Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-07-05
A sTATE OF sIEGE.


The next day the newspapers an
nounced, to the extreme surprise OF the
general public, that Bielefeid had been
placed in state of siege, and not minor
state of siege, such rs that under which
Berlin, Leipsic and Hamburg Altopa per-
petually stand. but a bona fde military
state of siege, in which the military COM
mander was put in absolute control of the
town aed all civil functions of the civil
authorities suspended; and this without
so much as a pistol shot or ist-fi sht as
pretext! According to the testimony OF
participator, some three hundred per-
SONS had assembled to. see the colcpisfs
marched from the factory to their lodging
house under police escort at the close of
the days work, and while they were wait
ing ONE halfgrown boys broke some
window-panes of the lodging house by
throwing stones. In view of their own
small numbers, the police did not venture
to arrest the young offenders and sent for
military assistance. The crowd increased
and two companies of soldiers were
marched through the street, driv ng all
before them. Any one who failed tn van
ish on the instant was arrested and
marched off under guard OF three soldiers.
Nevertheless, the broken windows We're
the sole symptoms of disorder on the part
of the-3sepulace. The military withdrew
ats o'clock in the evening, whereupon the
crowd again collected and some further
window-panes were broken. The military
then reappeared armed with fixed bay
onets, and marching from both ends of the
street and from g cross street. so surround
ing the crowd. At word Of command
the soldiers charged upon men, women
and children, woundirg many and killing
a letter-carrier. The next day q division
Of iafsntry marched through the town and
the stat5 OF siege was procl aimed with the
accompaniment of drum and trumpet On
the third day this state of things was de-
clared permanent, and three days later the
state of siege was formally withdrawn.
INTERNAL POLICY.
To sum up: Wvrkingmen strike, and
semi official philanthropic institution fur
nishe operatives to supply the places OF
the strikers; police escort of operatives
being something new in Bielefeld,
crowd gathers to stare; half-grown boys
break some windows, and the military is
called out and letteT-carrier killed by the
bayonet. Thereupon three days of with
drawal of all civil rights from all citizens
of the town and permanent prohibition
for several sick benefit societies to hold
further meetings. A piece OF the internal
pol cy of the greatest stateeman of the age
and a fine example of the security OF civil
rights in Germany
To-day comes little notice of work
ingman who hung himself in Planan on
hearing that he had been denounced to
the police as having spoken slightingly of
his majesty, the Emperor, an ofiense
which involves imprisonment and the sub
sequent impossibility of ioding employ
ment.
Last year in Switzerland l made the ac-
quaintance of graduate of German uni
versity, doctor of law and man OF
some learning, who cannot return to Ger
many because in 1879. in a journal Of
which he was joint editor, he published
an article criticislDg the Chancellor. After
spending several months in prison for this
grave offense, our editor WAS commanded
10 leave Germany for two years. Under
the exceptional laws he could return to
Germany if the charge against him, al
ready sufficiently (D punished by impris
onment, should be permitted to slumber
throughout the full period of his Danish
meLt. But each time that the period of
two years draws to close the unfortunate
exile receives fficial notice that his term
of banshment has bsen renewed, and
with his wife and little daughter he sadly
resumes his wandeiines, waiting for the
death of the present Emperor AMI the
deposition OF the grand vizer.
TEE POLICE AND THE WOMEN.
But of all the workings Of the ex-
ceotiopal laws perhaps the most char
acter;s.ic is the police management of o
little meeting of worSibgwomen which
took ace the other day in Berlin. In a
small IA in the extreme north ward OF
the city some two or thee score women
had assembled to hear z lecture from the
editor Of one of the Berlin daiiies, whom
they had invited to address them. Ac-
cordiBg 10 the requirement of the ex-
ceptioDal laws they had reported to the
police the intention of holding such a
meeting AID of excluding men from the
audience policeman was duly de-
tailed TO attend the meeting, who quietly
waited until the speaker WAS introduced,
when the polio man arose, stated that ne
had been ius truced to see that no men
part;cip pate3 iu the meeting an I must re-
ques. the president to leave the hall i'm
mediately! Amidst vigorous expressions
Of indignation on the part of
the audience the speaker walked
out of the room into an adjoin-
ing one, separated from it by
q glass partition. This partition he opened,
seated himself beside the open sash and
listened uumolertad TO the proceedings
which follJwed The president drew from
her pocket manuscript; lecture, saying
that she had prepared her mind for some
such police farce as this, AID proceeded to
deliver a lecture Of her own upon the
"Condition of the Workingwomen OF Ger-
many" The policeman had done his duty
in removing the male speaker, and the
president and several 6ther feminine
speakers were permitted to fill up tae time
at discretion, All opportunity OF WHICH they
made vigo' Gus use.
From al ihese spec cisl cases some idea Of
the complicated workings of the exception
ell laws may be- formed. 0ften the re-ul's
are farcicsl, but more often they are fatal
to the within and demoralizilg 10 the com-
munity, and in al cases they contribute 10
explain clearly how it happens that the
German people is divided ia an immense
class OF men and women who ostentaiiaus-
ly grovel before the Trasagt ayns ty and
its grapd visier, kegeVer much they may
loathe the same in their heart OF hearts,
and q second smaller, irfi 1iteiy more hnr
orab.e class, which work. i. Season and
out OF season, s. cretly as we'll SIS openly,
to oppose and discredii the whole present