The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-31


Kaiser he would like TO be.
Even among men who aim to keep
account of the worlds progress you
viii discover a failure to place right
estimates on Germany's industrial ad-
vance. Statistics coming from the
highest authority disclose an increase
i'm manufacturing during the past
twenty years. greater for Ger
many than for any other
country in Europe. Contrary to
the opinion commonly accepted. these
years have been an era OF exceptional
prosperity for the working classes. The
value of farming products has greatly
increased. Taking account of the con-
ditions and of the property, in part,
represented. the public debt is small
compared with that of several of the
foremost powers. The merchant navy
has made a remarkable advance; the
number of depositors in savings banks
has multiplied; the annual savings nave
increased wonderfully. Bismarck was
at the head of affairs when Germany
took her start along these progressive
lines. He was of account. also. in the
days when the empire inaugurated a
colonial policy which. however burden
some 1t may be in Its beginnings. is
likely to become OF a significance which
cannot now be estimated. Then, too,
Bismarck was strong enough TO enforce
such a policy respecting the German
military establishment as was demand
ed by the conditions hen prevailing
IL was a threatening aggregation, but
by means of it this militant prince un-
questionably was the peace-keeper OF
Europe for more thar a dozen years.
That the premier blundered in i'm
stances is true enough. He undertook
to suppress socialistic tendencies, and
the very course he pursued helped more
than all else to build the socialist party
in the empire to its present proper
tons. He quarreled with the pope and
he did not get the best of 1t. He went
out of his way to stir up a religious
controversy which was as fierce as IL
was unwarranted The ~biographer
whose aim II is to find fault with the
chancellor will discover abundant OPP
DOIluHlty LOT CTltlClSW Out. dllcT dil, III
discerning judge of public men. taking
Bismarck all in all, and making just
allowance for the other forces hat
were operative. will measure Bismarck
by the difference there is between the
disjointed Germany whose representa-
tives consumed time with academic
oratory in 1S4s at Frankfurt and the
United Germany to which Emperor
william I. returned after his imperial
browning. The comparison thus started
soon becomes a CONTRASTING modern
day conditions must be deemed a graft
flying march onward, except by those
whose notion 1t is that in Germany the
sum OF human happiness was greater
when Berlin was a quaint provincial
city. when the ambition of the middle
classes did not rise higher han a dream
OF lowly creature comforts. when patri-
otism had its most impressive manifes-
tation in folk song, when a happy-go-
lucky %peasantry priced more the.h hours
for rustic recreation than a credit
balance in the savings bank.
".
When Kaiser william ]. was carried
to his burial. Prince Bismarck, like
another Cardinal wolsey. might Mt
tingly have said to himself:
I have touched the highest point OF all
my greatness:
And, from that full meridian of my
glory.
I haste now TO my setting.
Doubtless the iron chancellor did not
realize how i~ll-starred the future was
that was In store for him. He fell out
with Fortune and. as well, with men.
Even during the life OF the venerable
emperor the day OF small things had
made its untoward influence felt, to
Bismarck's disadvantage. Intrigue
revealed its uncanny presence at
Berlin's court. The whisperers were
there. The tongue OF Islander was loos-
ened. jealousies were rife. plots were
Matched, mischief was brewing In secret.
Scandal as vulgar as ever made dis
reputable the conduct of quarreling
villagers came to Its fruition. In the
planting OF II all Bismarck had his
miserable part; he did not seem to
comprehend the fact that his share in
the harvesting was to be the whirlwind.
There were the lies about the Emperor
Frederick's condition, the snares that
were laid 10 entrap those In his conf
dence, the utter lndecency In the con-
duct OF emissaries and titled spies, the
gross betrayal OF royal ~privacies.
These things were running on un-
checked when the chancellor realized
that heneeforth he must recognize as
master a self-asserting. unseasoned
youth whose nurses were amusing him
with royal toys on the day when Bis
marck forced the sullen Prussians upon