New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-13
A MEDIAEVAL RELIC.
FEUDALISM IN NIECKLENBUIsG THREATENED
WITH EXTINCTION.
Berlin, August %.

may fight of death for some time, there Is NIUE
hope that he will ever be able to concern himself
actively with the affairs of his province. Ills
disease, according TO the physicians, is ncuraoie
Partial paralysis hes already afflicted him, and
his bodily condition is so wretched that his mlnd
at times is afflicted. As he is little more than
forty years old, his fate is a sad one. The COM
plications, however, that may arise from his
death have forced politicians and patriots to waste
little sympathy on the NSng Grand Duke, whose
heir is not yet in his teens. From an Imperial
point Of view, he merits little sympathy. Al
though blood-relation Of the young
Kaiser, he hates and despises him. He
belittles his successes; he opposes his
plans. he liberal and socialstic tendencies Of
the Emperor I'LL him with CONSERVATION He
bemoans the future of the State. Bismarck alone,
with his autocratc character, was man after
the Grand Dukes own heart. His resignation
was personal blow.
Economists and statesmen, however, think that
the time has come for a radical change in the
internal conditions of Mecklenburg. The death
of the Grand Duke will doubtless result in re-
forms entirely impossible under his sway. The
future regency has already been the subject Of
discussion and consideration in Mecklenburg and
Berlin. It's establishment is only a question Of
time
Inc position OF the Gr9nu Duchy Is unique.
The widespread liberal movements Of this century
have had little effect upon it, 1t stands still in
the gloom of the middle ages. 1t is the only
State III Germany lacking constitution Politi
cally it is little beyond England in the days
preceding the grant of the Magma Charta. 1t is
true that in the revolutionary days of 40 and 40,
so important IN the political development Of Ger
many, the people did compel the Grand Duke to
accept constitution granting National Parlia-
ment. The Mecklenburg barons however, who
still look cown upon their colleagues in other
States, were stronger than the people, They APP
pealed 60 the Bundestag and Austria and Prussia,
who acted as arbers decided to restore the status
in quo ante, and Meclslenburg SINK again into the
feudal state. Since those days il has changed.
The so-called Landtag, or LEGISLATURE, to-day is
made up of 700 landed proprietorS, as representa-
tives of the Rittershaft aristocracy, and forty
two BurgOmasters as the representatives of the
cities The country outside of the baronial es
tates, the so-called "domanium, with more than
300, 900 inhabitants, is entirely without the right
of representation. The people, in fact, sub
ject to almost absolute rule. The landed proprie-
tors and the cities concern themselves with their
own affairs ald care nothing for the interests Of
the 300 900. The Grand Duke conducts the gen.
eral affairs of the State and pays expenses from
the taxes somewhat arbitrarily raised
The German Reichstag has endeavored at vari-
ous times to pass the lihera and progressive meas
ure requiring " in every Federal State represent
tatiOn of the people, secured by votes, whose affirm
alton shall be necessary 10 every State law and
the determination of the State budget" The mo-
ton was introduced again at the last Rechstag,
but lack of time compelled the members to post
pone its consideration.
Modest and bashful attempts to step out of the
feudal condition have been made also in
Meek enburg, but they have been made in
vain. The burgomasters in the Landtag of the
Grand Duchy favored the proposal Of the Imperial
Government to abolish the tterschaft-compOsed
of the landed proprietors-and the Landschsft,
composed of the representatives of the cities but
the baronial landed proprietors objected to the
enrichment Of their hereditary right and privi-
leges. An ultramontane aristocrat in opposing
the proposition, pretended even to forget the
title of the German Emperor, and moved that the
noblemen prevent the Imperial Government from
interfering with Mecklenburg affairs. This par
ticularistic application OF the Monroe Doctrine
was adopted with gee.
German politicians declare that only extreme
conditions could induce the Reichstag to concern
itself with the internal affairs of Meckenburg and
break the power of the insoent barons. They be-
lieve however that these conditions now exist and
of the Empire. They point to the fact that the
social democrats, owing TO the widespread dis
satisfaction among the people, have made greater
gains in MecSlenburg than in any other other
State in the Empire. At the last election they
were able to tie" four out of the seven ReChstag
districts They declare also that the intimate
financial relations existing between the Empire
and it's parts, resulting from the law requiring the
presentation Of the surplus of certain Imperial
taxes to the General Government at Berlin, renders
the feudal financial system of Meckenburg I'M
tenGLie If the Court of Schwcrin, writes
well-lnown jurist, objects TO being forced, even
in way that would AFFECT the stubborn
barons rather than the Government, there
is simple solution of the difficulty
caused by the presence of the ancient Landtag
1t is only necessary TO Overtun the unfortunate
decision which abolished the constitution of 40.
If the Grand Duke appeals to the decision of
Freenwalde," the decision of Austria and Prussia,
that decision will not stand No German court
would admit the legality of the decision of such
an arbitrary judicial body to-day The constitu-
ton of 40 could then again hold sway. The
clever and educated representatives, Of people
would then grant the Grand D>1e all the con-
srvative assurances necessary. From the point
Of view of the present times, il is absolutely
necessary to Overturn the FTeienwald decision.
Possibly a change on the throne OF
Mecklenburg would present the best opportunity
to accomplish that end
Public opinion in Germany has been long IN
favor of a reformation of the internal conditions
of the Grand Duchy The Reichstag favors 1t,
and the Bundestag expressed the hope fifteen
years ago that the Grand Ducal Government
would succeed, with the aid Of the Landtag, IN
making a change in the constitution But the
hope has remained unfulGlled. In the address
made upon the celebration of the twenty-hfth
acknowledgements even declared that it was
the common duty OF both Princes to preserve
the ancient and approved constitution
But one OF those Princes lies to-day at the
point Of death. and the people are beginning to
feel that the preservation of such state oil affairs
on the threshold of the twentieth century Is
absurd, shameful and wrong. The question IL q
burning one i'm Germany It's solution is probably
I-,e nrnud and ,yeaIthr harnns NAV noaslhLN