The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-10-27

So much has been said about the German
army that / shall confne myself to two re-
suits Of the German military system. The first
is the degradation of women. The young men
all being in the army, the most severe bodily
labor devolves upon the females They pillow.
chop. and carry heavy burdens. They wear a
kind OF yoke made to fit around the neck and
rest upon their shoulders projecting about Is
inches on both sides. To each end of this yoke
| a cord is attached, to which are hooked boxes
baskets, or bales, which the poor creatures
have to carry, often for miles. / have seen
women bare legged, with their skiris tucked
up standing up to their knees in liquid man
ure and working a putsp; l have seen woman
with the straps crossed over her breast hitched up
| to a small, loaded wagon with two big dogs, the
woman having the short end Of the single tree
/ and the dogs the long end. What is worse, the
women are treated as slaves in their own fami-
| lies and made to do work which their husbands
will not do.
The other result touches the better classes
! Barons and Baronesses, Counts and Countesses
are as plentiful in Germany as blackberries in
southern Maryland You can well understand
| how this is when you remember that thirty
odd independent German States had been pro-
| ducing nobility for the past two three hum
| dred years. The army is the great receptacle
| aud asylum of the young nobility. They enter
| the army under-oficcrs.
{! Now, no officer in the army is allowed to
! marry unless he has sufficient private income
| to support family in manner becoming his
military rank. Not one in bulrred has such
| an income, aud they remain unmarried. They
| adopt the sygtem, without the name, Of the
morganatic marriage which prevails in the royal
| families; nor is such relation looked upon as
| at all discreditable.
| What becomes of the women OF this class
| must be a matter of con- lecture. They will not
marry outside OF their caste and cannot marry
in it. l have seen German women of noble
birth on the boards Of low variety theaters,
not necessarily for any improper purpose, but
to earn their livings.
it remains to mention the amusements of
the German people. Aud this is the most pleas
| ing and interesting feature of their life. To
| begin WITH there is none Of that reserve and
suspicion OF strangers which is characteristic of
| the English and Americans. | have seen q
gang of well-to-do cattle drovers, all strangers
to each other, after they had sold their stock at
| the yards, enter third-claSs railway car
| together, deposit their large linen bags filled
| with silver thalers under the seat, light their
| huge pipes, and soon become engaged in con-
versation about their business, their families.
and their private affairs. You would think
| they were the most intimate friends in the
| world.
! Sunday is the great day for amusement and
| TecTedtlOn. lEe observance OF sunday on the
| Continent of Europe by both Catholics aud
Protestants is totally different from its obse' ~
/ ance in the United States. The only obligation
recognized by the few who make pretcnsions
! to the religious life, is to abstain from all
manual labor, except such as may be absolutely
| necessary. Service in the churches is in the
morning.
The Lutheran profession prevails in north
| Germany, and is very simple-prayer by the
| PASTOR hymns, and preaching. 1t is identical
with the Lutheran and Presbyterian form in
! the United States. The men never go TO
! church, and but few women, and these belong
| to the relics of an age which has passed away.
Do you ask why9 1t is because the Church,
operated by the Government. has been de.
graded to branch OF the civi! service
| But this is a DEPRESSION. ! was going TO say
| that you would see pious ladies with their sew
! ing or knitting after they had returned from
| church. or that you would see them with their
f, children and grandchildren around them at the
| Sunday gardens.
On Sunday afternoons in The warm weather
| you can see thousands of both sexes and OF all
| ages. from the babies up 10 the totteripg old
! men and women, on foot aud in vehicles pour
| ing out of the city gates going to the various
resorts outside the walls. Little steamers, gayly
decorated and enlivened with music. swan IN OH
the river to carry the crowds to the different
| river resorts. Here is a merry and many col
| ored life. Music is heard Oh al! sides, long
lines Of dancers are winding in graceful move.