Omaha daily bee., 1892-11-06
IT WON HIM RESPECT
Kaiser Wilhclm's Wittenberg Sce,ch Very
FavOrably Received by All,
lUTHERANS AND CATHOLICS PLEASED
Frank Statement of the Emparor's Faith
Satisfies the Public in General.
ABOUT ITS REACTION ON POLITICS
What Effect Will the Speech Have on the
Members of the Reiohstag9
CAREFUL REVIEW OF THE SITUATION
Views of an Abio Representative of the
Government on the Chances for the
Army Bhl-Note on 1t
as Now Known.

Caolc-Special to TIE BEE The Luther
fetes at Wittenberg are over, but the i'm
preston which they have made will last and
deepen. | can still hear the silver trumpets
on the tower of the resuscitated Schloss-
kirche, and the voices of the people as they
Joined in the grand Lutheran hymns. The
celebration had an ea-nestness ana n
beauty which thOse who saw it will
not soon forget. 1t took US back to the times
when there were martyrs, saints ard heroes
wncn crecds were living facts and kings
were priests. An echo of those days rang
through the speech in which the emperor
proclaimed his faith. 1t was great, noble
speech, however much it may have cashod
with modern thought, and it was welcomed
by all parties and all sects with a res pect
that so far had not been vouchsafed to the
imperial utterances. The keynote to the
speech was liberation.
"Faith cannot be compelled" said tho
young monarch, and his words had n special
meaning when orthodox Lutherans were
clamorlng for the prosecution of Prof.
Harnach. ana while non-Catholics of all
Kinds were looking forward to an imperla!
charge against the pope.
Its Material Eject.
blscFetlOn may nave nau as mOch 10 DO
with composing the speech as Christian
charity, but the motive which LED the en-
peror to make it matters less than the broad
fact that he did make it. | DOUBT if
1t will take the course of poll
tics, however or induce the cen
trists to indorse the army bill
Electoral questions are largely tho rule in
such things and as most OF the centrists
faor n ,;lI loco bo;,
the crushing taxes which the chancellor con-
templates they will reflect not once or twice
but many times before they act.
An interesting commentary on the prob
able result OF the adoption of tho bill is sup
piled by some statistics, which have Just
been published. 1t seems that in the
first six months of 1892 1909 moro
failures were recorded in the empire than in
the corresponding period for the previous
year. high political authority, with
whom l had talk about tho army bill one
day this week, expressed the firm belief that
IN its present shape, at least, it would not
pass.
ut is not pos sible," said he, ''to give you
The exact figures with regard to the votes
which may be cast for or against the meas
ure in the Reichstag, If the vote
Is ever taken. High influences have
been working TO win over men
and parties to the government. Considera-
tiOns OF social kind, feelings OF personal
loyalty, old habits, obedience to the imperial
Will and fear of losing gronnd at court may
outweigh the political objection of many dep
uties to the bill.
Conservatives Coming Around,
"A change has como already in the atti-
tude OF one great party, which seemed hos
tile l mean the conservatives. Until the
recent publication of the details of the sCNeme
in the Cologne Gazette, this party had
opposed the chancellor, but as
the three years. service system in princi,le
is maintained IN the bill, although it may be
undermined in the practice, the mass of the
conservatives will probably support the
government The conservatives, the Poles
and few minor groups appear divided.
Tho social-democrats, great majority of
the progresssts, together with the southern
national liberals, seem resolutely hostile.
What the centrists. on whose course so
much depends, may do Is doubt
ful. Two OF their leaders, Herr
Won Hammerstein and Herr Maunfeufel,
have been converted, anu they will influence
other centrists. On certain terms many OF
these perhaps would vote with them, but
large number OF tho more liberal Catholics,
who have been alarmed at the moral defeat
of their party AZ the Kehlheim election, are
likely TO oppose the bill. The centrist
deputies, who believe that they couid count
on reelection TO the ReIchstag may support
the chancellor.
They Come High.