The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-28
GOSSIP FROM EUROPE
German Emperor Responsible
for the New Treaties.
BRITISH POLITICS EXCITING.
collars and CUFFS" and Goschen MAY
wreck Tories-Pauperism . Natur- :
nj Condition of Age In England.
London Letter to New York Times.

1oAueo 10 curious world by the pariia-
ments at Berlin and Paris tempt one to
feel that after all there is something to be
SAID Tor despotism. OF course, one must
admit the qualification that it all depends
on the despot. Germany owed her en-
siaVement IN the manacles of protection
10 one; she owes her very considerable
emancipation from those chains now to
another. Although Caprivi is amiably
thrust forward TO receive credit for the
ne" tariff legislation, and has for his
CHRISTMAS present a hereditary title equal
IN grade TO that which was given to Moltke
as conspicuous reward for services of the
hrst magnitude, no one thinks of him as
primary responsible for this remarkable
economic revolution. 1t is everywhere
felt that he, Miguel, and the other able men
now grouped around the Prussian throne
are, In fact, as well as normally, the
agents and interpreters of the imperial
VIII. Ii William were not himself free
trader by conviction, nothing of all this
would have happened.
No one who is interested in the many
sided problem of government can fail TO
ind subject for reflection in the whole
economic history of Williams brief reign.
When the great coal mine strike was on,
threatening serious consequences to the
empire and causing widespread disaster,
William called the mine-owners together
and practically bullied them into coming
to terms with their workmen in the in
terest of the general good. They grumbled
good deal, but submitted, with results
which on all sides are now admitted
to be excellent. The emperor has
dealt with the tariff question in
just the same way. Having decided
that the broad interests of the whole en-
pre demanded big and comprehensive
scaling down of duties, officials were set
TO work to examine the question in detail
and prepare new schedules. When these
were ready and revised they were pre-
scented to the reichstag in the form of a
bill. As We in America may easily mag
inc, tremendous howl was raised by the
manufacturers, whose immunity from
competition was menaced, and by the big
land owners, who feared the prospect of
cheapened breadstuffs; but these persons
were politely but firmly told that they
constituted only very small minority of
the entire population; that they already
had long enjoyed special favoritism by
law, and that their mercenary self shness
could no longer be allowed to stand in the
way of the popular interests.
Curiously enough this blunt admonition
filled the German public with en- thusiastic
delight, evidences of which were so I'M
mistakably overwhelming that the oppo-
sition almost wholly collapsed. Such crit
icism of the bill as was ventured upon was
kept to generalizations. No spokesman
for protection advanced as an argument a
plea that he or his business associates
would make less money under the proposed
legislation, because if he had done so the
chancellor would have held him up to pub
lie scorn as a lawmaker who preferred his
own interests to those of the public. The
result Is that the reichstag passed the bill
enforcing the new commercial treaties by
243 to 48.
1t is familiar thought that no other
people get so much excitement out of poll
ties for their money as the English. Added
to all other uncertainties. which give poll
tics here distinct sporting interest, there
is a delightful element OF chance in the
very date of elections. During the past
fortnight or SO the country Tory members
have been fairly besieging the party whips
in an effort to learn whether dissolution
may be expected in the spring or STAYED off
till late in the autumn. This question is
of burning interest TO them. because on 1t
hangs their renting their town houses for
the season or not. Although Lady Sails
bury, while recently in Paris, told the
secretary OF the embassy there that the
dissolution would be in March, the gem
eral theory prevails that it will not come
before November.
Unforeseen accidents, of course, may pre-
cipitate il at any time Notwithstanding
the magnitude of the majority still re-
naming 10 the government in the COM
mons, IL Is clear enough that there are
rocky times ahead 1t does not matter so
much, perhaps, that a good deal of in
diyidual restlVeuess Is manifesting itself
in the Tory ranks. Party discipline can
always take care of that when the strain
comes. but if. as have said. the
intehtion exists to ask parliament
for a grant for collars and Cuffs"
on the occasion of his marriage, there
will be fight which will tax all the ener-
gies of the ministry and very probably
throw il out of power. 1t Is only two
years since parliment rearranged the
whole financial estate Of the Prince of
Wales family on basis which should re-
main unchanged till six months after the
close of the present reign. This was ex-
plicitly stated, and on this understanding
Mr. Gladstone. with few Liberals and all
the Irish members but two, gave the min
istry a comfortable majority.
Now the situation Is much altered. Pos
sibly Mr.. Gladstone's great sense Of loyalty
to the ruling house would influence him
personally to vote for even another grant,
but il is certain that he neither would nor
could take the Liberals with him, and of
course. the whole patriot Irish party would
go with Mr.. Morley and Sir William Har-
court into the opposition lobby. The
Tories have never marshaled more than
l3tvotes IA favor of any royal grant. Their
L 10 in "a n M afr
of that than of any other possible question
at this time. II would certainly be resisted
by 20 Radicals and the Irish. This COM
IlutatlOn excites deep nervousness among
the Tories and Cnionists whose seats are
doubtful and they are striving through the
party press 10 discourage the idea OF
grant. but Lord Salisbury is "a haruitrary
gent" and il would be quite like him 70
attempt 10 bully the commons into doing
his viii.
He is described, moreover. rs being very
surly over the Illuminating mess Mr..
Goshen has made OF the -pound-note
project. Thus scheme, which seemed for
the time likely 10 escape severe criticism.
has lost ground with the financial world
steadily, until now il Is admitted that il
must be abandoned. Moreover, II has be-
come clear that the Liberals are going 20
make a heavy concerted attack on Mr..
Goschen's whole financial policy, including
his fiirtatlons with the silver siren, and be
stands bombardment badly.
For some reason or other-perhaps the
had times. perhaps the unpleasant scandals
about hospital mismanagement-the Lon
don hospitals this year got S3$0.0o less
from the pubic subscriptions than last. A
possible alternative explanation is that so
many people contributed u General
Booths fund . year ago. The bulky book
published by him 10 report on his work has
not met with a very kindly reception from
tho n-e.S. which talks IS # il had exnected