Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-06
Chancellor Writes Where Emperor Had
Hoped to Issue Royal Manifesto.
"SpARY ELECTION MAY Be MADE AFARcE
Government Has Power to Order Another
Vsts If Defeated.
UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE IS THREATENED
Large Socialist Gains Might Cause
the Emperor 10 Reduce Number
of Votes of the
Empire.

BERLIN, Jan. b.-(special)-T kaiser
hopes TO carry the country and capture a
patriotic Reichstag within six weeks. He
has set January Is as election day
According to trustworthy Information, the
emperor was on the verge of intruding his
picturesque and virile personality into the
fight in much the same way as Mr.. Roose-
welt interfered in the recent struggle over
the governorship of New York. only his
majesty's Intervention would have been
more along Russian lines than American
lines. However. he was anxious to issue
a lurid manifesto to his people urging them
90 vote lmperially" and TO smash the sedi-
tious and unholy alliance between the
Catholics and the socialists who appear to
be obstructing his path to world-glory.
He was only persuaded by Prince Won
Buelow and other counselors. who pointed
out that such an innovation would be
bitterly resented, especially by the liberal
element. without whose support the gov
ernment's case is hopeless. and that support
would be alienated at stroke by import
ing the czar's ukase methods into moro or
less liberated Germany. Chancellor Won
BueIow's recent letter was decided upon as
compromise.
A few days of calm retrospect have filled
doubts as to the wisdom of dissolvlng the
Reiohstag at moment when the country
is rocking with discomfort. II Is positively
known that the leaders do not cherish much
confidence that the Reichstag to be selected
will be a whit more tractable than the
present Reichstag.
Radical Talk ts Heard
This fear is exposed in statement by
a prominent South German newspaper to
the effect that the Prince Won Buelow will
not hesitate In the event of defeat to tear
the ballots of January Is into shreds and
appeal to the country a second time, The
constitution permits the repetition of such
a process indefinitely. but a revolution
would almost inevitably be the fiouted coun-
trys answer II the governments disgust
with the electorate became simple defiance.
Current report absolves Prince Won Bue-
low of any such intention. 1t Is reported
that he would consider government defeat
at the polls tantamount to his own political
death warrant and would summarily abb
dioate the chancellorshp. Some wild talk
is in circulation, but saner judges cannot
conceive that the kaiser will dream OF any
thing more radical than the abolition OF
universal suffrage.
The empire is now Rblaze with campaign
excitement All parties have issued theiI
calls to battle and appeals for election
expenses. The government is making
frantic petitions 10 voters to sink petty
differences and to stand shoulder to shoul-
der for broad national ideals. There is al
most universal expectation that the social
lists VIII win heavily and that the Catho-
lies. whom the government dislikes, will
simply make way for the socialists, whom
the government despises.
Notwithstanding the fact that the coun'
try Is undoubtedly at the zenith OF an un.
precedented prosperity, the increased cos'
of living the colonial scandals. the eccen
tricities OF the kaiser, Germany's uncom
Portable foreign position, police injustic'
and heavy taxes combine to put the cleo
torate into the ugliest mood It has shown
for generations. Social democracy. as thu
only consistent party opposition, viii hardl!
fail to reap the benefits OF this winter o.
discomfort