The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-27
WAS A PERSONAL DEFEAT
The Conservatives Dealt the
Blow at the Emperor.
HE WILL STRIKE BACK
Feels the Outrage and Will Deal Out
Punishment to the Blunderers.
Nothing Like 1t Has Hap
pened in Fifty Years.


esting. The unexampled defeat of the
government in the diet, which, after his
emphatic utterance at Dortmund was
a personal defeat for Emperor William,
has engrossed attention to the exclu-
sion of almost everything else. The
fact that the blow was dealt by the
conservatives, a party which has been
favored and nursed for generations at
the expense of every other party, made
the event all the more sensational
The absence of his majesty cOmpli-
Gated the situation for the cabinet, and,
the emperor not having expected the
rejection of the canal bill, no provision
was made as to what steps the govern
ment would take in such an event.
After the final vote both Prince Hohen-
lobe, the imperial chancellor, and Dr.
Won Miguel, vice president of the coun-
ell of ministers and Prussian minister
or nnance, not having any instructions,
neither the cabinet nor the government
press knew what to say or do. For sew
eral days political chaos reisned, even
the opposition press being at a loss
Detailed reports had been wired to the
emperor and every member of the cabi-
net participating in the debates, and
his majesty wrote and wired brief re-
plies, in which it was apparent he felt
keen sense of personal outrage and
meant to deal punishment to the worst
blunderers and offenders. That how
ever, was insufficient to let the cabinet
see their way clear how to shade their
actions. 1t was only on Wednesday
that the nation and the cabinet began
to know precisely how the emperor
stood and what We're his intentions re-
hn Tod 81.
nothing like this defeat having been
met with since the establishment of
the diet so years ago.
Wednesdays and Thursdays crown
councils, however furnished light. 1t
appeared that Emperor William, after
mature reflection, had concluded not
to dissolve the diet and not to accept
the resignation of the cabinet. 1t was
represented to his majesty that the
elections might not result in a major
ity for the canal project while the
dismissal of the cabinet and the for
nation of a new one would present at
this juncture new and almost insur-
mountable difficulties. To break with
the conservatives forming almost half
the membership of the diet, another
party strong enough to govern must
be on hand which was not the case.
Another weighty reason with his mai
esty is the consideration, skillfully
dwelt upon by the conservative press,
that the emperor absolutely needs a
party to restrain and fight the revolt
utionary elements, particularly the So
cialists.
The proposed partial reorganiza ton
of the cabinet, relieving it of some of
its inefficient members, has been post
poned to quieter times, his majesty
meanwhile disciplining some of the
most refractory officials, who as del
egates, voted and agtated against the
canal bill.
Being resolved on this. the present
outcome of the crisis amounts to next
to nothing The emperor and the cab
met Will continue to govern with the
same party that brought on the
crisis. This is all the more peculiar
after the wild threats launched in the
entire press by the members of the gov
eminent against the conservatives and
their leaders. These threats appeared
for several days in such government
organs as the Altgenaine Zeitung, Po-
litische Correspondent, Neusten Mach
richten. Hamburger Correspondent and
others
The crisis is so serious. however,
that every member of the cabinet has
been recalled to Berlin. Prince Ho-
henlohe even abandoned his usual
summer trip to Ausza, Austria and
will remain in this city for some time
The widest rumors and statements
half of the week The entire liberal
press INDUCED in the hope of a radi-
cal change in the political system of
Prussia-the submerging of the con-
sentative and agrarian elements, and
the coming to the front of the liberals
and the industrial interests of the
country. 1t was the injudicious publ
cation of their hopes which startled
the emperor and made him retrace his
steps to the conservative camp.
The correspondent here of the asso-
ciated press hears from a reliable
source that Prince Hohenlohe insisted
on dissolution of the diet and the
resigning of the cabinet. while DR..
Won Miguel viewed the situation in the
light finally adopted by the emperor.
Prince Hohenlohe, although he yield
ed, is heartily tired of office and can
not well bear the burdens much longer.
most interesting feature of the sit
uation was the attitude of the conserva-
tives. Out of revenge on Baron Won
DerhoSt, the conservative diet resolved
not to pass any bills of which he was
the author or advocate. This regular
boycott has thus far been carried out.
1t intensely amuSes the NOrwaerts
which first recorded the fact that the
election reform bill had been shelved
for the same reason.
The present session of the diet will
soon close. probably by the end of
next week, after the most pressing
business has been disposed of.
The language of the conservative and
agrarian papers is even more eXtraoF-
binary. The Deutsch Agrar Core
spondenz, one of the main organs of
the agrarians, proclaimed that it was
high time the emperor learned that he
was mo longer. at the end of the 18th
century, an absolute ruler over vas
sails, but the leader of a free nation"
The paper admitted that the defeat Of
the canal bill meant test of strength
between the government and the agraT-
ians The Kreuze Zeitung, the old
time organ of the Prussian cOnserva-
tives, threatened that If the govern
ment meant change of attitude TO-
wards the conservatives the latter
would revise their attitude towards the
government not only in the diet, but
also in the reiChstag. The kreuHe
Zeitung also roundly abused Prince
Hohenlohe, saying he was no friend OF
the conservatives and agrarians and
terming his remarks in the diet as