Birmingham age-herald., 1895-03-31
Getting Down to a Very Interest
 ing Point,
AGRARIAN LEADERS ACTIVE
And Determined to Force a Dissolution of the
 Relch3tag.

BERLIN, March 3O.-The reichstag has been watching for two days the struggle be- tween the ministers and the high tariff conservatives of the Farmers league. The debates have been animated and often bit- ter, for the agrarian leaders have gone at the government with all the energy that they displayed in cir attack upon Count Caprivi.
 The peg on which the deoate was hung was Count Kanitz's famous proposal that the government raise grain prices by mo- nopolzing the grain trade. The mere an nouncement of the subject drew an un- usual number of deputies and crowd of visitors, who filled the galleries to the last seat. Most of the visitors were agrarian sympathizers, who ignored the rules of the house and murmured audiby their ap. proval of the big conservative speakers. They ought to have been rebuked by the president, but in the excitement of the de- bate their offense was overlooked.
 The strain brought upon the political world by the demonstration against Bis marck mas been increased steadily this Neek by reports of dissolution and
 REORGANIZATION OF THE CABINET in the interest of Bismarckians. At the same time rumors that Il restriction of the suffrage was contemplated by the emperor ana hls ministers have been revived by so- cialist democrats and RelcLt ter rad calls, who evidently believe them, ard who are cor respondlngIy trueiat. The agrariaps are using every instrument Of agitation to keep up the popular fermenL. Meetings of peasant farmers gre held lu all the rural districts to voice tue protectioUist demand for new reichstag and higher tariff on grain. Agrafian literature crowds the mails. There is hardly a hamlet or cross roads where the people are not being stirred with agrArian leaflets and by agra rian speakers.
 The Prussian landtag aud other provln- cial q let's have been impressed into the agraIian service. They have rung all the week with iaud owners denuuclations of the commercial treaties aud the govern ment's indifference to agrarion claims. The conservatives and their allies in the high tariff movement are determined to win at any cost.
 Defeated in the council of state they came at once before the Prussian landtag with arguments in its favor. During the debate ln the tory stronghold, Count Meir- bach disclosed the dearest wish Of his party by urging the
 NECESSITY CF COUP DEFEAT.
 He argued that universal suffrage had put the government at the mercy of the ignorant aud incendiary element of the empire. The only way out was to deprive these clements of their misused power. The federal council would have the ap- proval of all thinking Germans il they should dissolve tue reichstag, suspend the constitution and hold the elections on the basis of limited right of franchise. He admitted that 1t would be difficult to devise new electoral system off, hand, but he insisted upon the necessity of it if Germany was 10 be saved from ruin and revolution.
 HAD MORAL COURAGE.
 Count Mierbach is one of the few politi- clans who had the courage to maintain openly his friendly relations with Bis marck when the old chancellor was under the imperial taboo. He still follows closely every turn in the policy of Friedrichsruhe, and Tn thls case he undoubtedly expresses Bismarck 8 views, for in recent years Bis- marck has hardly concealed his opinion that he made a mistake in giving tue em- pire manhood suffrage.
 But few newspapers venture now to ad- vocate either a dissolution or a restriction of the suffrage. The Free Conservative Post has come cut boldly with the declara- ton that Meirbach has suggested the one possible way out of the present crisis.
 "fhere can be no real security for the nation and society,"" it says, "until uni. versal suffrage ana the secrecy of the bal- lot shall be abolished. ''
 Even the ieudal KreuseZeitung hesitates to speak as frankly, although its editor, Von Hemmerstein, IS now less extreme tnan Meirbach in his agrarian loyalty. ES