The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-06-15
TILE GERMAN ELECTIONS.

To.dov the election will he held in Ger
| many a, which the voters Of that country
| win expresl their views upon the famous
Army bin of the Emperor. and will EJECT
| Candidates to the Reichstag pledges for or
against that meas ire. thorough car-
vass Of the entire Empire has been MA lie.
and the 100000 German voters have
fully ad: up their minds over the bill,
and as TO how they will vote.
According 10 the latest adyiccs from
Berlin. the Government is b. no means
confident OF victory: in fact II is rather
anticipating defeat. IL is statai that the
confidence formerly felt by the Govern
ment that # would find a majority OF
the iew Reichstag ready TO accept
comprc mise army bill, has vanished
gradually before the apt roach OF the de-
csive day. and the official organs are
now speaking in a very uncertain tore,
ominous Of defeat.
There are two strong reasons given TO
show that the Government will be dis
appoi lted Of its hopes. One is the re-
cent speech OF Count Kalnoky, In which
he stated that the peace o. Europe was
thoroughly assured for some time TO
come. and the German people naturally
assume that If there is to be no war
there is no reason for them to be taxed
for an army on war footing. And they
have evidently become fully imbibed with
this idea. notwithstanding The assur-
ances Of the Emperor and Chancellor
Capriw that it is absolutely necessary for
Germany to have a trained army at least
equal in strength to that of France.
Another reason for the Government de-
preston over the result of to-day's cleo
ton is the increase OF the
Social Democratic membership in
the Reichstag. We read that
this party has completed its list
Of $50 candidates. and after canvassing
every one Of their possible constitution
cles carefully and closing an oratorical
campaign of unprecedented fervor and
sagacity. they now claim as sure for
them sixty seats. or twenty-four more |
than they held in the last Reichstag The !
more sanguine leaders place their esu"
mates as high as seventy. Final reports |
from all parts of the Empire concur in
justifying the correctness of the more !
conservative estimate"
SO 1t seems that the opponents Of the |
Army bill are as great, and probably
greater. than in the old Reichstag, and |
consequently there is every reason for
expecting a defeat Of the measure. In |
case Of such an outcome Of the election, |
the people are wondering whether the |
Emperor will carry out his threat, made |
I'm January. that he would dissolve every |
Reichstag that defeated the bill, and con- !
tinue TO order new elections until he sue |
ceeded in securing a Parliament after his |
own will. There has been a very ANNA
ted discussion as TO the constitutional |
right Of the Emperor to take such action. |
Prince Bismarck's organ, the Hamburger |
News, does not discuss the constitution
atty Of the Emperor's action, but strong |
~ urges that he viii refrain from carry !
ing out this threat, since if he insists |
upon forcing his own win in opposition |
10 that Of the people. he will institute a |
struggle between the Government and |
the people that will shake the stability |
Of the Empire both al homo and abroad" |
TAKEN altogether, the struggle in Ger !
many to-day involves so much Of interest |
TO the world that it will be anxiously |
watched, and its results eagerly looked |
for everywhere. If the Army bill is !
passed, quiet will be restored although !
there will be a vast deal Of the mutter- |
ings of discort tent heard on all sides: !
but if it is defeated, It looks as if the
Emperor had made up his mind to start |
struggle. which may lead to revolu-
ton.