St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-09-13
80 -=sss=f=.s.e= ~rYHNrE
THE KAIsER'S INFLUENCE
- nj. Policy Of Beco"Ae
personally Acquainted w.
His Omcefs.

1.-THE Secret of the Persons public 1
ence of the Kaiser on German 1on
life" is the theme OF "o ~.
schierprand's contribution 10 .n
North American Review. The po"11.
conferred upon the emperor Dy M
constitution of the empire are ie@ 80:
less than those invested IN the pr
dent Of the United States. lno
kaiser has no authority to ve'o ~ ~.
wise or unwelcome legislation ~.
can he interfere in the internai a.
fairs of any of the German s'a,1s s
except that of which he is King ~.
Won Schierbrand shows no"
kaiser has usually found ways ana
means of effecting his will through
both the Bundesrath and the helc.'
tag, which are both theoretically ~
dependent of his control. Wnna"
II. has made it q point to keep IN inc
closest possible touch with MS army
and navy. His military ana nasa,
cabinets daily furnish him personal
details regarding both arms OF tho
service, and it is said that he knows
half of the $4,000 officers in the army
and all of the 1900 naval officers I'M
der his command. Through his civil
cabinet" he acquires similarly lnti-
mate knowledge of the citizen pop
ulation, and particularly the govern
ment officials. Again, the kaiser mas
increased his influence by the LAVISH
ness with which he has INDUCED the
popular passion for titles and decora-
lions, and by vastly increasing the
splendors of the court. By sucn
means William II. has REINFORCED tho
influence of his strong personailty'
which of itself commands attentlon
and, through his sayings and dolngs'
has impressed itself upon his coun-
try. The effect of the kaiser's lnhu-
ence upon German affairs has not al
ways been beneficial. Mr.. Won Schler-
brand says:
perhaps the Interpretations ln-'
Jury, and certainly the most COM
pletely achieved, done to German
public life by the kaiser's personal
influence, is that inflicted upon the
press and periodical literature. The
freedom of the press, guaranteed not
only by the imperial constitution, but
by those of Prussia and the other
German states, has been practically
destroyed by him. The practice OF
the courts an over Germany, from
the lowest to the highest, has been,
since the accession of William H.,
growingly and steadily illiberal and
systematically inimical to the press.
Honest expressions of opinion, when
ever it>contravened the kaiser's ideas
and convictions, has been SO persist
emily and severely punished that it
may be said to be effectually muzzled.
There has never been any regime in
Germany, so far as the records go,
during which convictions for lese
majestic and all sorts of press of
lenses have been even approximately
as numerous. All this is not only in
with the kaiser's wishes,
but it is in large measure directly
due to him, the appointment of the
judges forming the highest tribunal
in the empire, and the positions lead
ing up to this highest court, being
under his control. The kaiser has
never during the IA years of his reign
pardoned single one of these Of
tenders against his own dignity, nor
even shortened, in any instance, their
penalty. Besides, he has often ex-
pressed downright hostility to free
press"