The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-16
CABLE NEWS FROM GERMANY
PRUssrA's MASSES BEGINNING TO
CL.4MOR FOR THE BALLOT.

TIE Governmeat Not Likely 10 IutroAuee .
Radical Rerors,-Iying Reports About
Emilia Pashs-The German Anti.siAvsry
Expedition to Lake Tauganytka-Fstty
Tyranny In the Arny-A New Novel sup-
pressed In Rasaia- Discovering Epilepsy
Bnciiii-Prospects that Emperor william
md Bismarck Wit - Reeoaeiiea.
Berlin. May 15.-The suffrage agitation In
Belgium has begun already to havo the appre-
henled effect upon the Prusslan masses.
Recent reforms In the fiscal system Of the
kingdom. to which the voting system has been
adapt I'd. have given tho agitators for reform
logical reasons for their demands, and all the
Liberal parties are inclined to believe that the
present mode Of electing deputies to the Land
tag is antauated and harmful. The system is
narrow and autocratic. the right to vote being
dependent upon the amount OF assessed
taxes in each case. and the electors being
% classified according to property quail
fcations that men Of modest incomes have
little or no power In elections. Tho working
men and petty traders practically are excluded
from the right OF suffrage. and consequently
only the plutocratic and aristocratic element
arc represented In tho Landtag. Thus It hap
pens that tho Social Dom ocrats. with their I'M
mense following in Berlin and the mining dis
trIcts OF Prussia, are unrepresented In the
Iowor House. and In this fact has lain ra-
tional cause for tho spreading with OBJECT OF
socialietic propaganda in the kingdom for the
last few years The success OF the popular
agitation against the cumbersome and unjust
rrussian system has been shown to an alarm
ing extent BY the increase OF the Radical and
Social Democra vote In the Reichstag cleo
tlons in which the suffrags Is practically uni
vorsnl.
The Liberal leaders say that the reform Is
necessary. not only because the political IA
voring OF wealth and aristocracy gives the
Social Democrats Il means OF constantly In
creasing their following. but also because the
experiment Of universal suffrage in imperial
elections has been SO benefcent that the
Government has no longer any plausible
reason for refusing to tryit in Prussia. They
also say that the rotten borough abuse has be-
come almost as prevalent in Prussia as It once
was In England. The distribution OF seats has
been unchanged for such long period that
now towns Of no size or importance possess
privileges OF returning members such as are
denied to great Industrial centres In Prussia.
Is elsewhere. small villages have been In
creased to large cities in recent times In con-
sequence Of the discoveries Of coal and iron
near them. and the shifting Of the location OF
the corresponding industries has entirely
C0an86Q Ln0 C0uuEeb OF TIC poOpAo ITO III eHo
Inst twenty years. All this has been ignored.
however. BY the Government. which has held
to the arlstocratic Misrepresentation Of its
subjects. thus giving the masses no opportu
nifty to mako known their wants in lawful form
in the Parliament but forcing them to strikes
and riots IS In the coal districts. or to peril
GUS demonstrations and revolutionary mani
festoes. as in the case OF Berlin's unemployed.
The Independents. represented by the Voss-
ischs Zeituno. Boersen- Courier. and Freistrni0e
Zsitlng. say that the condition OF affairs ts
worse than It was In England before tho re-
form OF 1882. and is uneQuslled for injustice
and potential danger anywhere except in Bel
GUM. where the reform is soon to be inaueu.
rated. and in Russia. whore reform and prog
ress are unknown. The Independents have
hold m ceilings and have circulated petitions In
the interest OF electoral reform IN all the
large Prussian cities recently. On Thursday
1t representative meeting In Berlin compre-
hensive resolutions on the subject were draft
cd and approved. and they will be laid before
the Landtsg shortly. Eugen Richter. leader Of
the Independents. will speak in defence Of
them.
Tho attitude OF the Government is doubtful.
despite tho semi official announcement Of the
Norideutsche Alloereine Zeit,,.o that the Gov
eminent will uphold the present electoral sys-
tenn against all attacks or proposals for re-
form. Count Botho gu Eulenburg. Prussian
Minister President. has conferred with the
Emperor twice within the last week regarding
the proposed change. and is said to have IA
vored slight concession to the reformers. The
Emperor expressed himself as willing to fol-
low such plan 30 far as 1t would not involve
the strengthening OF Social Democratic In
nuences on legislation. He thinks that the
right OF suffrage might we'll be extended to the
A. - e., - khao ,rk
Of taxes paid by them. while the Social Demo-
cratic Influence might be suppressed
BY q giving OF double votes to those
having certain property qualification.
The Emperor. however. has no sympathy
for proposals for abolishinG the rotten bor-
ough system by q redistribution OF seats. pre-
ferrine to increase the number Of deputies,
perhaps. from 1872 to 500. rather than to curtail
the privileges OF the historic constituencies.
The old Conservatives. who oppose any change
whatever. have the Emperors ear at present.
AMI are trying to Brighten him into inaction
BY conjurinG up the Socialistic spectre. They
are unlikely to prevail. nevertheless. because
tho Emperor is studying the matter closely.
anil Ia drawing much OF his information from
Liberal sources. Herr Miguel Is said to favor
the abolition OF tho class system. and the
Grand Duke OF Baden and the King OF Saxony.
whom the Emperor has asked for advice. have |
spoken for moderate CONCESSIONS The Free |
Conservatives recommend similar course to |
the Government. |
The acnteness OF the stage to which the cleo |
tornl reform issue has been pressed by the
Liberals and Radicals. is shown by the with |
drawal OF Count Won Klcist- zins from |
the Conservative party, on account OF his con. |
viction that change must come. The Con. |
servatives are trying hard to induce him to re- |
consider his resignation. but their success is |
doubtful. as tho Count. In common with the |
moro iar-sseing Conservatives, has been con, |
WINGED for the last three months that the reae. |
HonAry alliance OF the Krex Zcitung faction |
with Parson Stoeckers Jow ba.ters, had
rendered the party utterly hopeless for
men OF independence and progressive |
spirit Count Won kleist has been con.
spicuous In the Landtag for many
years and has long been Secretary OF tho |
Reichstag. He stands In the highest repute |
with oil parties. With Herr Won HelldorlI and