The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-24

or une OF not more tnhn foU, UT O0Ln.
Policemen ought not to be led TO such an
end by misguidanoe in the law.
The Approaching Elections In Ger
many.
The German Empire b on the eve Of
general election more important than
any that has taken place for many years.
The question submitted to the voters is
whether they are prepared to uphold the
new tariff. which aims to give native
producers Of food staples an absolute
monopoly Of the whole market. On
tho one side will be arrayed tho land
owners and all persons who get their
living directly or indirectly from the
land. They will be confronted by all
operatives. all artisans, all miners and
all persons who profit directly or indi-
rectly by the importation Of food prod
ucts. II the inquiry could be answered
by yea or nay, there is scarcely any
doubt that the opponents OF the tariff
would preponderate, because there 10
reason to believe that at present in the
German Empire tho non-agrioultural
population outnumbers the agricultural.
The reply Is not to be given instanta-
neously and categorically, however, but
must be relegated to the new members
Of the next Reichstag, in the choice Of
whom personal and party considerations
will play q considerable part. More
over, until the electoral districts shall
be reapportioned. they will not reflect
accurately the change which has taken
place in the distribution OF the popula-
ton into urban and rural elements. As
things are now, the great centres OF in.
dustry and conspicuously Berlin. are
not represented in the Reichstag pro-
portionately to the number Of their
inhabitants.
What renders It peculiarly difficult to
predict the outcome OF the election is
the uncertainty which exists concerning
two preliminary questions: Will tho
parties which have opposed the new
tariff in the present Reichstag. to wit.
the Socialists and the two Radical groups.
unite upon candidates; and will these
candidates in urban districts derive CON-
siderable support from the rank and
file OF the National Liberals and of tho
Catholic or Centre partyr II both these
questions could be answered in the
affirmative, the opponents OF the new
tariff would have some prospect Of sue
cess, even under the present unfair APP
portionment, though they would need.
it must DO remembered, to return 100
Deputies in order to gain majority Of
one in the Reichstag. To achieve such
a success. the Parliamentary strength OF
the Socialists would have to be doubled,
and both OF the Radical groups to be
materially augmented. We question
whether such O result can be attained
until the practical effects OF q rise
in the price OF food staples have been
brought home for several years to the
non-agricultural population. That ul-
timately the landed interest will be SUBJ
ordinated in Germany may be taken for
granted, because there, as in Great Brit
ain, the workers are continually drifting
from the farm to the factory. But that
the subordination will be distinctly re-
vealed at the coming election must, for
the reasons mentioned DO looked upon
as doubtful
1t is plain enough, nevertheless, that
the Agrarians, pure and simple, have no
hope Of securing a Homogeneous ma
jority in tho new Reichstag. Con-
fronted with a body Of opponents who,
In any event, will be more numerous than
they are in the present Parliament, they
will be more utterly dependent than ever
upon Centrist support. How will they
be able to secure such aid' They have
already repealed the whole Of the anti
Catholic legislation, except that frag-
ment Of the Falk laws which excludes
the Jeeuits from Germany. They have
even carried through the Reichstag q