, 1882-06-30
Bismarck's Empire,
S. +. Chronicle.l


The German Empire has turned
its back upon the man who created it.
Bismarck's Mobacco Monopoly bill
has been disgracefully defeated. 1t
got but 43 out of 80 votes in the
Reichstag. President Andrew John
son was better supported than that
in the days of his greatest unpopu-
larity by the American Congress.
The vote is popular impeachment
of the crest Chancellor's political
views. 1t means far more than an
aversion of the German people for
Government monopoly of tobacco.
They see in this bold, able, iron man
them embodiment of federalism
and Capitalization of government in
the hands of monarch whom he de-
lights to call his master, and of a
monarchy dangerous alike to the
rights of the States that compose it
and to the liberties that all Germans
had been fondly anticipating as re-
suit of the empire. This year it is
the tobacco monopoly, next year it
may be a beer monopoly, and the
next an imperial monopoly Of all the
railways in all the States, that their
revenues may be employed ina tho
maintenance of a still larger stand
ing army. Every step in that direc-
ton of Capitalization is also a menace
to the sovereigns who consented to
the empire; but who are beginning to
see that the Bismarck policyis grad
ually reducing them to the condition
of vassels of the King of Prussia and
Emperor of Germany. The small
vote in support of the Chancellor's
favorite measure cannot be accounted
for on any other hypothesis than this
jealousy and detection. And yet, if
the empire is to be made strong
enough to overawe its enemies
France, Russia, Austria there is no
other way for it. 1t cannot attain to
that degree of strength permanently
without large army, and it cannot
support such an army without large
and certain imperial revenue. Gov
ernment monopolies, taxes, direct and
indirect, are absolutely necessary to
the raising of such revenue. The
alternative is disintegration and dis
solution of the empire and a return
to the ancient feebleness that charac-
terized the German people as long as
their several States lacked a central
Government In short, the empire
is on trial as we'll as Bismarck. The
trial is in its first stages, just as that
of the American Union was from
1854 to 1865. 1t remains to be seen
if the Germans possess the intelli-
gence and political wisdsm to tide
over the breakers. The Chancellor
has recently made some imprudent
and even bullying declarations in the
Reichstag contemptuous OF the pop
ular Interpretation of the constitu-
ton. These insults to the common
people hbve been intensifedIby the
Empesor's adoption of them as his
own. They We're, to say the least,
untimely. Had President Lincoln
msultingly told the South as early as
March, 1861, that he intended to
abolish slavery, he would have lost
the support of Illikois, Indiana, New
York, Ohio, and perhaps Pennsylva-
MIA. He wisely waited for public
opinion to grow up to his level.
Whar he could not say without great
peril to the Union cause in 1861, he
could and did say year later with
out exciting opposition in the doubt
full States. The German Empire is
not as yet on the solid basis of our
Union in 1861. 1t distrusts Prussisn
and Hohenzollern ambition. It's pop
ular leaders in 1871 are now distrust-
full Of the intention of the Emperor,
and Bismarck's blunder has been in
bullying this element when he should
have made concessions TO it.
D,,,,>r Gr,rr Tho fnllnu;,,c, ,,Aa,,I;n,,