The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-07-11
nY BERNARD FISCHER.

- BERNARD ASOAsAASs
Berlin. July 10-Prince Buelow
speech upon the new taxation propos-
ais of the imperial government. as an
EFFORT In Parliamentary oratory, was
failure. It was short, 1t was "unillum-
mating" and II disappointed the House
and the galleries. The fact may, per-
haps, admit of more than one explain
alton. 1t is possible that circumstances
were too much for the Chancellor.
They were unfavorabie In high de-
gree to the display of his particular
gifts, and the consciousness that this
was the case may have dampened the
spirit and the humor which SO often
distinguish his addresses.
It must be remembered, on the othei
hand. that the Chancelior's object is mol
a mere rhetorical triumph. He Is play
| ing for higher stakes, and he may nave
deliberately chosen to be "unilluminat-
ing" He has got to reconstitute his
majority, and too early flood OF lign'
might compromise that exceedingly
delicate operation He may have pre-.
| ferred to be safe and dull. rather thar
| to be witty and rash. They iaugr
| that win. and IL he wins In the gains
| before him his accustomed vtvacita
will doubtless revive. -.
The Empire wishes to increase its
revenue which has fallen short of tbs
l =
the reason being, not that the popula'
ton of Germany Is unable to bear fur'
| Their taxation, but that the arrange
ments embodies in the treaty called ths
CONSTITUTION considerably restrict ths
taxing power of the Empire which de-
ponds to a large extent upon contripu.
lions from the several states OF VI.
Federation. There are two oppositt
| opinions as to the sources from wnlct
further revenue should be drawn Tne
government plan was to look to death
duties and to direct taxation; the Cons
seryatiye or Agrarian Party would pre-,
| fer that the money should be ootaiheo
| from trade and finance. by taxes or
| stocks and shares. on exported coai anu
ground corn, and by similar metnous |,
| The Chancellor's speech, however, olo
not really deal with methods OF 'asa.
| ton. It treated of the relation De-
tween the government, conceived OF al
representing the nation. and the sever
al parties. :.
The Chancellor. who IL the head OF
the government In the same sense as mn
English Prime Minister. but with
tenure of ONCE limited only by the EN-
peror's discretion. considers himselt 10
be the servant. not OF any party, pu'
of the whole nation represented by tne
Emperor. This was. OF course, BIS
marck's idea. and Bismark drew tne
| inference that any party that Opposed
or criticized him was anti-nationai
That idea was part of the weakness
OF a, great man who had attained recog'
milton. Prince Buelow, however, wal
hardly appointed Chancellor on the
| score of greatness. bismarck nae
| done his great work and made his marx
before there was an Empire. His nom
ination as Chancellor was the neces-
sary acknowledgment of Achievements
None of his successors has started u
the same position. Each of them mas
heen selected. on what may be called
business lines, as a man thought COM
petert to carry on the AFFAIRS OF the
Empire as a going concern. Thus tins
| Chancellor Is supposed to take the
standpoint Of the nation. and to rely
on such support as he can obtain from
the parties, now from one combination
and now from another.
In Bismarclx's Day.
Bismarck, as Prussian Minister, was
thought an ultra Conservative. He hat
the Liberal Party against him, and tht
! sixties were the palmy davis of Ger
main liberalism. But the Liberals were
devoted to the nation and 80 soon al
Bismarck's aims were revealed In the'i
realization, and II was seen that he
was making the nation the bulk OF the
Liberals, calling themselves Nationa