New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-19
RTSN4RCK'S RESIGNATION

| Germany anpears to be on the eve OF great
| c,isis-one indeed of which il is impossible to
foro,ol the issue. Prince Bismarck, seeing
that he is oyerrled by the Emperor on num-
her of points which he considers OF vital I'M
nortance. has rendered his resignation, which
has been defnitively accepted. Confident in
his political preScience, and unwilling TO be
associated in the disasters which they believe
10 be involved by the young monachs line
of policy the eX- Chancellor's colleagues both
in and out of the Cabinet have determined 10
follow him into retirement leaving the soVcf-
eien 10 face the situation alone. The gravity
of the latter may be estimated by the ominouS
announcement that a council not OF states
men, but of generals. was ordered TO meet at
tbe ImpeIial Palace Yesterday afternoon. The
only cause that can be assigned for this eX-
traordinary summons to what was practically
a council of war is to be found in the appre-
tensions which prevail at Berlin with regard
70 the attitude of the Southern German States
in the present difficulty. Not only the bundles
rath at Berlin, but also the Cabinets OF the
| Federal Governments are composed Oh men
| devoted TO Prince Bismarck men accustomed
to yield blind and implicit obedience to his
directions Even the Federal SoverciSnS, such
as the Kings of SaNony and WurtemburS. the
Prince Regent of Bavaria. and the orand
| Dukes of Baden. lIcssc, Weimar and Mcckien-
burg Schwern, are convinced of the necessity
of retaining the guiding hand of the cx-Chan-
ceTor at the helm of the Empire, and have al.
ready ON two memorable occasions during the
| last few wears brought their powerful influence
ia bear in behalf of his wishes, both on the
late and on the present Emperor. Every
thing in fact goes TO show that while they are
perfectly content to intrust their own interests
and those of their subjects to the practised
hands of the mighty architect OF the Empire,
they are reluctant TO extend the same conf
| dence to the impctuOuS and necessarily mex
perienced direction Of the young Emperor.
Various rumorS are current with regard TO the
| quarrel which has led 70 Prince Bismarck &
| resignation. It's aggravated character i. how
ever. apparent from the unanimlty with which
his example was followed by his colleagues
and principal adhcrcntS-a unanimity all the
more remarkable among German officials, whose
bureaucratic training teaches them TO Weld abb
soute submission i'll all things 10 the wishes
of the sovereign. II is possible that the dis
pute may have arisen in connection with the
demands Of the Centre party as the price for
|
give the Government a working majority in the
Rechstag. II may be- too, that the difference
! is due to the Princes wcl-knOwn objection
to the Empefors project of permitting the
workngmcn to have a voice in tho nomination
of the inspectors of factory legislation who are
now about TO be appointed. Moreover. II Is
no secret that strong divergence exists be-
tween the eX-Chancclor and his young master
with regard to the labor legislation proposed
at the International Conference now in session
at Berlin. Prince Bismarck > sentiments on
the subject are well known. For only three
years ago he publicly ridicplcd in the ReichS-
tag the very policy which the Emperor has
now naugurated in the matter.
While on the one hand il is impossible 10
remain Indifferent TO the disappearance from
political life of the all-powcrful statesman
whose will and predominating influence were
not limited TO Germany alone, but were more
or less directly felt in every country OF the
globe if must be admitted that radical change
in the entire internal policy Of Germany has
become urgently necessary. Since the war
with France. twenty years ago, the Imperial
Government has been engaged in two great
domestic struggles. the one against Catholicism
and the other against Socialism. Notwith-
standing the enormous forces at its command
and the ligorous-nay, even tyrannical-mcas-
urcs which it adopted in order to cruSh'ts op-
ponontS. il has been completely wOrstcd in each
case The most serious Of its two defeats is
that which has been inflicted al the recent cleo
tions bv the Socialists Not only did the prn-
cipa cities and manufacturing towns return
Socialists 10 represent them in the Rechstag,
but Socialist votes were given in rural dis
trictS where Socialism had not even been 50
much ~ suspected. II was the extent of new
ground covered even more than the number Of
the votes cast which gave importance 70 the
success Of the Reds THAI phase of it. how
ever, which specially concerned the Emperor
in connection with the elections was the man
Hesitation Of the extraordinary spread Of So
ciali,t doctrines in the army. The En-
peror who, whatever his other faults may be,
is thoroughly in sympathy with the army is
fully aware Of the fact that his troops have be-
come mprcgnatcd with these doctrines. lie
knows that if a popular rising were to take
place the soldiers in uniform could no longer
be implicitly depended upon TO obey orders to
fire upon the soldiers in citizens dress. And
realizing that all the attempts Of Prince Bis
marck, that postmaster Of political science
have been powcrless TO check the Socialist
propaganda, he has apparently determined to
effect a radical change in his attitude toward
the movement and in his method of govern
mcnt lie is resolved TO prOpitatc, and to
lead. if possible that force which the history
of Germany during the last ten years has shown
to be irresistible.
| WRONGS TO BE RIGHTED.