The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-25
HARD TIMES In GERMANY
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING IN BERLIN
VERY DULL.


BERLIN, Dec. 24.-The stagnstion in bus
iness here and the wet and sloppy weather
that has prevailed have tended to make the
week preceding Christmas, usually charac-
terized by hustle in business affairs, about
the dullest within the memory Of the Oldest
resident. To-day was the brightest day of
the week. and there was a slight frost
The sunshine and a bracing atmosphere
brought out crowds of sightseers, who
througed the streets gazing at the displays,
but buying little. According TO the shop
keepers their holiday sales were never be.
fore 80 small. The curse Of hard times pre-
walls every where. The Weather GLASSES
appear to be affected by the depression, and
where heretofore they have spent money
freely in Christmas gifts this year they have
made only limited purchases.
THE MIDDLE CLASSES BUYING sCANTILY
The people of the middle Glasses - are
usually the best of customers this
generally festive period, hev 5only
cheap trifles, and workingr- little or
no money are obliged to limit -. indul-
gence in Christmas cheer. 1t is often sus-
pected that the complaints of the shop
keepers about the bad condition of trade are
not genuine, but this year such complaints are
known to be sadly true The outlook for
Improvement in any branch of trade is ex-
ceedingly gloomy. Commercial and f1nan-
cial circles alike take a pescimistic view Of
the situation, aud croakers who at one time
would have received scant attention, are
now listened to as though they were
oracles.
TIMIDITY ON THE BOURsE.
Operators on bourse have lost their usual
daring and Eow enter into speculations
with timidity that Is foreign to their nat
ure. The bourse transactions are over
shedowed by fears of political CONFUSION i'll
France and disturbed by the condition Of
Tnfr
army bill Projects Of taxation, es-
pecially the one regarding banking and
stock transactions form another element of
suspense. Some financiers hold that the
stfect of these projects will be ruinous,
while others form a milder estimate of the
result. There is nobody, however, but who
calculates that these projects will have an
influence to prevent Improvement in the
business situation.
SOCIALIST COMMENTS.
Socialist papers have seized upon the oc-
casion to comment upon the misery that is
prevailing among the working classes. The
VertUdjts publishes "a Christmas article. in
which it expatates upon the frightful suf-
ferlngs of the poor throughout Germany.
The paper says that while there Is plenty of
carefully nourished game in the forests and
in the domains of the aristocrats, working
men are allowed to die of hunger. Though
the article is written in the Gus
uomary y style Of socialist exaggeration,
it has large basis of fact. While charity is
abundant it is badly organized and relief
does not reach the mass of the sufferers.
Prominent among those who are working
TO alleviate the misery OF the poor is En-
press Frederick. mother of Emperor
William. Every day throughout the week
she has been engaged in some work OF
kindness. Yesterday she spent several
hours at the Friederich's Hall hospital. She
presided at distribution of Christmas
presents, of which she was a large contrib
utor. In the children's ward she went TO
every cot aud gave TO each occupant some
plaything and a red riding hood cloak,
most of which were sent through the lega-
tion to the children by the American ladies
here.
To-day a splendid array of Christmas
trees have been lighted at the palace at
Potsdam, but the young princes will not be
allowed to touch the ornaments or dainties,
all OF which will be sent TO cheer children
In the different hospitals.
THE REAPPEARANCE OF CHOLERA.
The REAP pearanoe of cholera st Hamburg
has caused the authorities to order a re-
newal Of the precautions heretofore taken
to check the spread of the disease. The
emperor has directed that regular daily re-
| ports regarding the disease be sent to him.
The recent mild weather and extraordinary
low water in the Elbe are believed to have
assisted in the present out break. A
discussion held by the German Hygienic
Society on the subject OF cholera elected
the concurrent opinion from the experts
that there will be another outbreak of the
disease in the spring.
Advices from st. Petersburg say that the
Russian government has summoned a con~
gress of 300 doctors, of whom 1856 are from
cholera infested districts. The congress will
sit for eight days and will prepare report
On the measures to be adopted to meet the
expected recurrence OF the epidemic in
Russian dominiona
THE ANTI-JEwISH AGITATION.
The friesinnige papers continue to be
honorably distinguished by their efforts to
restrain the judenhetZe. Besides Herr
Krupp's offer In 1868 to supply Napoleon
with cannon it has been discovered that
Schering's chemical factory in Berlin sup
Piled the French government in 1885 with
large quantities of pfcric acid, which was
used In the Tpanufacture of melInite. Herr
Holz, member of the Reichstag and director
OF the works. toh Prince Bismarck that
France was ordering pieric acid. .whereuDon
Frince Bismarck said: go on and take
all the money you possibly can out of the
French" Despite that knowledge, how
ever, Conservative and Catholic papers do
not ebate their melting Of the people against
the Jews, basing their articles almost
entirely upon the fact shat Herr
admits that be offered through
Gen. Boulsnger then minister Of war of
France, to supply France with the plant
necessary to manufacture Lebel rifles. The
Retchsbote, In one of its articles iu favor OF
Jew batting, congratuates the nation upon
the awakening sentiment that
ding that the country viii never
again close its eyes to the dangers Of Jewish
influence.
The Staatsburger zettung recalling
the saying Of the King Of Prussia
IN regard to Meyerbeers opera
The Huguenots" where Catholics
and Protestants cut each others throats
while the jew supplies the music" adds
That war is near IN which the people OF
Europe will massacre each other, Jews
supplying the arms. This stuff, to use an
lneiegant phrase, helps to keep popular
prejudice infiamed.
THE ARMY BILL.
Chancellor Won Caprivl's organs reiterate
mat the army bill must be passed intact, or
Ine Reichstag will be dissolved. This
menace is the strongest weapon Of the gov"
erhment. Many members Of the Reichstag
are quaking at the prospects of a general