Birmingham age-herald., 1895-03-24

leader, who urged his party to refrain from a hostile demonstration. Dr. Leber was sagacious enough to see aud say openly that such anti-nationai outbreaks would iuJure all icipants, except the social democrats, in public opinion. The conservative and national liberals are so convinced that the country will re- sent the aclion of the parliamentary ma jority that they are urging the ministers to seize the opportunity, dissolve the reichs- tag and appeal to the electors in the heat of their Bismarck ardor. Thus they say the govern;.:e would get reichstag with at least some other principle than opposition to the ministry and all the ministry pro- poses. The ministers do not care, bow ever, to associate their own policy so closely with the dynasty of Bismarck as 10 assent to thls programme. The feeling in the reichstag Hobbies this evening is that the Bismarck haters will find their victory very costly one. Even the opposition parties, excepting the social democracy, showed 1t plainly. Their 1 jubilation h tue house gave place to some | thing like diffidence after the excitement | subsidsd. The leaders of the majority | looked rather anxious and, although con- versing freely among themselves, sealed their mouths to ali others. The radical newspapers have been treat | ing the Levetzow proposal in a very gingerly manner all the week. Several of them advised the radical deputies to sup | port the president. Thu the Fraukfurter | Zeitung, the most infuential organ of the | South German democrats aud always l strongly opposed to Bismarck, contended | that all parties could recognize the prince's
 birthday without doing the slightest vio- | lence to one of their political principles. 'sIt Is sorry spec,acle,' remarked the editor yesterday, "that is offered by this dispute over the birthday celebration. 1t
 must lessen Germany's reputation abroad.''
 The Catholic press, however, does not mince matters, but comes out with denun- citations and protests suggestive of the 'Kulturkampf."
 The Koelnische volks zeituug, organ of the Rhineland Catholics, said: gro take part h a demonstration to honor a politi
 clan who is still eagerly working to de- stroy the clerical party would be simply suicidal. Party honor and principle re-
 qaire firm negative 10 honor Won
 Levetzow's proposal"
 Ia expectation of the reichstag's adverse
 decision the majority in tue Prussian lower
 house, who had arranged for an unofficial
 pilgrimage 10 Freiderichsruhe, decided to obtain formal vote directing the president
 to convey to Bismarck the congratulations of the house. The motion assigned by 292
 members was carried today. Every signer has given notice to the committee of ar- engagements that he will be passenger on the Freiderichsruhe special train on Mon- day.
 THE EMPERoR's REGRET. Emperor William was apprised of the rejection by the reichstag of Won Levet- zow's proposal that the reichstag vest in him (Levetzow) the duty of fcongratulating Prince Bismarck on the occasion of his 80Ih birthday, and he wired to the ex- chancellor at Freiderichsruhe the follow.
 ing dispatch:
 "I have to convey to your serene high:
 ness the expression of my most profound indignation at the resolution which the reichstag has just adopted, in most com plete opposition to the feelings of all the German provinces and peopls.' PRESS COMMENTS. All the evening papers got out extra edi. tions to an nnounce the reichstag' 's decision. The Neuste Nachrichten, Bismarckian, said F aerhesa sarsnd Duke of Baden saw the reichstag twenty five years after the crea- ton of the empire take this most shameful step. The best answer to such action
 nation can help the govern ment win bat
 ties at home as well as abroad.'
 Eugene kichter's Freissinge Zeitung says: "The wires which were worked In this parliamentary scandal were pulled from Freiderichruhe, where the aim is to create dissensions between the reichstag aud the government. The first act in the intrigue was the emperor's Koeniggsburg speech; the second, the anti socialist bill, which swept away Count Caprivi. The plan now Is to sweep off Dr. Von Boet- ticher, Frei Herr Von Marshall and Prince Hohenlohe, and to push forward the Eulen burgs and Count Herbert Bismarck. Treacherous intrlgues against the reichs- tag loom up in the background
 The Reichsbote, conservative: "We are convinced that the attitude of the majority
 will be felt as disgrace by the nation.
 We hope 1t will open the peoples eyes to the true character of the present reichs- tag.p
 The Volks Zeitung: "The reichstag acted in perfect harmony with the enormous majority of the nation. It has guarded it's dignity against the reactionists.''
 The Lokal Anzeiger: ''In its most memo rable session the reichstag has stigmatizsd itself as the great majority of Germans formerly thought impossible.'
 The Post: "The majority has cast dis credit upon a. glorious past, but the jubilee of the people will wash away the ugly stain.''
 The Kreuz zsitung: "General indigna- ton is felt toward the reichstag. The old honse never witnessed such spontaneous public condemnation of the deputies acts.''
 The Hamburg -vaohreichter, Birmarck- ian, has not left unansw cred the attacks of the Catholics. After reviewing the leaders in the Polish, socialist and clerical news- papers, the editor says:
 'If Prince Bismarck's conscience ever required the assurance that his policy was right, he finds the proof of 1t in the cease- less hatred of those parties--enemies of the ss Re was in oos T' TSe Pos the cs1s als, the socialists and the Alsatians wer1, and are, as hostile to the ptince as to the German empire.'
 BIsMARCK's REPLY.
 Prince Bismarck, in answer to the em- peror's message, sent the following tele- gram:
 ssFREIDRIcHsRuHB, March 23.-I pray your majesty to accept my respectful ex- pression of my gratitude for your most gracious message, whereby your majesty has transformed an unfriendly action of