The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-08

I<AL E-tSfllONS. SI-aL
Berlin, Nov. 24-The recent outbreak
in the reichstag in the opening days of
the session was surprise to Germany,
as well as to the rest of the world
And the consensus of opinion is that it
was but the forerunner of many clashes
between the government and opposing
parties, and not a few fear that these
may end in civil strife. The dread word
revolution has already been hurled
from one side of the chamber to the
other, and the cheers that received it
outnumbered the Kisses three to one.
Emperor William has made no Sc
cret of his disapproyal of the doings of
the reichstag. He is incensed almost
beyond control and this is a danger
Gus condition of affairs with a man of
his unruly disposition. Yet he is power
less to have the reichStag conducted as
he would wish, and the political lead
ers opposed to him are bent upon prov
ing this in no gentle way. The number
of deputies friendly to the government
are largely Outnumbered by the OPP
posing parties, and moreover, the latter
are managed with rare generalship by
leaders who are absolutely fearless. AL
ready the emperor has been called
crazy. How much further the anti
government forces will go cannot be
prophesied by man. Perhaps before
this letter reaches the eyes of its read
erS the crisis will be reached.
Emperor William has already con-
ferred with Prince Hohenlohe relative
to the better management of the gov
eminent parties in the reichstag. He
claims that if the same able leadership
that characteriZes the opposing side ex-
listed among his supporters there would
be no more outbreaks of the kind that
happended on the opening days. This
has stirred up the leaders of the gov
eminent forces, but their efforts can
be of no avail because of the absence of
numerical strength.
MANY DIFFERENT PARTIES.
To make this clear the workings of
the reichstag must be explained. In the
first place it should be understood that
the political complexion of the law
as varied as the rainbow. The differ
ent parties are so numerous that at
times it is difficult matter to identify
them. There are 359 members of the
reichstag and at the present session
they are divided as follows: IS Con-
servatives, q Imperialists, 100 Cen
trists, 49 National Liberals, IA Radical
Freisinniga Voskspartel Richterites, Is
Social Reformers. 10 Poles, II Deutsche
Volkspartel, AZ Socialists, so Indepen-
dents, including 6 Guelphs, Bavarian
peasant party and two seats vacant.
WHERE THE REICHSTAG MEETS.
The hall in which the reichstag meets
does not give one the impression of
being extraordinarily large, although,
looking down from the galleries, it
seems a very deep room. Its acoustic
properties, however, would only be eX-
cusable in a very large hall. The walls
are much higher, the galleries are fur
Their from the floor, the presidents
chair is more distant from those of the
members, and, altogether, this one hall
is on a bigger scale than the cor
responding halls of congress across the
sea. Like so many public halls in
Germany, it is characterized by an alb
sence of proper ventilation. The Ger
mans, who are implacable foes to fresh
air, do not appear to notice this de-
ficiency, which sometimes forces even
the most enthusiastic American to de-
part earlier than he would otherwise
desire
The decoration and coloring of the
hall are very simple and pleasing. The
woodwork of white oak makes a soft
background. A few symbolical women
HSureS are tneTe, supporting some OF
the arches, but they are most modest
and unassuming creatures, who do not
mar the harmonious effect of the whole
by any garish display of color. The
carpet is a dull blue-gray color, and the
long curtains which drape the doors
back of the presidents desk are deep
wine color. The only part of the hall
which lacks taste and spoils the color
effect is the kaiser's loge where the
cushioned seats are upholstered in
bright red brocaded satin.
The president of the reichstag sits at
a table raised above the floor of the
house, in high backed. chair on which
the Prussian eagle figures very proni-
nently. Just below the presidents
table is another one where several min
listers sit, usually those at the head of
the department which is concerned in
the question being discussed at the
time in the reichstag. Within this
charmed circle sit the stenographers.
whose work goes down those steps to
the outside world. On the level with
the presidents desk are the desks of
the bundesrath. two oewS on either
side, IL seats in each front row, 8 in
each second row. making up the 46 in
all. The chancellor of the empire has
the first seat in the front row to the
right of the speaker, facing the house.
HAVE SCHOOLBOY DESKS.
The arrangements for the seating of
the deputies are not marked with .ex-
travagance, and in comparing them
with those of the congressman in
Washington the latter seem immeasur-