The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-30
PRUSSIA'S VOTING SYSTEM
A Property Qualification and Indirect
Suffrage its Basis.

Only a Small Percentage OF the EIeo-
tors Exercise Their Rights-The
Voting Population Divided Into
Three Classes The First Two Di-
visions With Less Than one-ffth the
Number of Voters Given Twice the
Power of the Third Divisional Clear
Case of Rule by the Minority.
Copyri GIFTED, 1893, by the Associated Press.
Berlin, Oct 29-On Tuesday, Oct 81,
the election of the Wahlmanner takes
place, who, n week later, elect the depu-
ties to the new lower house of the Prus-
sian diet. The fact that the electoral
system in Prussia is based on a property
qualification and indirect suffrage ac-
counts, undoubtedly, for the small inter-
est taken in these elections and for the
very low percentage of electors
that exercise their right of suffrage.
There is consequently an absence of the
excitement and electoral agitation which
usually characterizes the elections in
countries possessing a more liberal
electoral system. In word, the interest
taken in these elections as regards the
great ma aIority of the public is reduced
to q minimum.
PRussIA'5 ELECTORAL SYSTEM.
Before dealing with the salient features
of the present campaign and the views
eSpounded on current questions in the
address of the various parties, it may not
be embarrassing to give a brief sketch of
the Prussian electoral system, and the
strength of the three classes Of the
electoral system according to the electo-
raj law of May, lS49. The participation
of the electors in one of the
divisions is regulated by the
amount of direct taxes paid, one-third
of the total of the state taxes levied be-
ing deducted from each division. Ac-
cordingly the number of electors belong~
ing to the first division, which comprises
the heaviest tax payers is small. The
next following in amount are those in
cludng the second division. while the re-
mainder Of the electorate constitute the
third division Thus In lS40 on the in
PRODUCTION of the electoral law, the
electorate in Prussia numbered 3,255, ,103,
distributed as follows First division
1873, ,S0S second division 400, 045; third di-
vision 1851 $50,
RULE BY THE MINORITY.
1t will be seen from the above that the
1873, sos electors comprising the heayiesB
tax payers possessed the same political
power as the 1851 $50 in the third di-
vision composed of the poorer class Of
citizens, small peasants and workmen,
while the 400, 945 electors of the second or
middle division together with the first
division, constituted as much again of the
political power as the remainder Of the
electorate. In Berlin, for instance, the
number Of voters in the first division in
1885 was 1854, against ,673 in the third
aftTiufnft mi I "a anaiuaf Nor
cent This system, which Prince Bis
marck himself once described as the most
wretched ever devised, explains the small
participation of the electorate in these
elections.
VERY FEW BOTHER TO VOTE.
Thus from the very commencement of
this system the exercise of the franchise
has been extremely meager Even dur
ing the exciting political times of the '60s
the number Of electors that polled did not
exceed 80 or "a per cent Of the electorate,
while in 1888, on the occasion of the elec-
tiohs to the late diet, the estimated
number that exercised their right Of
vote is given at 10 per cent The
present strength of the electorate in
Berlin is put down at 247 Al, distributed
as follows: 5,529 Of the first division, 2S,-
232 of the second, and 313, 2S6 of the third,
while the total numberof "Wahlmanner''
to be elected for Berlin is 5,773. The city
is represented in the diet by nine depu-
ties Several attempts were made to in
troduce universal, equal, direct and secret
suffrage, on the model Of imperial suf-
frage, but failed. In February, the
freisinnige party brought in motion in
the Prussian diet to the above effect. The
motion, however, was defeated, the Fres-
sinnige and center parties only voting in
its favor.
@ECoND ATTEMPT MADE.
In the sessions of 1sS3-S4 and 18S5-S8,
the freisinnige party again introduced a
resolution for the use of secret ballots in
lieu of the existing vote by protocol. This
motion was likewise lost, owing to the
combined opposition it encountered from
the conservatives and national liberals.
1t is generally considered, however, that
the present system will have 10 be modi-
fed sooner or later. The recent debate in
the Bavarian diet on the reso-
luton presented by the social
democrats in favor of direct uni
versal suffrage was watched with
considerable interest in the country, and
although the failure Of the attempt was
regarded as a foregone conclusion, still
much disappointment at the result was
manifest In many quarters The legisla-
tive period of the lower house Of the
Prussian diet extends over five years.
The late diet, elected on Nov. 8, 1888, con-
sisted of 125 conservatives, 66 free con-
servatives, 9S center party, 81 national
liberals, % freisinnige party, IL Poles,
a - 4.