The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-06
HERR BEBEL FIERCELY AssAILs
THE NEW GERMAN TARIFF
BILL
+ LEvIEs HUNGER DUTIES
Hot Denunciation ELECTS sneers and
Laughter From the Great
Land Owners in the
Reichstag.
THREATS MET WITH THREATS

BERLIN, Dec. 5-The most Insignificant
lookingV man in the reichstag, Herr Bebel,
broke his didactic monotony today and
lifted the tariff debate to emotional levels.
Herr Bebel spoke to the breathless gal
leries He often provoked his opponents,
but sometimes he even enthralled them.
The wagonmaker is diminutive in body
and has a large head. Pulling at his
pointed chin-whislSer he took the tribune
after the peasant farmer, Herr NisSen,
and as the representative of 100000 vot-
ers, he lodged the Socialist protest against
the hunger duties,' as he called the
tariffs on grain. The man seemed to grow
bodily as he warmed up to his work. He
spoke, as always, with astonishing ease
and rapidity of utterance His tuneful
voice, instead of growing hoarser as the
speech prolonged, on the contrary, grew
more melodious. Herr Bebel said there
We're two nations in the German state,
the punderers and the plundered.
''Ihe imperial chancellor, Count Won
Bueiow spoke for the former, am speak
ing for the latter. Fifteen per cent Of
the German people are engaged in agrt-
culture The chancellor said the remain.
ing So per cent We're engaged in 9TH
er occupations and that 72 per cent OF
these latter were industrialists. The prop
osition of the government is to lay a
tax of between 6O00O0,000. and 7O0 900
profitable the occupation of Is per cent of
the people. Only one-ninth of the grain
is imported.
Farmers Are PrOspering.
Agriculture in Germany might be call
ed prosperous. The late DR.. Won MIGUEL,
former minister of finance, in an official
declaration three years ago said German
agriculture was prosperous. The Prussan
crown knows it is prosperous because it
is now investing 10000 600 marks in new
agricultural holdings The reduction of
farm mortgage foreclosures of recent
years shows that agriculture is better off
than previously and the value Of lands
has increased during the last century.
This bill is intended not for the bet
terment of the farm laborer. but for the
betterment of the landlord. If any land
lord is not getting on we'll now, it is be-
cause of large hunting parties, gambling,
well filled wine cellars, sons in crack
cavalry regiments and town houses in
Berlin
At this point of Herr Bepers speech,
Graf Won Kardorff, one of the greatest
land magnates, laughed, jeeringly.
Yes continued Herr Bebel. 'That is
the way with you fellows. You lay taxes
upon the poor and when it is proven to
you that they are unnecessary. you
laugh. But the worlds history rolls on
over you regardlessly."
Rebel Grows Fierce.
Later Graf Won Arnim, another great
Agrarian leader, scornfully Interrupted
Herr Bebel while the latter was relating
an incident of a Prussian school girl who
wanted to go to heaven because there
was no hunger there. Upon this occur
renee the socialist members of the reichs-
tag rushed in a body toward the Con-
servative side of the chamber shouting
Order" Interruptions of all sorts were
then made. showing the rising temper of
the house. The president of the reichstag
frequently rang his bell or called Herr
Bebel and the other members of all
political parties to order.
Herr Bebel, inspired by the tempestuous
temper of the house. exclaimed:
This bill foments instruction The
chancellor aims to overturn social order;
We shall do our utmost to send this bill
to hades, and we only regret we cannot
send its authors and abettors there also. =
Baron Won Rheinhaben, the Prussian
minister of finance, advised Herr Bebel
that if the Social Democrats stirred them
rebellion the government assured them
they would reap a harvest of broken
heads. This was greeted with cheers on
the right and laughter on the left Herr
Moeller, the minister of commerce, said
he regarded the new tariff as an effective
weapon in the hands of the government
to force conclusion favorable to COM
n:ercial treaties.
Both Herr Moeller and Baron Won
Rheinbaben referred to the necessity of
protection from American competition
The latter described the misery caused by
the Dingley tariff among the working
classes of GERMANY