Los Angeles herald., 1892-02-29
THE UPHEAvAL IN BERLIN.

The disturbances in Germany are
proving to be OF great gravity. Il is 4 Q
trifing matter when great masses of peo-
pie assemble in the streets crying for
bread. Lord Macauley, in letter to
Mr.. Randall, who had sent him his ad-
mirable life of Thomas Jefferson, said
that the crucial test of our institutions
would come when the people asse mbled
In the streets OF New York crying for
bread or blood. We presume that t he
strain is equally great-perhaps it is
greater-in a monarchical system of
government. These bread riots, which
are ramifying all through Germany, at
least prove that there is great distress
in that country. They appear to have
been largely participated in by work
ingmen and to have grown out of a per-
emptory refusal of the burgomaster of
Berlin, Herr Forkenbeck, to present
their complaints and demands to the
emperor. The general dissatisfaction
has been intensified by the speeches Of
the young emperor at the Brandenburg
banquet. William II. seems to avail
himself of every occasion to foment dis
content with his rule. Last year
he announced that he would grind
his enemies to powder. At the Brand
enburg banquet, the other day, he said
that all who were discontented with the
course of affairs in Germany would do
well to emlgrate. This naughty young
ruler disdains to pour oil on the troubled
waters. In this respect he shows great
disregard of the tactics of Frederick the
Great in managing his people. That pol
itic ruler, and sagacious and invincible
warrior, never sought any unnecessary
friction. On the contrary, be avoided it
with particular pains. He was once rid
ing, accompanied by an aid, in the en-
yirons of Berlin, when they encountered
seditious placard, posted on dead
wall. The oficious aid de camp dis
mounted and proceeded to tear down the
offensive pronunciamiento. "Stay," said
Frederick, 'slet the placard alone. My
people and | have entered into tacit
agreement. They are to say what they
please and am to do what please"
The Emperor William referred in his
speech to the battle of Rosbach.
He would do we'll to initiate
the practices of the victor in that
memorable struggle. The downright
and repeated announcement of absolut.
list principles in a country which has
adopted a constitutional form of govern
ment can certainly not be product i've oi
= auspicious results.
1t is hardly warrantable to assume
that the German people have reached
the point of revolution. For ages the
character of the mighty German race
has been self-contained and deliberate.
But there must be some reminiscence OF
the Germany of 184S. II William III.
had appeared. at the windows of bis
palace and sympathized with the mob
in q few well chosen words, and had or
dered the construction OF works of pub
lie utility, to employ the starving poor,
he would have converted the enaeute in
his capital into personal ovation. If,
in addition, he would utter few SEN
himself as constitutional ruler, instead
of offending the susceptibilities of the
Germans by his constant iteration of the
right divine of kings, the discomfort at
present existing in Germany would
shortly disappear. AS it is, it is hard to
say to just what extent it pene-
trates into the body polite. The con-
ditions may not exist in Germany
for a revolution as sweeping and wide
spread and disastrous as that of the
French ebullition of 1888, but it is har6
to gauge the depth or significance OF
such movements. Two things are ap-
parent, and that is that Berlin has been
agitated from her center to her circum-
ference, and that an appalling degree of
destitution has been discovered amongst
the German masses. Whether such cir
cumsfances can lead to outright revolu-
fion, and q subversion OF the existing
order of things in the Fatherland, re-
mains to be seen.