlsNAE,K- ms POSITION AID Foley.
BERLIN, Oct. Is, 1850.

Soual mower; "A selfish desire for wealth 4
sraspns for territorial authority; AMI, most
unfortunate Of all, passion for splcndor AT
the expense Of the laboring masses. 1t might
be expected that Bismarck's personal eX-
pcricnccs would make him more sympathetic
and comrassionatc toward his poverty
stricken land: for he has not always, by any
means. walked in gardens of roses. Born IN
"A large family of one OF the innumcrable poor
mobiles Of Germany a Schonhausen-he was
sent as an INDECENT student to one OF the
gvmnasil of Berlin Here he studied the
elements of Latin. Greek and mathematics
free of charge During his la'cr studies at
the University and in the ear Ter years oil his
public life. he was continually embarrassed
financially. Without wealthy family OF
wealthy friends, he rose, as SO many Amer
leans haze done, through the power oil an
invincible will; but unlike most of his exam
pies on the other side of the Atlantic who
were unfortunate IN the choice of their pa
rents, in his days of success, he seems
to have absolutely no sympathy for the less
fortunate of his llow-coun,rymen. Solely
through his services in the government he
has risen from n condition Of poverty to be
considered one Of the wealthiest men in the
German Empire At the successful coaclu-
sion of the Austrian war in 1896, he was
rewarded l,y the Emperor, i. E., the people
impossible though it be for a native Ger
man to SEE that the Emperors goldfish
pond must have a spring as well as an outlet
with one million thalcrs equal TO $780,
000), and at the conclusion of the Franco
Prussian war, in 1871, with IN equal sum.
What he receives yearly for his ministerial
services no one prctcnds to know. That II is
an enormous sum there can be no doubt, II
we may assume that it is at all in proper
ton to his authority Iu addition 10 his
three other offices he has lately assumed the
Office of Han l,rs Minister. or Minister OF
the Interior, but he is said TO receive the
pay of only lwp offices. Whatever the pay
may be which he receives, we venture 10
say that be is not dependent on charity Tor
the crumbs which fall on his sumptuous
table 1t is certainly only just
that it should he So. Eminent ser
vices must he rewarded. What it is not
so pleasant for B.marck's few warm al
mirers to consider, is the fact that as chan
ccllor and dictator of the legislature, as nn
lister of both home and foreign affairs, he is
responsible for much of the dcplorabc pow
crty and the business depression of Prussia.
No one conycrsant with the facts pretnds
to deny that his policy has been and is di-
rcctly in the face Of fundamental principles
of political economy And, by the by, t is
Il remarkable fact that while young men
from all parts of the world flock to German
professors to learn theory, in everything else
save only educational affairs rs in govern
ment, scientific practice is at the very lowest
cbb. But to select the chief point in which
theory and practice are At variance i'll Bis
marck' government, we must name the utter
lack of sympathy between the business con-
dition of the country and the unnecessary cX.
penses Fl government. Never were German
farmers more discouraged than they have been
since the Franco Prussian war; never were
German business men Of property studying
with direct interest the varying advantages
OF American homes as they are now lhey
loudly declare that they cannot nav heavy
taxes from mcager income, but their rea-
sonablc requests reach only a deaf ear. In
deed, it is doubtful if they so so far. Dur
ing the Summer Bismarck seeks the seclu-
sion which the cabin grants on his estate
near Hamburg, and everything which
re; hes him cones in bl; X and white by
the two couricrs despatched daily from Bcr-
lin; and willie he is in Berlin he is never
seen in public. And while the people are
Tying from financial ruin or starvation, what
expenses does the government
incur We will say nothing of that canker-
worm, the army circumstances make some
Thing Of the kind necessary. Nor is ii con
'ideraie to say that few hundred thousands
could be saved annually hy giving up the
games of war, ami the parades Of the army
n which the people take SO much pride. But
why should Hanover and the other suhjugat-
ID German kingdoms with all PRUSSIA be
Trained TO make Of Berlin second Rome ?
Why should millions be spent Immediately in
he erection Of magnificent public buildings,
md In carting from other social centres I'M