The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-09-13
THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER IL. 1900.
GERMANY's "ovEH-LoRD" sYs-
TEN


The death of the German philosopher
Nietzche. al Niemar. the home of the en-
frightened Democrat Schiller and the IDEAL
lied Goethe. has more than passing in
1erest for humanity and especially the
German nation N;etzche was not only of
interest to the philosophical student on
account Of his extraordinary adaptation Of
history to his own ideas, but he is today
the political student as an Interesting type
of development Of modern thought and
aspiration in Germany.
The little trade mark Made in Ger
many that the British insisted should
be put upon German goods to warn the un-
suspecting Britisher against foreign man
ufacture showed the whole world how
large a portion Of the manufactures are
to-day monopolized by the Germans and
from the awakening then caused students
and merchants have more and more looked
at the enormous growth of Germany as
a. world power. not only by force of arms,
but also by force of manufacture, and to-
day the German nation stands far more
for expansion and material welfare than
for an increased power for research in the
mystic fields of philosophy and theology
Now Nietzche was above all the teacher
OF the necessity end glory Of force, and he
maintained with power and absolute con-
viciion that nation triu1nphed best when
it was under the control of an aristo-
cracy, who used the rank and file of their
fellow countrymen as mere pawns in
great game whose prizes in wealth and
comfort and honor and glory and power
were all to be divided out among the aris-
tocrats. or as he called them. s'Over
Lords''
There has never been a theory Of gov
eminent propoundea as seriously as this
which was more in defiance of the princi-
pies which the civilized nations of the
world to-day call Christian and yet these
theories laid hold of the hearts of a great
number of men and have been discussed by
such eminent writers as DR.. Paul Reinsch
as indicating powerful tendency in mod
ern German politics. That such theories
should be carried out into actual life is
attributable largely TO the slamour of
growing material wealth and the belief
that wealth and power are all that man
exists for.
Germany has certainly succeeded in the
last few years in acquiring enormous ma
teria1 advancement. but it will be the
most dearly bought Of all her possessions
II She pays for It in loss of ideals and as
pirations among her leading citizens. She
may triumph for time on the basis of
these principles and the "Oyer Lords
may revel in such wealth and power as
has not been known since the days of the
Roman empire. but there is back behind it
ali one fundamental principle that connot
be escaped from-..To whom much IS given
OF him also shall much be required and
the men or body OF men who use the acv
c:dents Of their birth for purely selfish
aims and ends VIII inevitably wreck them
selves and those whose welfare Is depen-
dent upon them if their guiding spirit is
sslnsh, for in the day when a man or
body Of men lays aside the spirit of no.
biesse obiige he becomes hut an animal
possessed Of the attributes OF a man and
octnafed solely by policy of enlightened
6eifashness. whose god is their belly and
G7soSe fsYsd is sfeSfy,,rfffy,