The sun., 1898-02-07
IESE MAJESTEIN GERMANY
-v,>ryroAL RULE OF TEE NILI-
rART lBIsTooRhcE.

- social BtSeNEany - ~NNSS-N~-
v.,,.r. rreu, Diekess ana Thschsray Suss
p,,p,s.a-A.troreusrs Disssrse N Thsir
,,...-,,,,e,s Or the Reiipss ef ere sun.
yoxpos Jan. 2s.-France In puxslinG the
-hole world Of publicists and metaphysicians
Nv one of her peculiar attacks OF moral pinu-
D.ss or madness. which are eymptomano OF
..,.n. - disease OF the body politic, and which
moro than once have proved the lorerunner OF
ntrollable popular violence. The outburst
4, 40 noisy, so violent, 90 threatening, ana Jet
.,,h.l so childish and utterly absurd. that it
s...no,. tho worlds attention. France never
ssu. ,hu. to command universal interest In her
.nh,,o foibles and eccentrioities, because her
go are always dramatic, always entertain
- These outbreaks Of passion and prejudice
.,.., .erve AZ A safety valve which removes the
s.sa.- tho existenco OF which they indicate.
~. ~. .pddep madness OF Government and
D.on,. which has dethroned Justice in tho
T-.,ch republic, 10 not TO DO the subject Of this
,.,,.r The scandal in France at the present
..or,,nt has n deeper cause than the Drcy-
-. o.,. or even than race hatred, which
=. IN. more general form Of its manifestation.
=, h.. its chief origin in the gigantic evil OF
,.,i,,sri,m. which is fast bringing not France
Alan, hut all Europe to crisis more dangerous
), .ocistv than would be the European war
,-,,ch IA the excuse for its existence. For tho
,,oment fokle public opinion in France has
nan cleyerly turned TO the support OF the mill
,.,v despotism which has dared to outrage jus
,,os an no other high tribunal OF this generation
h.o ventured TO do. But reason and reaction
iii como BY and by, and then tho whirlwind
for tho rogues and fools who Will be held re-
,rons,ble for the crimes and abuses OF public
authority In France to-day.
put It is to call attention to another and
,r,vsr aspect of tho evil of militarism that this
latter IA written. The crisis which it seems i'm
ro.,,ble to avoid In more threatening. more i'm
,in.pt in Germany than in France. Tho Ger.
man symptoms arc not SO entertaining as the
French. but they arc more serious There 10 no
outlet for German discomfort or protest Tho
Consecrated Person In Berlin sits on the national
..fety valve. and apparently he 10 supremely
unconscious that the pressure beneath him has
become at all dangerous. / doubt, however. II
Ia IA ignorant Of the domestic crisis which con-
fronts him for in spite Of the enforced silence Of
the press, every well-informod German knows
that the situation IL both grave and difficult.
Attention has been directed in THE SUNS
cable dispatches to the great increase In mum.
ber and severity Of the application Of the law Of
lss sajestt in Germany. Words and phrases
which q foreigner finds it difficult to construe
into even mild criticism or harmless pleasantly
are punished with imprisonment or heavy fine
Of writer's and publishers. Nor 10 the inauisition
confined to the press. 1t invades every walk Of
private life and even the privacy Of mans
home. well remember the impression made
upon mo by the circumstances Of the first and
almost only criticism Of the Emperor which
ever heard uttered in Germany. Twas discussing
German politics with q Berlin friend in o
deserted corner of the Geological Garden in that
city some FIVE or six years ago. He grew
earnest and at length confidential. Finally,
under stronger emotion and after looking care
fully around in all directions. he leaned over
and whispered this terrible thing in my ear:
"The truth 10 We don't like that young fellow
Imeaning the EMPEROR In this country-but
don't conjure you. ever betray TO q living soul
that told you that" And this was self
respecting, intelligent German citizen-no. not
that Iam guilty Of lese majcstS myself In using
the word. should have said subject. not citi-
Zen. But imagine an American hesitating to
make such remark about President Mckinley
Il 1t expressed his feelings!
The tyranny Of the present application Of the
terrible significance. 1t impossible to account
for It on the ground Of mere vanity and impe-
rial tolerance Of the young ruler. A system 90
universal and oppressive that 1t sends to jail o
woman who. when slightly excited by wine.
nakes thoughtlessly disparaging remark in
her own dining room about her sovereign has Q
more serious reason for its existence. In no
country in Europe is military despotism 90
strong as in Germany to-day. Even Russia
should not be excepted. for the absolutism of
the civil law and administration are something
different from and in addition to military au-
thority.
The growth Of the Social Democracy under
these conditions in Germany has been enormous.
1t could not be otherwise. Nothing the Govern.
ment might have done would have fostered IL
more effectively. How ana why this 10 90 10
pointed out in q remarkable article written by
Herr stofers, one Of tho leaders OF the Social
Democratic party in Germany. and printed
to-day In London. 1t Is an article which II pub
hahed In Germany would promptly cause tho
imprisonment OF the writer. and yet it IL state
ment OF the internal situation in Germany which
carries intrinsic evidence Of it's truth In all
essentials.
German home politics, Herr Stoffers points
ou- are more important. even to foreigners,
Than our foreign politics. because tho latter arc
only the reflex Of the former: because the un-
oearaole tension in our home politics-in plain
~ords, the fear Of q coming revolution enter
nined In our ruling crcles-is the sole source of
our unspeakAble foreign politics. The Lott
motif In our foreign policy. which you can
trace In every move. 10 tho desire to withdraw
from those countries in which freedom IL reiRn-
,ls' and TO become connected as closely ~ posi-
D'o with those countries In which despotism,
'ehea or unveiled. decides the fate of the peo-
pc Our military budget is not raised to be.
.1een two and three millions per day against
sae foreign, but against tho domestic enemy.
~ mas been said In the most outspoken manner
IN the Reichstag that Russia is our beat safe
suafd against the enemy In our midst which
means four-hfths of the people Of Germany.
Ana nom this view our whole foreign policy,
epeciAiiy with regard 70 England. may be
sipiained. That Is the reason why Nicolas H.
.Aa Aodai are our bosom friends-the pillars
W. W. ~niea the German Empire is now resting.
.ne nome politics OF Prussia Germany arc now
Ianagea on the same principles as the interior
sinis'ration OF darkest Russia, the only
nsfshce being that we are not yet at liberty
g., seht 10 Siberia. although proposals TO
80 sha nave been made more than once. This
ssAs 3d. the simple conseq uence 10 that, with
-s,s 70 our foreign politics. Prussia--and