Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-22
WHAT LIBERALS THINK.
An Interview With Their Leader in Ger.
many Shows Hopeful Feeling.

In an interview yesterday respecting the
position Of the German liberals under the
new government DR.. Bamberger, the leader
Of that party in the reichstag, said: EN-
peror William II conceives his mission to be
not merely to reign but to govern This
was the belief of his grandfather. be-
fore him and it is very far from
proven that his father had q fundamentally
different idea of the functions Of the Prussian
monarchy. The Prussian constitution and the
constitution of the German empire leave the
prerogative an incOmparably wider field than
it occupies in the English system. Two views
Of these Recommendation both the constitutions
are written documents Of specific purport-
are held in Germany. The advanced
liberals regard them beginnings of a
constitutional development, from which in time
representative institutions may grow to their
full stature. Prince bismarck has declared that
he does not admit this construction and that
the constitution of the empire is a limit laid
down ard agreed upon by which the German
nation has said to the advancing tide
further William I is believed to have shared
this opinion, and it would seem to be held by
William II, judging by his speech at the din
ner given by the provincial diet OF Branden-
burg on Thursday, March g. The conservative
view is that the advanced liberals in
the position and powers Of the rep
resentative assembly are trying to strain the
terms of perpetual compact and covenant
This is the explanation Of Prince Bismarck's
great bitterness against the party which best
represents the principle Of liberalism in Ger
many, and this is the reason he described the
liberal leaders rs enemies.
THE VARIOUS PARTIES.
"Behind the liberals the anxious conserva-
tives see the social democrats, who, though on
all points Of doctrine at issue with the liberals,
are yet often in the Kaleidoscope shifting of
majorties found to vote on the same side. The
social democrats, moreover, are professedly
opposed to the existing constitution Of
society. Further to the left are found
the Poles and Alsatisns, who protest against
the empire in its present extent. The empero
appears to be, at least in regard to the mean
ing Of the constitution, on the conser vative
platform which includes all kinds Of con-
His speech ON March expressed the feelings
with which these parties regarded the sue
cess of the liberals and social democrats
at the poll polls No monarch in England
since the Tudors has had power comparable
70 that OF the German emperor and king Of
Prussia. The emperor, in the aforementioned
speech, referred to the Emperor William and
to the great elector. william gave the i'm
pulse to the social legislation which has been
the peculiar characteristic Of Germany in re-
cent years, anu IN tnlb OltecuOu tn0 grand
son will follow in his footsteps The great
elector represents very different achievements.
Prussian historians eulogize him a. the con-
solidator of the monarchy, in the sense that he
made Brandenburg, Prussia, and the Rhenish
duchies, a. far a. possible, into . single state.
The judicious American historian Of Prussia
Mr.. Tuttle, regards him with aversion
as the subvefter Of the ancient hber-
ties alike Of Brandenburg, Of east Prussia,
and Of the duchies. But he was the jealous
a. nAn
and commerce The emperoris intentions are
no doubt excellent But his recent declaration
that AL who oppose me I will crush makes it
more evident than any event which has since
tranapired that the liberals Of Germany have
NO easy part TO play. But they have not suf-
fersd sdysrsity without having gained expert
ence, and viii know how TO steer In difficult
6mea"