Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-12-29
MODERN GERMANY.
The Country and its Institutions as
Seen by IL FricndIy Observer.


The Country and it's Institutions as
Seen by II FricudIy Observer.
President Andrew d. White of Cornell
University and late United States Minister TO
Germany delivered a lecture on "The New
Germany" the other night, in the course Of
which some little known and interesting
facts were brought out. President White
said the rise of the German Empire was one
of the most ms 'ruclivc events in history. 1t
was not the result of happy accident. All
| that growth Of modern German civilization,
all that bloom OF military genius and states
manshp had come Of patient effort. 1t was
| developed out of Il sound National char
actcr by noble effort. The central fact in
this building up was the struggle of strong
hearts aud minds and souls with difficulties
and dangers Her Ordeals, of all Nations,
| had been the longest and most trying. Her
material progress was spoken of as one of
the first signs of her rise. Popular pre-
| judiccs had been overcome. the incubus on
trade removed, great manufactures like the
mandatory of ktupp the wonder of the
world, had been built up, and ships, too, in
great numbers had been tlDatcd showing that
it was possible for her to revive n maritime
trade and even compete with Great Britain.
Germany's local eXpositons were cited as a
feature of the day. There beauty in every
shape and form was seen. There any artisan
who had genius and skill had place where
his work could be sold at fair price.
luxembourg. Augsburg, Dresden, Munich
and other towns were said to compete in
their respective industries with similar ones
in France.
After sketching the German military sys-
TEN from the time of Frederick the Great TO
Won Moltke, he said that Frederick William
fortunately had IL tenaciy of purpose and a
true spirit of patriotism. His army to-day
was the strongest of its kind. OF 10000
men under arms every one was trained
soldier. Her financial burden was great and
increasing, but so far as taxes were con-
ctrned it was less burden than it would be
in any other nation. The parliament of the
new Empire was one Of the best dcllberative
bodies in existence. lis stcadiness, its indie
pendoncc, its dignity impressed every
thoughtful visitor The speeches are of
moderate length and to the point. There
was nothing of those paroXysms of frenzy
seen IN the French Chambers; nothing of
that tumblng heeilessness seen in some
bodies nearer home. The members were
usually in their paces-not in the library
preparing law cases. not dancing attendance
at the departments. Instead of two parties,
but any danger of combinations thence arts
ing was more than offset by the greater po-
litical freedom of conscience.
Touching upon radcalism the lecturer said
ii had very little hold on the masses. Bis
marck was the great educator of the nation.
Adverting to socialism the lecturer stated
that il was undeniable that the movement
needed careful study. In the nation as
whole it had little strength, among petty land
owners it had none, but in the great cities it
had some. Bismarck. for destructive So
clalists who merely Grated, had no mercy; for
socialists who thought who would establish
a political body without the curse of poverty,
he had some sympathy. The reason of Bis
marck's feeling was that the fundamental
theory OF the socialist was that the State
should make the people instead of the people
the State.
The status of the Office holder was next
shown. In Germany offices were not spOils
by party leaders, but were given
IN trust for the whole people. There the
of the Office holder was not
adherence to this leader or to that political
party, but it was integrity and capacity. But
that capacity and integrity was to be asccr-
tanned, not by dancing attendance upon party |
leaders or whining at the doors of men in
power but by competitive examinations, pc
merit that good servants Of the State being
thus secured they should be retained on The
some principles which lead man of business
10 retain as long rs possible an employee
found faithful and capable. Furthermore,
he was treated as responsible person. Gov
there was Democratic and Republi-
can our own was aristocratic and nutocratic
in both senses of those words
President White said that in Germany
there was nothing like trial by newspaper.
City government there was taxpayers gov
eminent. Touching upon education he said
there was an intermediate college for every
20 900 inhabitants, If We had the same sys-
TEN here we would have seventy splendid
colleges The lecturer informed his audience
hat in Germany there was no hysterical
longing for news, aud then proceeded to de-
tail the virtues of the Ttutonic journal in OPP.
position to the vices of papers that were not