El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-08-15

ID ERLIN, Germany. Aug. 15.-Great
as was the political genius of Bis
marck, ne would not have been
able to unite Germany into a compact
| imperial state had it not been for the
tariff. The customs union, or Zoll-
yerein, formed between 1928 and 1886,
made Prussia the center Of commercial
Germany by consent of all the German
states but Austria, long before any Of
the non-Prussian states would have
tolerated suggestion OF PruSsian DO
litical dominacy. The customs parlfa-
ment, or Zollparlament. which met in
Berlin in 1868 had for its immediate
purpose the revision of the treaties con-
shutting the ZOllverein. 1t was COM
posed of two chambers. the upper one
representing the several states and the
lower composed of deputies chosen by
universal suffrage of the people
1t was the first national assembly
in Germany which recognized both the
principle of state sovereignty and the
doctrine of popular control of govern
the lines of the American congress. In
it was represented all Of the STAGES ex-
cept Austria. and all OF the S&erman
people except the Austrians
Unity of Purpose Proven.
1t did revise the constitution of the
Zollverein, but 1t also did much more.
1t proved TO the south Germans that
their commercial interests were too much
in common with those of the north Ger
man confederation TO permit further po-
litical differences 1t furnished an OBJ
ject lesson in the practical workings of
4 national parliament. The zollparla-
ment resulted in the imperial constitu-
ton of the German empire just as the
Annapolis convention on interstate COM
merce resulted in the constitution of
the United States of America
IT was tariff reform that forged the
chain which for the first time bound up
the, material interests of all Germans
outside of Austria as those of one ma
ton When that economic union was
accomplished, nothing remained for
Bismarck to do but TO provide the dra-
matte situation which would appeal to
the patriotic imagination Of the people
20 bring about political union. That
prince of stage managers two years
later, made some eraSures IN a telegram
sent out from Ems. the theatric situa-
ton ne had planned resulted. the Zoll-
verein became an empire. and the Zoll-
parliament an imperial legislature.
Carl Marx and Socialism.
a certain German publicist Karl
Marx by name, developed the theory of
economic deterr1nlSm in fuTthering his
propa Galda of socialism 1t hardly can
be said that he discovered the fact
that the bread-and butter question was
at the bottom of all great political. and
even religious. upheavals. There is evil
dence 10 show that Confucius and king
Solomon subscribed TO this theory some
years before there was a Germany to
produce a Karl Marx. But it was not
Confucius in his philosophy nor Solo
mon in his wisdom. nor yet Karl Marx
IN his dreaming. who waS first to apply |
n the problems of practical govern
mental administration the knowledge
Of the fact that all mankind is divided !
into two political parties-one hungry !
and naked and the other filled and !
clothed.
Bismarck was Junker-a born arts |
tocrat. He believed that the princes of |
Garth, with their aristocratic retainers, !
should rule the people of earth. He new /
er was a democrat and he never was
able TO trust the people to do any
thing wisely. even in their own behalf. |
He tolerated some forms of democratic |
government because he had to do so.
but he sought always to control the |
masses by appealing TO their magma
ton. which they possessed in abund-
ance, rather than TO their reason, which |
believed they did not have.
BIsmarck's Belief.
Bismarck proba bly, did not believe
in the divine right OF kings. but he
lid oslieve that 1t was better both
for princes and peopIe>to leave the con-
troll OF government in the hands OF
the princes. Believing this. he exam
ined into the history of the past, and
consulted the spirit or the age-the