Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1895-07-11
SUICIDE OR MARRIAGE.
The Choice Is the Only Relief for Noble
prussisn Paupers.

CBerlin letter TO San Francisco Argonaut) }
All Berlin signs under the despotism
of-usury The government, at least the
pillars OF the government, sigh and suffer
the most. For the past six months one
huge trial for usury has followed another,
ana the end is not yet. In one of these
trials last fall there was no less than 127
defendants, and the number of witnesses
amounted 10 nearly 400. A number of the
worst usurers have been found guilty and
sentenced to terms of Imprisonment rang
ing from six months upward to seven
years, besides heavy fines i'm money
Quite number of the shrewdest and most
dangerous had to be acquitted for lack
of proof Just now two trials en- masse for
usury are proceeding, and some additional
trials are to come; but all that will not
change the complexion OF affairs in Berlin.
The young capital of the new German
empire VIII remain the most usury- ridden
city in the world. where the vampirism of
a legion Of Shylocks steadily sucks the
blood of the higher as well as lower
classes. and drives annually hundreds and
thousands into ruin or into exile.
The cG use is expressed by the untrans-
latable German word of "Stapderstrueck-
sichten," by which is meant the thousand
and one considerations which Germans
deem due to their rank or station in life.
Prussia is u poor country even to-day,
al 'ti llllO ltS uOnlaln larger
districts of more fertile and Weather
regions. such as Nassau, Hesse-Casscl,
districts in Hanover and by the Rhine.
The Prussan nobility is the poorest of
any civilized country, with the single
exception of the Italian. But the Pius-
sian nobility, nevertheless, is as proud as
the spanish, vastly proudcr than the Brit
ish Their poverty now and their claims
to consideration. their station in.life their
prominent position in the State, lead to
a ncVer-ceasing conflict. Their peculiar
code of honor forbds them to engage in
money making pursuits. least of all in
trade or commerce. and nothing is left
them 10 live in accordance with the cast
iron notions of their mind, but either to
enter the army as professional soldiers,
TO enter the government employ, or else
to till the meagre paternal acres.
The latter occupaton-whch used TO
furnish to brothers cousins and sons OF
such Agricultural noblemen the secret
wherewithal to live standesgemaes Il. e.,
according to their ranH) in Berlin or else
whcre--is becoming less and less profit
able. owing to cheap American and East
Indian wheat. cheap Russian rye and
cheap Australian meat. And the pay of
Piussian army officers or government en-
ployes is st!ll 50 wholly inadequate that
il does not suffice even the modest eXpec-
tations up 10 the age of 40 or so.
\ money marriage" il the sole remedy
l-t, thcm 10 adjust their affairs uul-i
formal conditions: but money mar
riasHs," 'oo. are becoming less and less
rtrquru'. since the number of cll lnau..
80 zach wealthy girls hand is yearly h,.
coming larger. The hunt for an Ame ric..t
hc.rr@s ur tor some other exotic god
iish" - hence mentioned in the lexicon ~
thrs- uul HViablc young men as the dcrui,!
resort THIS rapid pen-picture of tn,
Il "