New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-14
VEEsTrY AND PRIESTLY VIEWS.

cIpI;s OF THE PARTY-REAsONs FOR
ADOPTING THE NEW PoLIcY-uSI-
vEEsrrY AND PRIEsTLY VIEWS.
Berlin. Nov 1.-The November elections In Prus-
STA this year of unusual interest. owing TO
the new departure OF the Social Democrats. At the
Congress- at Hamburg In October 1t was decided
that the party should this year for the first time
I'm IFS history, take general part IN the elections To
the Prussian Legislative Assembly known rs the
Landtae This body IL elected by Il class vote.
something as follows: The electors are divided into
three classes; IN the first fall all the heavy tax
payers. men Ike Knapp, the great iron founder;
the great landed proprietors the inanciers, hoths-
chud. IIansemann BleichrUder and other great
honkCrs: I'm the second the smaller estate
owners professors md civil officials: the third ~
made up Of small shopkeopers. lesser ohicilIs hh"
laborlng men who have acquired some property on
which taxes are assessed. Each class chooses one
third of the Assembly. and In this way Few oil
tho richest mon Of Prussia control onc-third oil
,ho ,rcubcrs who are naturally all Conscrvht
and Arr,riona The second class Is also mainly
Conservative az the electors are mainly ONCE
holders and farmers who expect helpiui 'eeS'"'on
from the Government. In the third Class "nere
tho peorle arc supposed TO he the electors. Liberal
members arc elected or would 10 but for tho
fact that largo proportion of this class also are
dencndent social factors. such as small Officials.
small dealers and laborers In great Government
enterprises
\ further reason for the p,iful proportion OF
Liberal members In the Landtag has been inc
almost complete withdrawal OF the Social Demo-
cratic vote from all participation In tho Landtag
elections Since lS9} when tho Social Democratic
Marty IN It's Cologne congress decided 30 with
hold thcl- votes as party from the Landtag ee'-
lions because Of this class system OF voting there
has been lttle possibility OF eectins Liberals 10
the Legislature. but by the recent action tho out
look for the present year Is hopeful
The question arises. however. ard becomes "A
pressing one In many instances, Have not the
Social Democrats in this unusual action nullihed
and denied their principles? Many politicians r"-
gard this departure rs the beginning OF the oh'
OF such party existence. and the leaders arc them
selves divided In opinion as to the wisdom OF inc
movement Liehknecht who Is strongly against
tho concession said in the II may be re-
membered. Il know that this IS called question
Of tactics md not OF principle. hut why should VIC
desire a change Of tactics unless the situation has
materially changed since the Cologne meeting
Whercupon he strsightforwardly put tho question
10 the assembly. Has the situation materially
altered during the last four years. or since the
congress at Cologne" Perhaps the mort concise
answer 10 his question was given by a woman.
Frau Zctkln m Acknowledged leader in the Social
ist party. She said. In former years We asked
ourselves the question thus: Ia II 10 our advantage
10 take part I'm the Landtag elections? To-day u
shapes itself FOR US differently: must take part
in these elections II We would remove or overcome
our disadvantages. The moro Nc conhnc our
efforts to tho Parliamentary elections tho inore
will our opponents he moved 20 crowd ont n tho
Parliament and into tho Landtag those questions
I'm which our interest and welfare directly lie The
LandtaS they can trust 20 be as roactonary as Is
necessary 10 carry out thor viii and purpose.
while our Increasing influence f. IN" Imperial
Parliament gives VA the power N that body more
substantially 10 protec, ourselves. Shall We. then
retire and withhold our Efforts from body which
Is sure to hav" tho greatest power 10 10 ne harm
The good sense Of her position appears the more
strongly when one realizes that the mntters which
are decided by tho Landtas are those which nnect
tho veal or Voc OF The poorest 0.tizcn oven moro
Intimately than the decisions Of tho RcichsiHg
The entire system o. Trussan education Is subject
to It's rcr1ilation nlSO tho legislation concerning
all domestic service tho appointment ~ factory
inspectors the regulation OF labor IN mines aad
throughou, tho Prussian railway system. NJ well
as tho laws regarding thousands ~ minor of1clnis
employed by tho State Besides all this all
agrarian legislation comes from this source. and
IL thus most dangerously IN the hands of agrarian
rnonopolis,s. opposed TO the Interests Of tho
common people.
When The question II studied IN all its bearings
tho wonder grows no, that the change Of tactics
has been agreed upon bur that the Cologne dec
Iaration 81 principles not sooner discovered 20
be dictated by short-sIgh,ed policy Tie motto ~
Ibsen's Brand. "All Nothing" Is not the
sence Of statcsmanship. however fascinating IL
may be 20 the rcformer. Another week Will make
known the result Of the new Influence In the Land
tag n II makes itself efficient In the midst OF so
much criticism and among many opposing
couusels Whether tho voters Will unite on 4
Liberal candidate or attempt 20 elect a simon
pure Social Dcmocra: seems not yet fixed but IN
the latter event tho only gain OF the new move
ment will accrue 20 tho Conservative while II tho
tofr of he hrd cia
OF voters there Is good chance OF clect!ng lib
eraL
Professor Rcinhold the new University professor
who has been brought 20 Berlin 10 orse, the
Socialism Of Professors Wagner and Schneider. in
his inaugural address the other day gave uttcran,o
TO opinions that were worthy Of Schopensuer in
their hopccssucss and despair OF all social prog
rees In dealing with social conditions. he said:
There IS the greatest danger In looking at the
world az n harmonious unity "A realm Of reason
and moral beauty, whereas the necessity Is that
We regard It n kingdom OF dsharmony. of
enmlty and unrcason. The way in which
alize the world. and the only way by which
can rule It. shows tho hopclcssn"ss. the mpossi
bllty OF any great social synthesis Of mankind
We cannot play the par ~ deity, all-wise, omni-
present and ail-pity.ng Self seeking finds in
himself the end OF thought and consideration Even
I'm the family each individual deep down IN his
heart Is for himself All religious and phosophlc
thought finds In the separation OF God and man
the foundation ~ all the strife and sin Of the
world-that demonIac impulse 81 the created being
sclf-rulc ana scf-drcctlon which Jed 10 the fall
Of angels, and tho scvering Of the Ich from its
origin and source In the All Fathcr. We live now,
therefore. I'm a world torn from It's moorlngs and
nothing remains for us hut to cry with one Of tho
great Fathers Of the Church. Cor nostrrn In
auetum est donec rcquiescat in te'
I'VE must take the world as It is. II cannot be
materially altered by any wisdom Of man. Society
h.r threatened n he Ia
enter the lists in behalf OF the already existing
as her fate. as In political sense. tho necessary
evil. Tho Socialists whether they know and con-
fess It or not simply want to change roles. The
clever Bebel admitted this In some unclever words
which escaped him NJ the last congress OF his
party Pc assured, said he to mis- followers IL We
had to-day the upper hand. or II you had hun
drnds OF fhousands al Nonr command many Snclal