The morning call., 1893-05-11
FORCING THE ISSUE.

The young Emperor Of Germany seems
to be bent on having mis- own way. He
must inherit the pigheadedness of his
grandfather, without having learned by
experience, as that Emperor did, how real
a force revolution is. In his address to
his troops he said:
I have been seriously disappointed In the
PATRIOTISM OF tie late Relchstag. l hope that
the coming Re chslag Will adopt the military
bill. but, If II should refuse TO adopt 1t, am
determined to carry the bill into effect, despite
unpauiotc opposition. ] know myself 1 am
as oue with tie federated Princes and the
people.
Sentiments like these are no novelty
Language like this was used by Mahmud
II, 10y Charles l of England and by Charles
y Of France, and we know what it led to.
Appeals from people to soldiery ara very
ancient history, and they ultimately meet
with the same response. The intelligent
masses or the German people are the last
Of all races who will delegate to wearers
Of uniforms and epaulettes the duty of
deciding what is patriotism and what is
unpatriolism.
The present head of the family of Bran
denburg-H Ohenzoler is an anachronism.
He believes in the divine rights ofPrinces.
lie learned his politics from Metternicb,
whose plan for dealing with political mall
contents was to "shoot them with bullets"
Such person is out of place on modern
throne. The only question which puzzles
Germans is how to gel rid of him without
shedding blood. lie talks of carrying
his measures into effect despite unpatriotic
opposition" That means that he will dis
solve THE Reichstag and try to carry on
the Government without the assent of the
representatives of the people. That is
revolution. History tells us how it works.
What reason can the German Emperor
have for imagining that, in case he forces
an issue between himself on one side and
the German people on the other, the army
Will stand by himp Armies are not apt TO
fight against the people. Soldiers may
hesitate, but in the end they cast their lot
with their countrymen and against him
who proposes to be despot. A man does
not cease 10 be citizen because he dons
uniform.
An uneasy wriier, commenting on Will
liam's recent eccentricities at Rome, re-
wives the story that ne is no. right in his
mind. The suggestion opens wide field
OF inquiry. Most men are mad In some
spot or other, and kings are more liable to
the malady than common people. Will
liam's predecessors, Frederic William and
Frederick the Great, were undoubtedly
mad in many spots, and II they had been
private individuals would at times have
been watched by alienists. But thus far
the present Emperor has exhibited none
Of the symptoms which would warrant
the belief that he is irresponsible. He Is
simply an opinionaied, passionate, ungOv-
ernable young man. who has inherited the
arbitrary temper of the Brandenburgs,
and who has never learned that he must
bow to necessity like other men. he can
not school hmse to submit to the newt
able. Il drives him wild to be thwarted.
Those who have studied the slow, pa
tent, inexorable working of the German
mind Lave few fea rs OF the result. 1t Is
possible that the new elections in Ger
many may result in a majority Of support
ers OF thu Government. But it is not
likely 1t is more probable that the Lib
eral-SOcialist party will be strengthened.
II it is the policy inaugurated last week
will be pursued. Not only will the pro-
posed increase Of the army be rejected
again, but tie army appropriation bill VIII
be cut down so that some Of the existing
military organizations will have to be dis
banded. WIZ the Emperor then pursue the
revolutionary course which he threatens?
1t is hardly probable. There must be Off
GERS in high command who will tell him
that the army could not be relied upon to
execute an 18th Brumaire to satisfy his
passion