The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-28


it that the men do not fail to vote and
of them In the country the Agrarian
women are also active in this way. per-
suading the farm hands to vote with
their employers. 1t is not yet permitted
any of the women to speak from plat
form in a purely political meeting, but
they are free TO attend all general mass
meetings = Notwithstanding = and
they sometimes make speeches on such
occasions which are much better than
those Of the men.
The Social Democrats are planning to
take part in the elections to the Prussian
Parliament, which also take place before
long. Hitherto they have not done this.
but they are now convinced that it is
only through the Landtag that they can
hope to accomplish many of the things
they have set their hearts on, and des-
pite the property qualification necessary
for man to be elected, they propose
to go into the struggle. They can hard
ly expect TO have the same success as
in running candidates for the Reichstag;
their funds are too small to furnish them
the amount of property required TO be in
their possession ere they can be elected,
but the few who do succeed in getting
in will do considerable talking. anyhow
and all this helps to make propaganda
1t is hoped by a great many Germans
that the coming election will develop
a powerful reform party. which will take
in all the Liberal parties, the so-called
"National-Socials," and the least radi-
cal element of Social Democracy. There
is o great career awaiting such an or
ganization, and every friend of Germany
can only hope that it will come about
but as yet there is no sign of its proba-
biity The political life is still too dis
turbed by conflicting interests for the
elements mentioned to consolidate and a
rallying cause which all could work for
| is absent. The Social Democrats want
| the monarchy abolished. for one thing
and there are Liberals who feel that Ger
many could not exist without it. There
! are numerous other differences of opin-
| ion which it would take almost a ma
| tional calamity to make the parties in
| volved overlook. and the most that one
can hope for is that the present parties
| in power will get so afraid of the Social
| Democrats that they will give up try
| ing to fight them with merely reaction
airy methods, and see that the only thing
! to be done is to initiate reforms which
| will prove to the workinGmen that they
| also have their interests at heart. Now
the bulk of the industrial population sees
its salvation only in Social Democracy,
| and il is much to be feared that this
! doctrine has got such a hold upon them
| that they are no longer to be approached
with more moderate teaching. If this
| state of affairs should ever spread to
| the rest of the working population the
| present government will be largely to
blame for the anarchy that will follow.
! There was n moral as well as a ffnan-
ciaI consideration in BraziI's sale of two
| of her warships to the United States.
Possibly Brazil needed the money more
than she did the ships at the present
! time. Spain. however, it is understood
offered her as much as the United States
| save, and offered it earlier. Brazil is
| very friendly to this country. and so is
| every other Independent nation on this
| continent. one of the biggest falsehoods
and follies yet perpetrated by the yellow
| press was their story of "A few weeks ago
| that the South American nations had
| promised to aid Spain in case of war
| with the United States. The Spanish
| American nations have the same feeling
toward Spain that the Cuban insurgents
| hold They know, moreover, that the
| continuance of their independence is
chiefly due to the establishment anC
maintenance of the Monroe doctrine.