Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-23
REICHSTAG MAY
ASSUME POWER
OF MINISTERS
WOULD ALTER CONSTITUTION
OF GERMAN EMPIRE
SOCIALISTS AND RADICALS TO
DISCUSS CHANGES
Plan. to Make Chancellor and Minis
tiers Accountable to Parliament
and to Arrogate Right to
Declare War
LBv Associated Press.l

BERLIN, Nov. 22.-The debate in the
reichstag on the motions introduced by
the Socialists and Radicals. demanding
changes in the constitution with the
object of making the chancellor and
ministers responsible to parliament and
giving the sole power to the reichstag
to declare war; win probably begin
on December 2.
The debate is expected to last one
day. or two days at the most.
The advanced Liberals, whose aim is
to convert the German political system
into a government responsible to parlia-
ment, do not anticipate much from the
present reichstag, because in the days
when feeling ran the highest the party
leaders would not agree to urge the
simplest resolutions of censure or in
quiry.
The Radicals and Socialists count up
on making their first great campaign
in the elections of 1912 unless the house
is dissolved sooner.
The power of the associated mon
arches forming the German empire is
intrenched in two principal ways-in
the bundesrath, which has equal legis
lative powers with the reichstag, and
ties, which have under the ancient sys-
tenn of the feichstag electoral districts,
the means for holding the majority in
that body by about one-third of the
votes cast.
Stands in Path
The hundesrath which consists of
fifty-eight members appointed by the
sovereigns of the states of Germany,
except one each from Hamburg, Bre-
men and Lubbock, stands directly across
the path of a government responsible
to the elected representatives of the
people.
The kings, grand dukes, dukes and
princes, who rule the federated states,
also through ministers responsible to
them alone, while willing to unite in
limiting the freedom of initiative and
speech on the part of the king of Prus-
STA as emperor, are one with him in
their determination to resist represen-
tative government.
Fourteen votes in the bundesrath
against any amendment to the consti-
tuition will suffice for it's rejection.
The emperor, as king of Prussia,
nominates seventeen of the members
and as a consequence there is no pos
sible chance for the adoption of an
amendment without his consent.
The Radicals and Socialists do not
doubt that by cutting off the money
appropriations they could in the end
compel the adoption of an amendment
without his consent.
Do Not Doubt Ability
The Radicals and Socialists do not
doubt that by cutting off the money
appropriations they could in the end
compel the monarch to grant full
representative government, but they
must first command a majority in the
= ,1rI.r 10. w
possible through prolonged and over
whelming agitation for a rearrange-
ment of electoral districts, so that the
artisan classes in the industrial CEN
ters shall have equal ballot rights
with the protected food growing inter-
ests which are opposed to a change.
There has been no change in the
boundaries of the reichstag constiu-
encies since the empire was formed.
During the interval of thirty-seven
years the populations have increased
from Al 900, 900 to $4,000, 900. The weight
of the population has shifted from the
country to the town districts, hence Il
is possible for "a per cent of the popu
lation to choose 56 per cent of the par
lament.
The Conservatives elect member
with an average of 1922 votes, and the
Socialists with an average of 1871
votes, so that the political free thinker,
living in the trading and manufactur-
ing centers, has a ballot co-efficient
one-fourth that of the loyal peasant
monarchist.
The Socialists in 1907 polled $3.50, 1929
votes, and have forty-three members in
the reichstag. The conservative par
ties with 1,549,741 votes, have eighty
five members, and the clerical center,
with 2,145,09S. have 104 members. Ber-
lin, with a population emitting it to
thirteen, is permitted to elect only six
members, while some of the other large
cities are represented in a similar ratio.