The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-05-19
DON'T SCARE
How the German People are Prerar-
ing to Defeat Williams
Big Army scheme.
The official Press Nmnly Tries to
Scare Them with the
French Bu%-a-iI0o.

BERLIN, May l3.-The first week Of the
electoral struggle ends without any of
the parties knowing where they stand,
and without any Of them having any
thing like reliable data from which to
forecast the result of the contest for
members of the reichstag. Leaders of
the social democracy alone seem to re-
tain a thorough grip upon their organ
%ization. They have tonight one hun
dred and forty two candidates in the
field and can 10Y reasonably hope to Sc
cure tifty-tive seats, a gain of 10 seats
over the number held by the party in
last reichstag, From the unprecedented
number Of candidates appearing it will
be impossible for the results of the first
days polling N June 10, to decide the
general issue, and it is expected that the
vote on that day will GOT certainly es-
tablish the political character Of the new
house.
AS is well known, a successful candi-
date requires a majority over all his OPP
pOnents, and a large number of mem are
seeking election and collection in vari-
Gus constituencies.
1t is thought that over one hundred
second ballots will be necessary to de-
eide questions Of elections, and ii is
therefore highly probable that the end
Of TIE summer will have been reached
before the house is finally constituted.
1t is doubtful. whate.er may be the re-
suit of the elections. whether the relchs-
tag will even then be convened for bust
ness. 1t is more likely that it Wi meet
only to hear the e%nperOr's speech open
ing the session and then adjourn until
the usual period of opening in October.
In the meantime it is evident that the
parties will be constituted on platforms
in which the army bill will have almost
u secondary place.
Each party seems determined 10 eN-
pend every available esource IN confess
ing districts where it has The remotest
chance of success. lnue'd IN many IN
stances candidates will stand in districts
where success appears Impossible. In
some constituencies each of the eight
recogpiZed parties has d candidate III the
field. The contest is further compli-
Gated by class interests which are de-
mandlng attention. The Agrarian
league demands special pledges before
giving its support to candidates; trading
guilds insist upon being heard and anti
Semites. bi-metaliists. aHd "A host of fad
dists are making turmoil which will not
cease until the first days balloting clears
the atmosphere and brings into promi-
hence the grand principles at stake.
Two wings of the popular party have
started in with opposing candidates in
Berlin and elsewhere. Provincial peo-
pies organizations. however. generally
support Herr Eugene Richter Of the fac
ton known as the radical peoples party.
Government organs carefully repro
duce reports in the French papers as to
how France is r~ejoiccd at the rejection
of the army bill, adding sinister rumors
regarding the designs Of the French
government. The alarm which these
organs profess to feel has not spread
among the people. Every n knows
that the rejection has neither diminish
ed the defensive strength Of the triple
alliance. nor added to Frances power OF
offensive. Outside Of Chancellor Won
Caprivi's organs the idea is ridiculed
that France and Russia will attack Ger
many because the richstag refused to
grant all the government demanded.