The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-11
ACHARGE WITH DRAWN SABRES Rioting Breaks Out in
 Berlin. MANHOOD SUFFRAGE DEMANDED Mobs Storm Building of the Prus- sian Landtag. The Entire Police Force of Berlin Ha. Been Called Out for Duty.
 Prince von BueIow's
 Statement.
MANHOOD SUFFRAGE DEMANDED


 the Prussian Landtage today for man- hood suffrage in Rus.a brought out the statement from Prince von Bueiow, tho Imperial Chancellor, that while the matter required reform, he Government did not consider that manhood suffrage would be good for the State, and that secret voting would not. be permitted.
 This statement was distinctly unpopu- lar with the people, who had gathered in large numbers outside the Landtag building. Rioting began and the po- lice were speedily reinforced. The demonstrants spread throughout the city and to control them the police had to charge with drawn sabres. A num- Der of the lioters were injured and some of the police sustained wounds.
 The "Vorwaerts." the leading Eocial- ist organization. is distributing extras this afternoon declaring that the hour has struck for the masses to demand representation in Parliament.
 After being driven away from the neighbcrhood of the I4andtage building. the crowd made it's way in the direction of the Imperial Palace. The police barred the streets leading to the paI- ace, but they did not clear the square facing the Imperial residence. where the family of the Emperor is now Iiv- Eng. In spite of the cold weather, the crowd grew rapidly. It was composed principally of unemployed. of which it is estimated that there are at pres- ent not less than 50.000 in Berlin.
 In the square some of thA demon- strants became disorderly and were at once arrested
 The entire police force of Berlin has been called out for duty in the prfn- cipal parts of the city. There have been collisions between the manifest- ants and the police in several of the main thoroughfares, and there resulted in numerous arrests.
 Under the present electoral system in Prussia, there are three classes of elec- tors. Up 10 the present time, the la boring mar has been completely de- priyed of representation in the Prun- stan Parliament owing 10 the fact that he was overruied at the final eiectiona by the other two classes. The catego- ries of electors are formed arbitrarily by dividing the total amount of taxa tion received by the State into three equal parts. A small number of wealthy persons. paying the first third of the total of taxation, select a cer- tain number of men from their ranks to act as final voters; more extended number of less wealthy persons. who pay the next third of the full amount of taxation, choose an equal number of final electors, while the third class of voters, composed of the remainder of the population and including the work men, whose numbers reach to the nail- lions, are allowed to select a number of final voters equal to that chosen by each of the other two classes. The total number of final electors selected by this process then proceed to cast the final vote, at which the represenfa> lives of the two first named classes always vote solidly together, thus shut- ting out any possibility of the election of a representative of the working class.
 Prince von EueIow, the Imperial Chancellor, has made known his inten- ton of speaking on this subject during the debate which is to follow the pre~ sentation of the Interpolation.
 When the debate on the suffrage question opened. Prince von Bueiow declared that the Conservative Party would not permit the solid foundations of the Prussian elective system to bo shaken. and this statement was sub scribed to by Herr von MaikeWitz. spokesman of the party.
 On the other hand. Herr Porsch. speaker for the Center Party said he that he regretted the statement made by the Chancellor, especially his re- Jection of the proposal that the voting be secret.
 Herr Krause. National Liberal, was :n favor of reform in the eiectoriat system, put not mannoo SuHrHge,
 Herr Fischbecl<, leader of the Radical liberals who Is the only out-and-out supporter of manhood suffrage in a house where the Socialists are not rep- resented, said he would not rest untfl manhood suffrage in Prussia had been granted. together with secrecy in vot- ing, which, he said, was the safeguard of the middle classes.
 After these various addresses. tho Chancellor again spoke. He said the fin the streets this morning had not made the slightest impression on the Government; that the Government had not changed by one hairs bredath its decision to carry through what 1t thought to support. As the next elections, the Chancellor de- clared the Government would main- tain absolute impartlality. The motion without a division.
 The most serious encounter was at Jurfuerston Bridge. Here the police had to charge with drawn sabres. The motion for manhood suffrage was discussed by the Lantdags amid great uproar and was finally rejected with out A division,