The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-08
The Kaiser in England.

Tho visit OF Kaiser WILLIAM II. to Queen
VICTORIA. his grandmother. happens to be
coincident with q political event which
should reveal to him the sole conditions Oh
which the institution Of monarchy can sur
vive the twentieth century. Prince BIS
! MARcK Is not more obnoxious to the young
ruler Of Germany than is Mr.. GLADSTONE
to tho English sovereign: yet tho latter
must smother her humiliation and resent
ment and meekly accept for her Prime
Minister the man who represents her poo
pies will. 81 non Z zero. ben trorato. the
reply ascribed to the Duke OF DEvONsHIRE
when the Queen said that she relied on him
to save her from the odious necessity Of
sending for tho veteran leader OF the Lib
erals. Your Majesty" the Duke is re-
ported to have said. has no alternative
but to call upon Mr.. GLADSTONE to form IL
Government or to abdicate the throne"
Kaiser WILLIAM may say that they order
things better in Berlin. and that. even IL
Prince BISMARCK should become the head
OF n majority in the Reichstag. he could
still be barred ont OF the post Of Chancellor
That is to say. although tho HoHENZoL-
| LERNS reign but do not govern in Prussia.
| yet In tho German empire they both reign
and govern. while in the non-German
constituent States their sole title to au-
thority Is the free consent Of princes and OF
peoples. What is the cause OF this anon
| ally? 1t is the less easily accounted for, be-
cause at the time when King WILLIAM
was crowned German Emperor ut Ner-
sailes. almost all the constituent States OF
tho new empire had. like Prussia. Constitu-
tinpc WING IN nripn iy,Io ~ OF
rial accountability to the popular branch Of
the Legislature. A large part OF tho
functions formerly pertaining to the Gov
ernments OF those Independent States were
by the Constitution Of the empire delegated
to federal Government. ono branch OF
| which was to DO u Relchstag. popular as
sembly elected by universal suffrage. and
whose assent was made Indispensable to
the making Of appropriations. If tho peo-
pie OF Bavaria. WIrtemberg, Baden. and
other States did not insist upon retaining
the same direct control over tho functions
delegated to the empire which they had
formerly possessed. by demanding that the
Chancellor of the empire should be respOn-
| sible to the Reichstag. it was because tho
| nations gratitude designated BISMARCK
| for the post. SO long AS lie occupied the
| Office it was not necessary to enforce tho
| principle Of Ministerial accountability. for.
whatever might be the uuctuutns attitude
OF Legislative maioritics. lie always had the
people at his back.
With BIsMARCK's dismissal from Office.
the question OF exactiEg the full rights Of
the German people in tho imperial Govern
mcnt. as well us in lOcul administrations.
ceased To be In ab0yance. and is now ccr-
tain to be vigorously urged. Gen. YoN
CAphIVI tho successor Of BISMARCK In tho
post OF Chancellor. has. outside OF Prussia.
scarcely friend among the States compos-
Ing tho German Confederation; and even in
the Prussian Landtag it Is doubtful IL, wero
he out OF Office. he could muster q dozen
followers. For such n man. who Is avow-
cdiy nothing but the tool and lnouthpiece
Of his imperial master. to refuse to hold
himself accountable to the German people
represented In the Rcichstag. Is grcvous
wrong to tho non-Prussian Stlics, which
never intended tosacriflcc to national unity
their hurd-won parliamentary liberties, or
tn cothe the HoHENZoLLEGNs with an
absolutism outside OF Prussia which they
did not exercise In their hereditary domin-
ions. AS things are. u citizcn OF Bavaria
| 10 mucu lcSS u IrcsIlau tlthu ne was before
1910, for he can no longer exert through his
delegates to The Munich legislature u con-
troll over the most momontous and vital
functions OF the State. He would have no
cause for regret. nor would any disability
be imposed upon him. II he could still exer-
else tho same influence on the same func-
tons now delegated 70 the Rechstag or
Federal Assembly, But the power TO dcslg-
nate and turn out Ministries. which he
possessed in Munich Is withheld from him in
Berlin, aud it 10 only question of time
when vehement protests will be heard from
ali parts OF the empire against tho attempt
of appointees OF the Emperor to govern Ia
defiance OF the will OF the popular Assem-
bly,. The eyes OF Germans were not opened
to the virtual coniiscation of their liberties
while the irresponsible Chancellor was Bis
MARCK. whom they revered and loved. Now,
however. that smaller men have seized the
staff OF arbitrary authority. which has been
wrested from the veterans hands. II can
only DO question of short time when
WILLIAM ii. will be reminded that he is not
Emperor by the grace Of GOD. or conquest
but that his claim to rule In Germany. out,
side of Prussia. rests, like Queen VIoTo