The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-11
BERLIN IS ORDERLY.
But Echoes of Yesterdays Disturb
ance Are Still Heard,

Berlin, Jan. 11.-Order prevails
throughout Berlin today and there has
been no recurrence of the demonstra-
lions of. yesterday for manhood suffrage
in Prussia. The police, however. are
still disposed in force at the strategic
points Of the city-the neighborhood of
the palace and various public squares
or they are being held in reserve and
at the station houses. The police don't
permit the people to form in groups
and consequently it has been impossI-
Bile to assemble and start a demonstra-
ton. Most Of the men arrested yester-
day were released today. Herr Bebel
Herr Singer and their assistants who
compose the committee of seven which
is managing the social Democratic
party. regard the terms in which Prince
Won Buelow, the imperial chancellor,
yesterday rejected the demand for man
hood suffrage and a secret ballot in
stead of the existing property qualifi-
cation for voters as declaration of
war. The Vorwaerts, the official organ
or the committee, says today:
There will be no quiet in Prussia un-
I'll universal, equal secret and direct
Suffrage has been won. Prince Won
Buelow's declaration is quite clear. The
phantom Of a liberal era is ended. The
people are warned and they will learn"
The paper then asks:
viii the government ignore ana
despise the demand of the people? We
await the casting Of the responsibility
upon the privileged and governing
classes. Thirty out of the 81 million
people in Prussia are without property
and without rights. Social Democracy
will organize thirty millions and make
their demand irresistible. The govern
ment now has the word, but the people
will have the final word
Newspapers of liberal tendencies.
SIIch as the Tagah1aft regard Prince
Won Buelow's refusal as curt. harsh and
imbued with the reactionary spirit.
'In past times,'' the Tageblatt adds,
"other liberal reforms have overcome
the opposition of greater statesmen
than Prince Won Buelow''
The Vossische Zeitung recognizes that
reforms of the suffrage is necessary
and the question will not disappear
from the order of the day until solu-
ton has been found
The government is supported fully by
the conservative politicians and the in
dications are that the final stages of
the controversy over the abolition of
the property qualification for the fran
chise are at hand. The cleavage be-
tween the supporters of the existing or
der and the socialists is becoming more
acute. Financial and industrial in
terests especially in the Rhine and
WeStphalian country which naturally
are liberal, support the crown in its
refusal to modify the electoral system
because this system has been the only
barrier which has prevented the social
lists from obtaining Influential represent
tation in the Prussian legislature. In
dependent observers are of the opinion
that the socialists have been supplied
with strong arguments for the liberal
izing of the suffrage by reason of the
present financial embarrassment Of the
campaign through the efforts of the
government to find new methods of
taxation at a time when a period of
great prosperity apparently is coming
to an end.
The leaders of the national Liberal
party are forced to silence in the pres
ent controversy by fear of doing any
thing to help the socialists and by the
hope that Chancellor Won Buelow's de-
tendency on the socalled bloc" conf
mission of liberal and conservative in
terests will ultimately strengthen the
influence of the Liberal party.