New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-26
BISMARCK MS OWN DEPUTY.

BISMARCK HIS OWN DEPUTY.
bismarck is not a statesman who is easily
disconccrted He has done his best during the
last two electoral struggles to prejudice the
German people against the Liberal leaders as
oropp of docirinaires and featherweights lie
has made peace with the Vatican in order TO
f,et the poltical support Of the Ccntralists, ana
with fine mir of an official Lassallc he has
brought forward measures in the interest OF the
working classes. Swinging rapidly from one
end of the political arc to the other. from
ecclcslaStical reaction to State socialism, ne
has set in motion the machinery OF the bureau
cracy and the Government press, and subjected
the constituencies to tremendous pressure leu
his unparalleled efforts TO influence the eIrc'
tons have resulted in a signal failure. Inc
Conservatives have been routed. The Central
lists are more strongly intrcnchcd ir the Reich
stag than ever before. The Liberals, though
ORGANIZED in three ill-discipncd battalions'
have recruited their ranks and now present rs
formidable IN array Of supporters as they iId
before the first Anti-SOcialist bill WAS con-
tcmptuously rejected. The Chancellor has
been disastrously defeated, but his sclf-posscs-
sion does not foT,akc him. Iii, menace oi
r,sicujug is received with dcrisioE; the
Empcror's speech cataogulng the Hoy-
crnmcnt's rcactionary and Soclali,tlc meas
ures-auadrcunial Parliamcnts, biennial bud
oefs the tobacco monopoly and the ac-
cidcut insurance bills listened to in
,nIlcn silence; and no reply can bc made TO
fine crushing attacks of the Progrcs-i-t leaders
upou the economic and political policy 81 the
Government. Yet the imprTtIrbablc Ch1ucc.-
Tor is undismaycd. He receives his ar'n-
mcutgry guests with Old-tlme nonchaance. lie
assures that he has no thought of rc~Igning
or of di>soiying the Rrich,tag. lie tells them
he expects to get on very comfortably Win
the new members. He may not be able TO carry
all his measures during single session, hut he
.,,,rcbcpds no serious conflict. There may be
general conspiracy against him, 30 that bis
nroiects for various reforms may be
sbclycd. In that case hc may coniiGc his at
tention to diplomacy, and appoint Depuy
Chancellor for the Home Department. But hc
evidently looks upon this rs contingency
too remote 10 be seriously considered.
This * not the first time Bismarck has limited
at the appointment Of Deputy Chancellor.
I'm the autumn Of 1877 he talked vaguely oil
giving the National Liberals several represent
ativcs in the Ministry, and Nicc-C@ncciI'r rs
well. Ur complained that his lahors were too AZ
duous. hisrcsponsiLiliticst0 too great lie Thought
lac required a general substitute, who conld
act for him whenever hc should find It NEON
yrnicnt or disagreeable to appear III person
before the Rcichstag. These rumors were
caught up with avidity by the National LIN
erals, who had supported the ChnnrrlI"rs
measures session after session without having
a Cabinet scat offered to them OF receiving
any official recognition as Government party.
They fanced for a few weeks that Ministerial
liberalism WAS in store for Germany, ana
that that would bring with it representa-
tive or parliamentary Cabinet. Their leader
Bcnnigscn, made two official visits TO BIZ
marck'S palace, and was prcmnturcly wei
coined by his associates ~ the prospective
Vice Chancellor But nothing came Of these
rlmors and negotiations. i new year brought
with it proposal for n tobacco monopoly,
but no Ministerial appointments. The Chan
ccllor no longer felt tho need of n substitute.
Ministerial Liberalism was Indefinitely post
poncd and it was net long before the Gov
eminent WIS cxcrrng all it, influence To de-
feat Brnnigsen and his party.
Bismarck did not want a deputy in 1871,
nor does he now. He is not statesman who
can share responsibility with another, or train
successor to take ms place. lie has his own
place in the Imperial system He is response
bic to a sovereign who in turn looks upon him
AS absolutely Indispensable. He is intrused
with the general business of governing the
country and managing Parliament. Ministers
are on a lower level, and where he stands
close behind the throne there is no room for
anyone else. Herein lies the strength of his
position: he cannot be spared, and there is no
substitute for him. He may not be able at
the present juncture to secure n working
majority, but nobody else can do it, nor, what
is more to the point, get on with a minority.
rs he can do without subjcctng the Consttu-
tional system to undue strain or seriously
impairng the efficiency of his political con-
science Neither Bcnnigsen nor Richter nor
WindhOrst could form representative Minis
try with the Chancellor in opposition There
can be no such Ministry until parliamentary
government becomes II reality IN Germany
Bismarck while lac lives is indispensable, and the
Ministry represents INN and enforccs his will
AS for deputy, he has no use for one II
may be part of his tactics now as it was in
1877, to make an irregular bid for political
suppOrt. 1t may he that he hopes in this way
to lure the leader of the Centre into n combi-
nation with the Conservatives. But we may
be sure that he is not in earnest. lie knows
that no can get on by himself in the old way.
In his sight parliamentary conflict is only
an episode it cannot lead to a political
catastrophe.