The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-04-17
THE SAME ISSUE EVERYWHERE
The Worldwide Conffict-Takine
Away the Germans Right
to Vote.

The Worldwide Conffict-Taking
Away the Germans Right
to Vote.
The battle waged by the Peoples
Party in tie United States is part of
worldwide conflict. by observing the
features OF the contest elsewhere we
can the better understand it's charac-
terlstlcS IN our own land.
In Germany the. fight is between
monarch SIN and free institutions.
There is Il determined purpose on the
part OF the emperor and aristocracy to
take away the right of suffrage here
tofore conferred upon the people. A
trcm :ndous battle is on, the issue OF
which must lie a republic or a despot-
ism. We quote some extracts from
the news which cross the Atlantic.
There is Il vcritable Peoples Party
at work over there.
'Thc strain brought upon the DO
litical world by the demonstration
against bismarck has been increased
steadily this week by reports of disso-
luton, ana reorganization Of the cab
met in the interest of Bismarckians.
At the same time rumors that re-
striction OF the suffrage was cOntem-
plated by the emperor and his
ministers have been revived by social
democrats and Richter radicals, who
evidently believe them, and are cor
respondingly turbulent. The agrar-
ians arc using every instrument of
agitatiDn to keep up the popular fer
ment. Meetings of peasant farmers
are held in all the rural districts to
voice the protectionist demand for
new reichstag and higher tariff on
grain. Agrarian literature clogs the
mails. There is hardly a hamlet or
cross roads where the people are not
being stirred with agrarian leaflets
and by agrarian speakers. The Prus-
sian landtag and other provincial diets
have been impressed into the agrarian
service. They have rung all the week
with the land owners denunciations
of the commercial treaties and the
governments Indifference to agrarian
claims.
1.-The conservatives and their allies
in the high tariff movement are de-
termincd to win at any cost. Defeated
In the council Of tie, they came at
once before the PrusSian landtag with
arguments in its favor. During the
debate in this tory stronghold Count
Myerbach disclosed the dearest wish
of his party by urging the necessity of q
co,,r d'ctat. He argued that universal
suffrage had put the government at
the mercy Of the ignorant and incen-
diary element of the empire. The only
way out was todeprive these elements
of their miSuScd power. The federal
council would have the approval of all
thinking Germans If they would dis
solve the reichStag, suspend the con-
stitutiOn, and hold the elections on
the basis Of q limited right Of franchise.
He admitted that it would be difficnlt
to devise a new electoral system off
hand but insisted upon the necessity
of it If Germany was to be saved from
ruin and revolution"
And here we seem to catch the very
voice Of the American plutocrat:
But few newspapers venture now
to advocate either dissolution or a
restriction of the suffrage. The free
conservative Post has come out boldly
with tho declaration that Mycrbach
has suggested the one possible way
out of the present crisis. There can
be no real security for the nation and
society,"" it says, until universal suf-
frage and the secrecy of the ballot
shall be abolished"
And at a great meeting in Berlin
the following occurred:
"There was an intermission, with
music, and any amount of cheering
before Rector Pfeiderer rose to eulO-
gZe the Old chancellor. He spoke of
Bismarck S sincerity in religion. Re-
CARELESS Of outward show, he said this
great man had always carried God in
his heart. Bismarck had always been
loyal monarchist. He never had
favored government by parliament.
To be sure he had introduced univer-
sal suffrage, but now personally he re-
garaed this step as a mistake (tremen-
dous cheering, in which the chairman
joined.)f
Don't make a mistake, bretheren;
the issue in this country is not about
free silver. That is but temporary
incident. The real fight is between
the Progrcsslves and the Retroactives:
between those who would lift men
to higher levels Of development, and
those who would cast them down to
lower levels of degradation. 1t is a
worldwide contest. Go look at the
fortress-like armories in our great
cities, and the children drilling in the
public schools and Sunday schools, and
behind it all you can see the CHASTITY
shadow Of Empire.