The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-15
SATURDAY, Is

him after be had made his great speech OF de-
tense that his fate was sure and that he must
hee Bueher read the warning note, then tucked
a roll OF legal papers, as ii for immediate pc
tusaI, under his arm, aud apparently much ex-
hausted by his address he sauntered bare
headed into the garden adjoining the court
Rouse. AT the gate he jumped into cab, and
that was the last seen OF Bucher the Red in Ber-
lin for some time. He found refuge in Lon
don, whence he corresponded with the National
Gazette. Then Bismarck became secretary of
state and began his grand game in grand style
After the war OF 1866 the exiles Of the stormy
days IN the former decade began to return by
scores. and among them was Bucher the Red
The powerful hand received him with
a warm grasp OF welcome ghe revo-
lutionary. the fugitive, the friend of
Ferdinand Lassalle, the sometime traitor,
Lothar Bucher, was invited TO enter the
foreign office, under the leader OF ultra patriots
and ultra absolutists, Prince Bismarck. Just
why the powerful hand did this astounding
thing has never been known, but that it did
Wisely has been shown by huNireds OF events
down to this very month. Silently. mysteri-
ously, Lothar Bucher disappeared below the
stormy surface of affairs in the foreign Office
What he did, none save him and Bismarck
knew, but he was always at the princes side.
and before every great move in the diplomatic
or political field Bueher and Bismarck passed
many hours together in secret consultation. OF
All men IN Gcrmany, the sometime traitor was
the favorite OF the man OF iron. When Bis
marck retired to Varzin to ''lay his great dip
lomatic egg," as the Germans say, shortly be-
fore the Franco Prussian war, Bucher was with
him. When Bismarck went to the front,
Bucher went with him. When Bismarck
sat before Paris, Bucher sat with
him. When Bismarck returned with his
laurel wreath to Berlin, and settled down in the
Wilhelmstrasse palace to make fast and firm the
work of his hands, Bucher returned and set
tied down and worked with him. He wrote
out for the chancellor his great state papers;
he was his counsellor before every radical
move. The "reptile press" WAS his child.
lie was the one who used the ''white paper"
which Bismarck once said government
must hold at its disposal in the daily press"
His was the hand that directed the
course OF the notorious "reptile fund" through
the great army OF "official" and ''semi Off
eial' German editors whom the chancellor
drew 10 his aid. Lothar Buchers was the
tongue that first suggested TO Prince Bismarck
the paciication OF Social Democrats by means
OF the workingmen's insurance laws, aud
Lothar Bucher's was the pen that drew up the
first paragraphs OF the reform laws, which con-
stitute the most remarkable bit OF legislation in
Germany during the last fifteen years, and en-
body the spirit of the reform movement led now
by Emperor William III. Thus year in and year
out Bucher thought and worked aud served
literally within reach of Bismarck's right hand
lie slept but six hours a'night, and all his wax
ing time was devoted to the chan ceior. lie
did not even pause to marry. He wasted few
minutes in conversation with any save his
chief. The latter once said of him: "He is the
most reserved and taeturn man on Gods EARTH
Compared with him the grave is a gossi ping
old auntie." His eloquence, his fame. his
fire were all buried safely out of sight in the
depths of Bismarck's great foreign Office.
Slowly, very slowly, he climbed the ladder of
inofensive hOnors, becoming councillor"
'privy councillor" and "real privy councillor
and the like more. But his great ambition to
become foreign ambassador was kept ever just
beyond his reach. His fine yellow hair grew
gray and his glowing eyes were dulled with
spectaeles. His alert, slender, erect figure
was bowed. and the gout put a hitch and
a halt into his once even step. His fresh,
keen face was yellowed and wrinkled in the
reflection of the massive tones and parch-
ments of the foreign office; yet the reward of
the faithful servant still withheld. As
Count Herbert Bismarck matured and was
placed in the diplomatic school, as the foreign
office grew larger and stronger, Bucher saw
mauy pass him whom he first had taught to
walk in the diplomatic way. Count Hatzeldt
and Herbert Bismarck, each his pupil, became
successfully secretary of state, but not foreign
mission was found a consolation for the old
mans chagrin. Then Herbert Bismarck gradu-
ally superseded him as the chancellor's favorite,
and old Bucher understood that his day was
done. He resigned voluntarily, and the chan
cellor in accepting his resignation said: "Dear
Bucher, l let you go only on the condition that
you promise me to return as sooa as need
you;" and old Bucher replied: "When you
need me and call me, your exceiiency, certainly
/ will come To his chief in exile Lothar
Bucher was still faithful, and the visitor at
Friedrichsruhe saw his quaint, shrunken little
figure occasion ally the edge OF the sofa in
Bismarck's reception room. He sat there 81
lent, listening attentively to all that was said,
and strokng slowly aud caressingly one hand
with the other. The memoirs of Bismarck,
which he above all Others was qualified to co m
pile and edit, may perpetuate his name as
second and greater Boswell, and the little circle
in Berlin who know his remarkable personality
prophesy this. 1t is not likely that Bismarck
will long survive his faithful adviser. He an
nounced his death thus: 81 have lost my most
faithful friend, Bucher. My family is DESC
late."l
An Oregon Pioneer Dead.