The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-12-24
HY PHIL GILMORE StMMS.
Special Correspondence to The PreAs

BV PHIL GILMORE siMMs.
special Correspondence to The PreAs
BERLIN, Dec. 24.-Germany
, does not need a new kaiser. Ger
many does not need new consti-
tuition. She does not even have to
amend the one she has. What she
does need, however, is men-not
measures.
Thus is epitomized at least a
dozen interviews with well inform
ed Germans. among them DR.. Theo.
Barth, one of the best posted men
in Europe.
With vat or so of ginger and
zippity-go bang leader at the
front of things. the present system
of semi-absolutism would be
changed in fifty. Every educated
Z German with liberal tendencies de-
veloped the slightest bit. says this
is emphatically true. ,a,t
But so far the man of the hour
has turned up missing. r,s
1t took Prif6e Bismarck, about
nine years to unite Germany under
Prussian leadership. but he did 1t
with knot tighter than Dicks hat
band. AS matters stood in 1868.
they practically stand today. But
the imperial constitution which
came into being with the re estab-
lishment of the German empire
which. took place at Versailles.
January II. 1871. gives to the citi-
Gems the only weapons needed.
On that date a confederation was
formed exactly like our own United
States-for mutual protection. Ex-
elusive of ace-Lorraine-which
is directly under the emperor-25
states joined hands. But 1t must be
kept in mind that each retained
its individuality. which it does to
this day.
The ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
four Kingdoms, six grand duchies,
five duchies, seven principalities
and three free cities (Hamburg,
Bremen and Luebeck) provided
fer itself a president, the Office to
be vested in the king of Prussia
with a title Of emperor. And that
is where the Hohenzollern family
came In.
AS I have stated, each kingdom,
principality and so on retained it's
own individuality. with a king,
prince or other heading its gov
eminent. the which, in every in
stance, was-and is--operated
under, its own constitution.
But the confederation. or en-
pire. created two bodies for leg
islative purposes--the bundsrath
or federal council and the impe-
rial diet or reichstag. The coun.
Gil members are appointed by the
kings of the various Kingdoms, the
king of Prussia himself appointing
II. In this body must originate all
legislation. The reichstag. with 1877
members, is elected by the people
on universal suffrage system.
The voting age is %, and there
are many ways for disqualification
army and navy officers, men who
have received aims and so ON be-
ing deprived of the franchise.
The seating arrangement of the
reichstag body is manifestly I'M
fair. Supposedly, there is deputy
in the diet for each 100000 inhabi-
tants. Such Is not the case.
Berlin, for instance. has over
100000 people within her legal
limits. She has but six deputies.
The division of Teltow-Beeskow-
Storkow- Charlottenburg which Is
Just outside of Berlin, has about
\ 100000 inhabitants and only one
Y deputy!
SchaumburgI.ippe. on the other
hand. with only $4,000 people. has
representative!
At the election OF 1907. the
social democrats polled a250,000
votes. II has in the reichstag ex.
actly AZ seats. The center party
party polled 100000 votes. or
thereabouts. and has 1O4 seats.
The conservatives. who are not so
numerous as the first mentioned
crowd, have go seats In the diet.
The German emperor has no leg.
islative power. His hand ia a mail
ed hand, the executive end OF the
government being left almost abso
lutely to him. AS king OF Prussia
he can declare war or do almost
anything else he chooses. asking
leave Of no body. Az German ON.