The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-21
The German Elections.

POS Deputies; n second balloting VIII be
required to fill 1872 of the 397 seats in
the Chamber At the second balloting,
voters will have to choose between the
two candidates who received the highest
number of votes on the first ballot. Not
withstanding the very large proportion
of constituencies nearly one-half in
y which no definite result was reached it
is possible by comparison of the re-
turns with the state of things in the last
Reichstag, to arrive at some Trustworthy
conclusion as to the relative strength of
parties in the new body.
In the last Rechstag the Conserva-
tives possessed So seats, and 20 were oc-
cllpied BY their habitual allies, the So
called Free Conservatives. The Ma
tional Liberals mustered 81 Deputies.
The Richter Radicals including South
German Democrats, numbered "a; the
group of Radicals headed by DR.. BARTH,
IA. There were also Agrarians, 10
Anti-Semites, 10 Alsace-Lorrainers, IA
Poles and Fl more or less independent
members. The Social Democrats had
So, and in the Clerical party of the Centre,
the largest in the Chamber, there were
lO5 members. The majority, which in
sisted upon high duties on breadstuffs,
was made up of Conservatives and Free
Conservatives. of the four Agrarians.
Of most of the National Liberals and Of
the Clericals. The opposition was COM
posed mainly of the Socialists and the
Richter and Barth Radicals
Let us say at once that the Clerical
party of the Centre seems to have un-
dergone no loss. 1t has returned 81
Deputies, and its candidates will be
balIoted for second time in thirty
six constituencies. II it succeeds on
half of these new ballots, it will retain
precisely the strength which it pos
sessed in the last Reichstag. On the
other hand, the Conservatives and the
Free Conservatives have elected but 81
Deputies, and will have to be successful
In thirty-hve out Of the fifty-three
- ballots in which their candidates will be
eligible in order to keep the number OF
seats which they had in the last Chamber.
The National Liberals have returned but
b, five Deputies, and will have to triumph
, in forty-six out of sixty-five ballots if
- they are to keep their former strength.
This, Of course, is impossible. Not a
single Agrarian was returned, and so
far as our information goes. only one
+. Agrarian candidate will be eligible on a
second balloting. Neither the Richter
= Radicals nor the Barth Radicals carried
a single constituency. both the leaders,
Herr RICHTER and DR.. BARTH, being
themselves defeated, though they will
undoubtedly be successful on a second
balloting If the two Radical groups
. win in every one OF the forty-three
ballots for which their candidates are
eligible, which is manifestly impossible
they would fall short by five of their
aggregate numbers in the last Reichstag.
We observe, finally, that the Socialists,
who had but fifty-eight Deputies in the
last Chamber, have already elected fifty
four, and their candidates will partici-
pate in l22 second ballots. II they sue
coed in quarter of these, they will have
about eighty-four votes in the next
Reichstag.
Evidently, the Socialists have to very
large extent absorbed the Radical groups;
, the National Liberals are tending tow
ard disintegration; the Conservatives of
: both shades have been weakened; the
0 Clericals alone seem invulnerable. If,
now, we examine the figures with refer
ence to possible political combinations
three facts are especially conspicuous.
First, the anti-Agrarian strength is no
greater than it was, because what the
Socialists have gained the Radicals have
lost. Secondly there seems to be no
prospect of n defeat OF the commercial
treaties through the combined opposi-
ton OF the Socialists and the Conserva-
lives, the former opposing the treaties,
on the ground that the duties on food
staples are too high, and the latter, on
the plea that they are too low. In the
third place the support Of the Clericals
will be as indispensable to the Imperial
Government hereafter as it has been
during the last five years. In order to
secure that support, the Chancellor will
have to find means of persuading the
Bundesrath to sanction the repeal Of that
survival of the Falk laws which bars
Jesuits out of Germany.
The aggregate vote cast seems not to
have greatly exceeded that which was
thrown on the first ballot in 1896. 1t will
Cal! short of 100000. OF these the
Socialists must be credited with about
two and half millions, or with several
hundred thousand more votes than they
commanded five years ago. If the
electoral districts were apportioned tc
population, as, by the organic law of the
German Empire, they should be, the
Socialists should be able to elect 10.
Deputies, or about one-third of the
Chambers for, in Germany it must be
remembered, citizen qualified to vote
n one district can vote in any other
Consequently. the surplus strength pos.
tossed by the Socialists in certain urban
centres can. IL the coat Of travel be pro.
Sided, be drafted off to districts wherein
they are weaker. For upward of thirty
years, however, the Imperial Govern.
mont M refused to provide by statute
for the strict adjustment of representa-,