The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-12-20

NATION, tine WOrtn1eSL would PROBABLY
have been the wish to labor more COM
prehensively for the welfare of my fell
low-citizens than is possible for a
private Individual Apart from the
question whether I am really noble
minded enough to use my power more
for promoting the welfare of others
than for myself, / hold the view, even
with the least modest estimate of my
capabilities, that it would make no Diff
ference for the prosperity of the in
habitants Of Prussia whether | or any
other of tn many capable persons of
the same grade belong to the govern
ment of a province or lead it. The in
diyidual official with us is not very in
dependent, even one Of the highest;
and, with the others, he is chiefly lin.
tied to pushing on the administrative
machinery in the prescribed track. The
Prusian official is like an Individual in
the orchestra. Whether he plays the
first violin or the triangle, he must
perform the portion allotted to him,
whether he considers it good or bad,
without any general view of or in
f1uence on the whole. will play
music, however, which I recognize to
be good, or none at all.
In a state with a free constitution,
every one who devotes himself to State
affairs can openly apply his whole
strength to defending and carrying out
measures and systems the justice and
use of which he is convinced of; and
he only needs to recognize this convic-
ton as the sole guide to his actions,
since he carries the independence of his
private life into public. There one can
really gain the consciousness of having
done what lay in ones power for the
welfare of ones country. One may
succeed or not Ones opinion may sur
yive or not. The endeavor remains
equally meritorous. With us, however
In order to be able to take part in pub
lie affairs one must be a paid and de-
pendent State official. One must belong
completely to the official caste. share
their right and wrong views, and re-
nounce all individuality in opinion and
action. One must look on at abuses.
real or apparent, which are connected |
with ones heads, superiors, and even
feloW-of11cials, without being allowed to |
openly attack them; and even those |
who are under one are more under the |
influence of custom and established |
regulations than under that of their
superiors. Even I, ip my short career,
nave often seen how the valuable time
and work of well-paid authorities have
been nullified in such manner that one
could not but believe that employment
had been invented to give the existing
officials something to do. and not the
officials appointed to look after neces-
sary work Moreover, against these
and other nuisances, excellent superior
officials fought with all their energy,
but without success. 1t lies in the ma
ture of our administration.
II have often heard high officials at
Aux-la- Chapelle and Potsdam say this
or that measure is scandalous, oppres-
sive, unjust; and nevertheless they
never dared even once to make the
most respectful protest against it.
They rather felt themselves compelled
to promote them with all their energy
against their own conviction When
San pleasure in the fulfillment Of ones
calling, in the consciousness of being
useful, or even in merely doing ones
duty to ones fatherland, come in?
Struggles of this kind, however, would
De pretty frequent with me in service;
especially as my political faith is es-
,entially counter to that recognized by
)ur GoVernmest. How can / gain the
conviction of being useful to my fellow ,
citizens If / consider the system by
which I help to govern much less bene- !.
icial than its reverse, and in any case ,
Unjust? How can / reconcile it to my
'wn consciesce to fight under the col !,
rs of Government, to wage warfare
gainst the principles which, as far as !,
obedience to the existing laws allow, I !.
old to be one of my most honorable :
uties to my country?
You will, perhaps, find it strange +
hat I maintain that I have a politi- +
al conviction, and even conscience c
you must admit, however, that I can =
My become a recipient of that noblest r
eward of a State servant, the con- :
ciousness of having lived more for the Il
God of his felow-citzens than for his "
wn under such an assumption. "
Given more frequently than from "
our officials enter the service h
. have a respectable and certain live s.
hood, and because want of capital a
utS IlUL PEI nit lieili W DtSlll dlOllfGE -
onest employment. In my position, C
lso give the preference to agriculture il
4 this respect. In common with Bern e
ard, you make the very f1attering re- d
roach that it is especially I who am O
quipped with the capabilities which
How me to hope for particular and ex- G.
successes in the State n
arVice. If [ was to admit this it seems N
J me there is still no clenching reason s
n my adopting an official career. The Ii
anne capabilities also promise me good t.
lccess in every other branch; and per- W
APPS more intellect is needed nova fl
avs to manage a large estate than to 81
acome privy councillor [ am quite if
9rtan that the full energy and initia- o1
We of a shrewd man are requisite for v,
n estate of similar size and condition | a
that of Kniephof, in order to obtain IL
lie produce it might yield or even to M
aintain it, If still worse times should | cs
me. Moreover, although | nj
presence may be amply I'll
Efficient for the administra ton of our te
tates, / am nevertheless convinced w
at from the purely material stand
lint L could turn my activity to a ga
ore profitable account in agriculture | in
an in the State service, apart from @
60 t1,nt ct