New-York tribune., 1903-07-13
IN THE GERMAN EMPIRE.
Results of General ELections-De-
man9 for Nesc Commercial Treatu.
Berlin. June IS


serves the best immediate needs Of the nation
True there has been another enormous increase
in the Socialist vote. and that solely due TO
widespread dissa tisfaction with existing condi-
tions, for # would be d mistake to assume that
the three million electors who cast their haIIots
for Socialist candidates were themselves one
and all. followers Of Marx and Lassaue There
this time large-a very large-adnnix+ure
of merely dissruntled bourgeois voters in those
three millions-persons who voted the wav thev
did as the only effective means they had to
testify 10 their dspleasure at such things as the
rule Of Agrarian protectionists the high tariff
law recently passed. the steady rise in the price
Of foodstUi1s, the growing reactionisn in courts
ard IN administrative practice the financial and
business depression, and so forth. The Socialists
VIII send into the next Re!chstag. 19O3-'0S,
something like fourscore delegates in lieu Of
ftty-six. and will thus compose one-hfth of the
total membership Of that body They have
shown amazing strength at the polls even in tho
hClWarks Of Agrarianism and Ultramontanisfn.
and, with the exception of Cologne they have
elected their candidates in almost every indus
trial centre within the empire All this they
have accomplished despite the far reaching
power Of the imperial authorities and against
The united opposition Of the "Staatserhaltende
Parteien-" the law and order parties.
Al this IS serious enough. The three million
tota, vote cast Such an enormous body Of po-
ltlcal and social indictments is in itself grave
danger And, what seems worse, the lesson thus
given does not appear 10 be minded by the
ruling classes. who instead Of becoming con-
WINGED that the Old system Of repression has
proved abortive. and that a better and juster
method Of treating these hosts of bitter prole-
tarians ought 10 be instituted continue TO cry
for more coercion
Yet, with al that. neither government nor
nation has much immediate cause to regret the
outcome of the elections, for with the new
makeup Of the Reichstag. the worst evil from
which the nation suffered during the last three
years is over and done with. The preponder-
atlng influence OF the Agrarian party is broken
within national councils That party-or, more
strictly speaking. these adherents Of an eco
nonic policy which favors prohibitive duties on
al agricultural produce, Irrespective Of the
larger and more important claims for considera-
ZION by the industrial, commercial and manu-
featuring classes, the latter forming three-ffths
Of the whole nation-was made UP in the defunct
Re!chsJag OF the Conservatives the Centre. the
right wing OF the National Liberals and dozen
II scattering followers, being & good sized ma
5ortty of the 397 members. In the new Reichs-
tag they viii no longer be in The majority. The
Socialists, Liberals. Radicals and the left wing
Of the Centre Will together vote in favor Of the
renewal Of commercial treaties and Of a more
liberal tariff policy, lowering the duties on the
necessaries Of life. On many other measures II
Is true. each Of these factions will vote inde-
pendeEtly and the government VIII again look
70 the Conservatives and the Centre for the
passing Of army and navy bills, as of yore But
inasmlch as the renewal Of the commercial
treaties Is the most pressing need of the coun-
try, and as without such a change in the make
Up Of the Relchstag as has been effected by the
elections the government would have been pow
eTIess II the hands Of the Agrartan majority.
ana unable 20 carry out its commercial treaty
and tariff policy, even the Kaiser and the i'm
perlal government, wroth as they are at the
large Socialist gains. have reason to be content,
at least for the moment. .r
For It must not be forgotten that the com
mercial treaty policy instituted by Count Ca
privt ten years ago has very largely been the
cause OF Germany's rapid rise since then as an
Industrial and exporting country. In 1892 Ger
manys exports amounted 10 only 31J0OgOO00
marks and her imports 10 4227000O0O; under
he .impetus Of the treaties negotiated by Chan
eel;Cr Caprivi with Russia, Italy. Austria Bel
GUM, Runania and Switzerland, as well as
soma South American countries. the volume of
her trade with these countries more than dou-
hled, and. altogether, It rose within the next
eight years 10 more than 10000 100000 marks.
OF about S2,JOOO000O0 It has varied only
slightly from that during the last three years.
But these treaties are on the point Of expiring
aa1 The old Reichstag refused TO renew them
except at terms deemed quite unacceptable by
these foreign governments, for the Agrarian ma
jority insisted on reciprocal duties discriminat-
ing IN FAVOR Of German agricultural products
Count Won Bulow and the Kaiser viii now have
their hands free TO drive easona bic bargains
with a. these countries for the renewal OF the
expiring treaties That will again give to man
ufac-urers, merchants and captains of industry
the solid foundation for their buseness and for
their speculations which they have lacked for
some tine, IN view Of the conditions described
The depression from which the country has suf-
Tered since 1900 was largely owing to the
certainty felt by the industrial CLASSES
Z, their wrath at the enormous Socialist gains
z large portion OF the ruling classes begin
70 advocate the curtailnent Of the general fran
chise. Some insist property qualifications
being attached as 4 condition to the exercise OF
the voting privilege. Doubtless attempts Will
be made during the next few years to effect such
change. but it is not probable that the govern
HenJ and the Bundesrath (the Federal Council
body resembling the United States Senate) will
lend themselves 10 the scheme, at least at pres
ent. It has been an unavowed paragraph in the
party platform Of the Conservatives for years,
and Il IS well known that Bismarck. at & certain
turn in internal affairs seriously contemplated
such z radical change in the imperial constitu-
ton With Bismarck the granting Of the general
franchise for general elections within the en-
pire-for as 70 State elections they are still con-
Quoted under the old and iiberal election laws
q lfty and more years ago-Was confessedly
srystagern 70 counter0alance the overweening