Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-02-18
BusMARCK IN THE RErCHsrAG.
Ssermany's Iron Chancellor and His
H0mely OrasOry.

Germany's Iron Chancellor and his
Homely Orasery.
| How HE LooEs AND ACTS WHEN Maxine HIS eRgA1
srHEcHEs-AwKwARD. Bot AwFULLY FoRcKFuL-
/ HIS HEAD NOT 80 LARGE A wAsNERs But II
WEARS THE BIGGEST HAT IN MEcKLRSBURG.
From the New York World. Feb H.
Europe held its breath one day during the past
| week IL had been announced that on Monday
| Prince Bismarck would, In mis- address to the
| reichstag. inform humanity whether the spring
time was to bring war or peace But we are about
| as wise now as We were a week ago respecting the
probability OF the future, and Lord Salisbury told
| great truth when he said In the British house Of
lords, on Thursday night, that "he would not pre-
tend to give fuller Information than was conveyed
1 In the recent mastery speech Of Prince Bis
marck-" The noble lord was presumably ironical.
The great benefit OF such speech Is that 1t gives
the soions OF the European political papers each
| chance 70 interpret the chancelors words In the
way that suits him best. what Prince Bismarck
wants now aad all the time is TO increase the mill.
tary strength OF Germany, so as TO be ready for
emergencies the most likely OF which Is the SIM
! Infamous attack OF Russia and France. To meet
| this ne can now place a million men on either
frontier, and after keeping Rurops on the tptoe Of
| expectancy for few days he Is happy. Tine
"drive US 10 defense The pike in France and
Russia compel us TO become carp"
Prince Bismarck is very fond OF using the most
4
There Is probably mistranslatfon Of the original
In the English rendering OF the above paragraph:
what ne said undoubtedly was: "France and
Russia are the pixies and, ;" interrOgatively, I'VE
shall be thu carp?"-a fish which, everyb body
knows furnishes q dainty meal for the voracious
pike In Germany the carp is cultivated 10 ponds
To very great extent. IL was In ancient Rome
looked upon rs the symbol OF fruItfulness. In q
nsh pounds In weight no less tnan 337, 600 eggs
100000 On the other hand, the pike Is the robber
OF European lakes and rivers the 'shark OF Inland
waters" IL Is with such simple, every-d Illus,
tratfons that Prince Bismarck loves TO 1nteriard
his great speeches and letters. In this regard no
man has tnade happier hitA In 1857 he sad: LET
US place Germany In the saddle. She will be able
TO ride wei enough" In all great speeches ap-
pealng for funds TO carry out the military defense
OF the country will be found many phrases that
German. IAN insuficienI preparation for de-
tense, he once said "brngs about Its own punish
ment" In 1860 he SAID: "a roof Is necessary 70
prevent tine rain coming In; dixie Is necessary 70
prevent foundations, and our army is necessary to
protect our productivity in Its whole extent. TO
SPAR The cost or taking precautions In time comes
Tue task OF taking down the princes speeches il
| not an easy One The Official stenograpners often
wherein the CORRECTION had to be made about his
reference 10 Russia and Bulgaria. The incorrect
version came from the unofficial accounts, and tue
correction from the prince HIMSELF The slen0g-
! raphers who take his worJs have afterward 70
write out their notes In l0nghanJ, and these are
submit ted to the chancellor who makes corrections
before they are puUlisheu the Official ulterancra
A member OF the Official stenograpnic corps OF the
reichstag, 10 writing OF Bismarck as q speaker,
says: ut Is not the speed with which he speaks
that m kes the reporters task Of taking down his
words an especially difficult one, for tnere are
switer takers than he, but Prince Bismarck
speaks at very unequal rate, and, as rule, IL Is
quickest at those very places which are most to
the point. Not unrreQuently, too, be Interrupts
himself with ihtermediate sentences and ne has
peculiar style OF his own, with quite unexpected
Iurus OF speech; In odd ton 10 wuich he Oilen
terweaves NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. In foreign lam
suage[wltn mis- T marks and occasionally, 10
ward the end vi a sentence, speaks so low as to
make h m dilficult to be understood at our desk,
although IL Is In the immediate vicinity or where
he stands And then the stenOgrapher cannot
altogether geI nd VI the feeling that he Is working
Vi r. the pressure OF the weight and importance
OF what he is taking down, as well as under the
consciousness that be Is preserving the words OF
the man AT whom ali Europe Is looking"
The "winged words" that have been taken from
Bismarck's speeches form goodly volume. which
may be found In all German bookstores. One
such, entitled "BiSinarck AnthOloyie," contains
many gems, and these are constantly being added
tons, some from his speccues, others from
his published dispatches lie is not orator. He
never speaks for spe,kin,'s sake. lie once de-
scTioed his Owu manner OF parliamentary speech:
Il have" he SAID, "already pointed out 10 You
that AIN No orator. i cannoL work upon your
feelings or render facts Ou,Iuie by playin- upon
woIds My speech Is simple and plain" Again.
he ouce said: "rhe gift or eloluence has dUue
great deal VI mischief In parliamentary lie.
Oratury Ii only a waste OF time The
strongest wrestler, even In the field OF oratory,
worsts the others. good speaker must
be something OF poet, and, therefore, cannot adj
here matnenaticaiiy TO the truth. E.o-
Quent speakers are like a good many gentlemen
with small feet who always wear shoes too small
But n not an orator the prince says things that
are worthy OF being remembered In any study Of
his Character and influence. few may here be
"My IDEAL Is Robert Bruce in the story OF the
spider, was steadfast In courage to do his best
Ior tine fatheriand In spite OF The gloomiest pros
"The great Questions Of the day are not settled
by speeches and the decisions OF maJorities-that
was the MISTAKE OF ls4S and ls49-but w Blood
and Iron" Qsd2l
zine longer labor in politics the less Is my be-
lief In human calculations" Qs64)
'Tt Is goo thin, that We Cannot change our
inolinat.ons with our shirts, seldom as we may do
'.Much harm can be done In q year and half,
but In 50 short time how little OF good can he ac
colnpiisned." Qs1L)
"a groscnen seelns like milton to the man who
has nothing and who on the moment cannot dis.
charge bis liabilities" QS7aI
a. never saw glove lying on the ground that
d'a aI not stoo opt 70 p.Ex IL UP
once sid 10 nis press secretary. "WriIe ike
potici.n and In politics it Is not ones object 10
anront people wnle automatically; even 10 de-
ciarlng war men sie Qui,e courteous"
"PoliLeness As Tar AS The last step VI the galows
but hanging for all that One can anJrd 10 be
they won't take 1t Ill How mucn sharper for In.
stance, Is one with ones own vile lnan with other
Bismarck as an orator has been compared to
Cromwell Though he makes no professions TO
icing speaker, yet his practice does not always
comport with Ills theories as Is SHOWN by the fact
that on Important OCCASIONS he holds the floor for
several hours at q time. On Monday last he SPOKE
for one hour and three-QuarterS Bismarck, now
ever, would In all PROBABILITY prove his consistency
by claiming that what he says Is not mere Idle
dA II Is more Interesting to watch Bi ,marck
vnen making one OF his great speeches than 10
listen 20 him. HIS words are far stronger and
make much more OF an impression In cold type
than when they fail from Ills lips. This shows
their inherent Iorce and weight. HIS delivery is
SLOW; he always uses the exact word he wants
and his facts are marshaled In clear and lucid
order. When he FIRST rises 10 speak great silence
falls upon the reichstag; not even whisper is
heard and the deputies OF all shades OF political
fearful lest they might lose a single syllable OF
what ne says. Bismarck has little or rhetorical
action. His motions are not GRACEFUL his voice "a
husky and unmusical, and some OF his sentences
are As long as tuoSe OF our own Evarts During
debate ne makes frequent notes In coarse scrawl-
he grows nervouA shifts In his seat pen sh axes
between bis fingers, and very often his h and goes
menacingiy 70 his sword-hilI, for Bismarck, wnile
he Is the nrst civil ocer In the empire, Is at the
same time general OF cavalry, ana always wears
his undress uniform In the recnstaQ.
When aroused bis ebulntions OF passion are
frequently terrible. His great frame quivers with
emotion, and his graz blue eyes hash fire as he
turns toward the benches OF has adversaries and
demands 70 know vino II was that Kissed hiln
Scenes Of this character however, are OF rare Oc-
currence Ia recent years. He Is merciless In re-
tort, unsparing Of persooA TO matter their age.
their personal services to himself TO the empire
He Possesses C.. ustic humor which he uses with
great effect master VI tnvective, his cuarseness
OF speech very often defeats his OWL object One
n Nxx-z