The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-10-09
DEMOCRACY ~ GERMANY.
issae LihelS 70 No Tsremssa IN the Nest
Eleeteral Campalan.

Issue Lihs'S 70 10 Tere@Sst IN the nest
EleetSraI Campaign.
bERifS. Oct. signs % the else
toral campaign due IN Germany q ltttls
more than twelve months hence arc al
ready perceptihle. . campaign that should
prove landmark in German history.
Chancellor BethmAnn- HcllweG has let
he Understood IN private conversation
that he means tn rally the middle classes,
who compose nearly three-fifths 81 the
population. round the standard % pro-
lection under which Germany has made
such advances in prosperity He hopes
thereby to stay the rising current of
popular opinion in favor OF q revision a.
the tarih treaties and At the same time
command a majority able to crush the
hundred or hundred and fifty Socialists
expected IN the nov Reiehsiag.
II would h. a mistake To conclude from
the thancellor's electoral cry Of PRO
lection in danger that there 10 any biE
movement in Germany for tariff revision
or free trade. There il indeed unmIs-
taxable uneasines@ in the empire az the
increased and ever increasing cost 81
living The agitation for the admission
~ foreign meat, Argentine included. 10
one proof IT u. The feeling among the
middle and the lower classes that the
Agrarians large land owners and farmersl
are favored by the treaties at their expense
Is another The pressure on almost every
| class 81 the fresh taxes introduced by the
recent finance reform is a third.
But IN" coming electoral campaign
will not 10 fought on commercial or
financial grounds. Every German -~~s
and feels that he IL living in a new Ger.
many, a Germany far greater in the world.
far NOR" prosperous. far more comforta-
HE. far more respected and far more
civilized than the Germany OF fifty or
even twenty FIVE years hack
He knows that all these advantages
must he paid for and he paws for them
more or less willingly when he takes note
~ m" swelling figures NJ his country's
trade and Of the country growing in.
fuenCe and prestige. 10 is Germany's
internal political situation. MT her tariffs
ar her finances that will provide the
issues az the appro aching elections.
Germany. in short. il changing. and
not only commercially and socially She
has changed politically too. internally as
well as externally.
Tn. outstanding feature Of this internal
political change IL the democratic spirit
rather than the democratic longing for
power and responsibility which long
prevalent among the working Glasses and
hong voiced nv the Socialists.is now pene.
trating tn" great bulk of the middle classes
grown FESTIVE under the selfish and DOM
inearing attitude Of the Prussian "a
actively represented nv the Conservatives.
This democratic spirit. this democratic
longing. again. il due 20 the growth Of
the municipal spirit. which IN lts turn ia
ascrihahle to IN" growth Of lndustrialism
IN what used to I've an agricultural country.
IN measure also To more intimate and
frequent intercourse with democratIcaIIy
governed countries like America and Ing
land and finally IN no small degrees IN
the kals"r's habit ~ insisting from time
to time on his personality as Gods spe-
Clally appointed instrument
Germans are tired 81 their ruler crown.
ing himself with a halo as ~ were and
practically giving the world 10 under
stand that their heaven appoin ted destiny
- to ne the perpetual appanags Of the
house of HohenzoIlern The result Of this
arrogance IL to create a sentiment IN
favor ~ parllam entarv government and
although the sentiment - not yet strong
enough ar deep enough 10 caus. the ueopIa
violently 10 throw IN rub. that sAvors
Of 1h=ovtIsm. It II admitted on all sides
10 b" spreading and deerening
The. real and main issue AZ the next
elections will thus have little or nothing
To do with 'aTih revision or free trade
II will be constitutional and deal with the
political relations between throne AMI
peopls
In what form the struggle will present
itself. whether IN fight over an amend
m"nt to the Constitution IN the direction
~ Increased parliauentary control or IN
a rscast 81 the Chancellor's position under
IN" Constitution so as TO make him re-
sponsihl" 10 the Reichstag also. not solely
a. now 20 the haIs"r. It - too soon To
glss-