The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-24
The Second Ballotings Begun in Ger
many.


To-day throughout the greater part OF
Germany. and on Monday in Bavaria. there
will be in each district where there was
failure to elect on the first ballot second
and decisive contest between the two can
didates who received the highest num-
Der OF votes. or such districts. there are
IT'S, and in 1919 OF these. supporters and
opponents OF tho Army bill will be pitted
against each other. A considerable major
ity OF these constituencies might be carried
against the Government IL all the sections
of the Opposition would heartily cooperate.
This. however. will not take place. The
Socialists. indeed are willing to vote for any
antagonist OF the military projectin any dis
trict where they will have no candidate OF
their own on tho second balloting. But
neither the Clerical party nor the new Rad
ical Peoples party can be made to poll its
whole vote for a Socialist In any constituency
where the latter Is arrayed against sup
Porter OF the Government. In vain has
Herr RICHTER. exasperated at the failure OF
his party to return single candidate on
the first ballot, called upon his friends to
vote solidly for the Socialist nominee.
wherever they have no candidate OF their
Ii.
veteran scientist Prof. VIRCHow. who, next
to RICHTER himself. is the most eminent
member OF the Radical Peoples party.
VInCHow deems it Of far moro i'm
portance to check the growth OF So
cialism than to defeat the Army bill.
Similar differences OF opinion have been
revealed among the Clericals. Immediately
after the first balloting. DR.. LIEBER and
some other Ultramontane leaders issued
a circular urging all German Catho-
lies to support Socialists in those
districts where the final contest lay be-
tween the latter and partisans OF the
Government. This counsel proved so OBJ
noxious to an influential section of the
party that second circular was sent forth.
virtually disavowing the first. and proclaim
ing it to be the duty Of Catholics to oppose
Socialists under all circumstances. Such
being the attitude OF many Radicals and OF
many Clericals. the Socialists. on their part.
can hardly be expected to carry out with
unanimity and fervor their original pur-
pose Of upholding any candidate unfriendly
to the Army bill
On the whole, the prospects OF tho Gov
crnment seem somewhat brighter than they
did when the returns Of tho first ballOtings
were incomplete. 1t is still probable. how
ever, that the LIEBER Clercas will control
nearly hundred seats. But the Socialists
are no longer expected to elect more than
fifty members, and they will be lucky IL
they elect that number. Then. again.
although in the last Reichstag the Freisln-
nige party and the Peoples party could.
between them. muster seventy-eight votes.
the coalition between the Richterists
and the Peoples purity can scarcely hope
to command more than forty seats in the
next one. Crediting these three sections
Of the Opposition with the numbers men
toned. we should have total of 100 votes.
or eight short of majority. The needed
reinforcement could bc counted on from
Alsace- Lorrainers. Guelphs and Particular
lists. who. collectively. would cast at least
dozen votes against the Government.
Thus even admitting what is yet uncer-
tain, that the sixteen Poles would again
vote for the Army bill. and that Chancellor
CAPRIyI can reckon on all the members Of
the Reichstag except those here accounted
for. we must conclude that he would still
find himself in minority. On the other
hand, it is possible that neither the Cleri-
calls, Socialists, nor Radicals will carry quite
80 many seats as we have here conceded to
them in which event the Government may
secure slight preponierance. The fact
that. In any case. the forces arrayed on be-
half OF the Army bill and those against it
will be very closely matched makes tho
contest now going on In Germany unusually
exciting.