The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-06-26
GERMAN PEOPLE
 ARE LIVING FAST Roosevelt's Visit Adds to the
 National Speed LAST SCENE OF DRAMA Murder of Major Von Schoenebeck By Colonel of the Regiment Is Again to Be Aired in the Courts.
 Ghost1y Details
LAST SCENE OF DRAMA

every side the two questions of the day: The vote reform and the Schorne- beck trial at Allenstein.
 This Prussian vote reform is polit- ically "the most curious thing that ever happened" Before the so-called reform not one Pruss!an out of fifty could have explained the working Of | 1t; now not one In five hundred can tell what 1t is all about.
 Prussia divides it's voters into three classes-a first, a second, and a third class. All have an equal right to vote for their electors. whish again vote for their candidates. So far they art equal. But the classes are divided &C., cording to income. For instance, a certain district pays 100000 marks in income taxes, of which the first class very likely has paid iu one-hdlf, the second class three-tentns and the third class two-tenths. Consequently, says the state, the first class has the right to elect one-half of the electors all lowed this district the second three tenths and the third two-tenths This two -tenths, however, very likely repre- | sents a hundred times the amount of population of the first class. And here Is where the alleged injustice comes in. They want all to vote alike. regardless of income.
 To the American that will seem just. | In Germany the things look somewha different. America nas, to all lntents | and purposes. no social democracy, be- cause she does not need 1t. There Is | n af ea11 for qllpb a What Is called social democracy In America is actually either an ana rch = istic movement not worthy to be taken | into consideration or Q labor move ment Here In Germany 1t Is a very strong political party.
 | Every man has right to vote, but if every mans vote would carry equal strength, then the law-making body would consist to the very greatest part of social democrats The law-making would then, no doubt, become so detrimental to the middle and upper classes and their in- terests would be so very much neglected that the thing would become an injustice. And so, what had to happen has hap | pened. In spite of all demonstrations and noise, the radical change in the voting clamored for by the third class has not come to pass. Not only that. the govern ment has worked out scheme worse than ever and called it reform. As I said before hardly anybody in Germany-ex- cept the people whose business it is-can make head or tail of 1t, and I shall not trouble you with the details Meanwhile the lawmakers are leaving for their vaca . ton and there the matter rests.
 The three classes of Prussians of Ger many! They will exist for very, very long time to come. Not only politically. They exist socially and this very fact alone makes a one-class political move ment an injustice.
 Socially no German could imagine his classes merged into one More than that, no one would care to have it so. For-Pm about to say something seem
 ngly paradoxical-the very fact of its existence tears down class barriers and tends toward friendly. intercourse be- tween all
 Human nature Is alike everywhere, the certain classes will always caie to mix with certain classes only. In country where plainly delineated classes exist, where to the contrary all claim to be of one class and equal, certain elements will, by force, erect some sort of a barrier for themselves. In order to keep the other fellow at proper distance. the better placed man will be somewhat naughty to the inferior.
 England is a classical example There. even the bars are divided into sections. They are not numbered first. second, third class, nor are the prices cheaper in one compartment than in another. yet the classes instinctively separate themselves.
 In Germany, such a thi.g Is unknown. because unnecessary. Everybody know ing his place, there Is not only no reason why one should fear to mix with the other. but on the contrary, the better placed can afford to be condescending to the lower placed which is not exactly the Ideal, but at least the very best we have got so far And that Is the reason why even the most liberal people in Germany hope that the "three-class system" will remain for very long time to come.
 The last scene of that terrible military drama of Allenstein. The curtain has been down long time, fully couple of years, but the story is still fresh in every German mind fresh, too, no doubt. in the minds of a good many people outside of Germany. To make the final scene now being enacted better understood it will. perhaps be good to review its predeces- sors.
 On the day after Xmas 19O7 the Major von Schoenebeck was found murdered i'll the bedroom of his quarters at Allenstein in northern Prussia Major von Schoene- 
 citizens of the town, but beloved by his garrison. He had no known enemies and there seemed no clue as to his murder. Three days later he was buried and be- hind his coGin walked his comrades. One of the first amongst them was Haupt- mann von Goeben, the best friend of the deceased. After the burial service this man was arrested. almost at the side of the grave, for the murder of the major.
 The world, especially Germany. stood aghast. Such a horrible deed was not known in the annals of German military history. A colonel had assa ssinated his inferior his major. When Von Goeben denied the deed, some people believed him.
 For Goeben was not the man to kill friend in such a dastardly way. If so, people said, he had had anytring against Schoenebeck, he would have killed him in open duel, for he was known to be a dead shot. Besidcs, were not the two men the best of friends? And then Goe- ben was noted for his bravery He had been in many wars, had fought against the English with the Boers for the pure love of fighting, had general reputation for dare devil courage. Surely such a man could not have committed such cowardly deed.
 And yet he had done 1t! It was tho same old, always new story: cherchez la femmel! He was the lover of his supe- rior's wife, and he had promised her to kill her husband in order to set her free to marry him. This promise was especially dramatic. As Goeben con- xessed to the well-known Professor
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