davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-10

cial treaties with the United States and
with European states. That, however IS
not near contingency, for these two
left parties are not likely alone TO %"
Servatives center aud natiOnal-linerals
The issues are not new. and they az
not the cause OF the present uneNa implied
excitement. The cause j. the general
conviction that the -'blue-black block
Will be badly defeated, and that the 80
cialiSt vote will be swollen To an ruo~-
nous extent. For this Bethmann iloi-
veg is personally responsible nd'r
Buelow. the genial MAN with the pnn
pie the socialists made no Broadway.
Under his starched. prasnatic. p"tani'r,
unSympa thetic successor. discomfort has
grown rapidly In l9DI-a durine Eu'-
lows regime. the socialists did NOT W'n
one by re-eleCti IN. Since 1879. under
Bethmann-HollV x. they have wou mo-
less than ten, and eight of these WeI"
gained at the expense OF the TWO "hlu'-
black block parties I'm 1901 tn" social
lists were badly defeated. Their party
eighty-one was cut down tn 'fori> -thr''.
With the aid OF the subsequent b> -elr' -
tons they have now ffty-one member.
and few doubt that the coming election
will restore the old eighty-one- som"
predict 100. = few enthusiasts say IL
These estimates have small value.
The genuine socialist vote H. pre- riseiv
known. The question is how many thou
sands of bourgeois who are opposed 80
socialism will vote with tlr
socialists merely as the most eNtrem'
way OF displa yinS their anti-government
bias The non-so rialist who votes social
list is a familiar figure at every German
election and the belief is that he ha-
been mainly responsible for the recent
socialist victories.
To prevent what they consider nation
al catastrophe all the influences of the
government and the '-blue-black block
are at work. There are some illeSitlmate
influences in Germany Well in tie
United States. Germany has no eau
cuses. no bosses, no ward heelers, and
outward decencY is always observed. but
the administration puts the screws on the
voters. 1t brings pressure on the enoi-
nous official population and railway cin-
ployes Ghe latter alone number bp,pO
to vote conservative and fatty tOrbds
them TO vote with the left parties. ms
is done through the local government
organs German local government is not
decentralized as is that of America and
England.
That the election will deal a blow 10
the government no man doubts. The
question is. what will be the extent or the
blow? Most men predict that il will he
a severe one. But cool-minded critics are
not inclined to eXaggerate the socialist
victory, and are quite certain that. how
ever severe the government defeat, tie
day of a radcal-socialistic majority in the
reichstag has not yet dawned.
Copyright, 1911, by Curtis Rrownl
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-10

into the fray, and. amid the superior
sneers of his own bureaucrat colleagues.
Stumped Germany, raised enthusiasm for
the colonial cause and inflicted on the
socialists "a defeat which cost them half
their seats.
In this election there is no DernburS
and the party leaders are men of no COM
manding character. First comes the
conservative chief, Won Heydebrand,
much advertised as the uncrowned king
of Prussia He deserves the title by
virtue of the immense power OF the con-
sentative aristocracy and not through
any talents of his own. The most mark
ed figure of the center is DR.. Peter SPAIN,
a learned jurist author of several works
on German rulers, popes and artists He
is a serious man, with a typical center"
mind and no personal following. The
Aforementioned leader, Ernst Basser-
mann. is a good speaker who combines
mild liberalism with mild Chauvnism.
and has no personal following. The
freisnn leader. DR.. Wiener, is IA paper
manufacturer and journalist He has
no personal following. The greatest
man in his party is unquestionaply DR..
PaSchhe.
The chief of the socialists. August Be-
bel is the best known politician in Ger
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-10

reichstas members The relchStag can
not appoint or dismiss ministers. and
ministers are not chosen by the kaiser
out OF its midst. It's members are. there
fore. in the position of irresponsible
critics of a government which they can
influence. but have no part m
But small as are the men, the issues
are tremendous. Firstly. there is popular
discomfort with the alleged react:onarY
blue black block: secondly, discomfort
with the empires protectionist system,
and thirdly. but to small extent, dis
content with the government forelSn
policy. The complaint on which all lhree
opposition parties are united is that
Bethmann- Iollweg and the "blue-b!acl
block are responsible for the financial
reform of l%r, which put undu!y heavy
burdens on industry and commerce, Whle
sparing land and invested capital. An
other complaint is that Bethmann Holl-
Veg has re-established the yoke OF the
Catholic center on the Lutheran majority.
\ third is that the promise TO broaueh
the reactionary Prussan franchise has
not been fulfilled y fourth is that the
conservatives continue to nonopOilZe an
patronage and power.
Finally. comes the protectionist issue
\ fierce agitation has been for six months
raging on the subject of the high prices
of food The government. under con-
servative-agrarian mastery, refuses TO
reduce the import duties. Nearly all Ger
man municipalities have in vain demand
ed that il shall do so. Bethm3nn-Ho lINeS
in October made a reichstag speech in
which he declared that the government
would stand or fall with the batilecry.
Protection for the Nations Work
"Protection for the Nations Workers
is the battlecry of the anti-protection-
lists Here the national-liberal party dill
fers from the two other opposition
groups They want reduced duties or
complete free trade. whereas it is a pro-
tectionist party. The farthest it will so
is to oppose any raising of the present
duties on grain and meat. in case the
aerarian conservatives make such de-
mand.
The discomfort with the government for
its failure in Morocco will not play
very direct role in the elections. The
cutlery against England will have more
effect. This is mainly in the mouths OF
the national liberals The cause is
tactical one The liberals a patriotic
party dread their new association with
the ''anti-national' socialists and want
to clear themselves of the reproach mat
they are allies of their country $ enemies
To effect this they are a@itating a%ainst
England, and backing the navy iea.ue
demand for quicker shiDbuildng. rms
agitation may have considerable eject
upon the governments naval program
But apart from this the election is
pregnant with important results Tor other
nations A big victory of the freisinn
and socialists might mean new era OF
lower import duties and liberal CONNER
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-10

invited to the same dinner simply because
Dame Etiquette cannot find out which
of the two is entitled to the place al
table always reserved for the honor
guest-that upon the hostess right.
Official Washington has been called a
chess board. in whose setting every man
and woman is piece or a pawn, with a
place or row definitely fixed by the rules
of the game. Pretty though this simle
be. the fact is that the pieces are not set
according to the same rules, at both ends
of the board Thus. when Congress has
charge of a ceremony. the Chief Justice
ahead of the ambassadors. while at func-
tons in charge of the executive branch
of the government the ambassadors are
placed ahead of the Supreme Court.
AS matter of fact. there will be small
hope for uniform social code. respected
by all. until 1t has passed through the
separate stages prescribed for other laws
until 1t has been proposed by the execu-
tive framed by Congress, approved by the
President and interpreted by the Supreme
Court.
Meanwhile official society will continue
to be governed by it's present body OF
laws based upon precedent and subject to
reinterpretation from administration to
administration. Although the interpreta-
ton of this heterogeneous corpus juris
might frequently tax the resources of a
John Marshall, there are many precepts
generally accepted by society. In these
pires to success in Official society. where
the penalty for ignorance is. too often.
ostracsm and remorse.
First of ALL there are the long respected
social laws governing the President him
self. He must take precedence over all
others in the land even over his wife-a
status to which Garfield yielded only after
uttering the protest: II fail to see why 1
is by virtue of this law that upon state
occa sions the chief magistrate is served
at table. before his wife-a social order to
which woman made audible protest dur
ing a state dinner some administrations
back. Then. too. the President must be
given the right-hand or honor seat of
any vehicle in which he may ride. He
does not attend formal functions at the
homes of foreign diplomats and neither
he nor his wife returns calls, save those
of foreign executives visiting America.
An invitation from him or his wife takes
precedence even of earlier invitations and
cancels all other social obligations. Thus
a senator who has already issued formal
Invitations for dinner party next
Wednesday must countermand his orders
to the caterer and must withdraw his in
vitations if the President elects to honor
him with an invitation for the same even
ing. But this prerOgative does not extend
to the Presidents daughters. Several
years back considerable ridicule was
heaped upon a wealthy hostess who eX-
cused her daughter from the latter's own
debutante dinner on the ground that an
invitation from Miss Roosevelt, coming a
few hours before, had to be regarded as
a command"
Another rule prescribes that the Presi-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-10

Of VIII Is q

in proportion to socialist voters. then the
party in 1907 would have won about l'o
re ;chstag seats whereas it won only 46.
The difference In the size of German
constituencies is amazing. The district Tel
toW-Besskow -Charlo. tenburS, with rs
100 voters. and the district Schaumhurs-
Lippe with 9,S91, have each one repre-
sentative Berlin. with 493. 431 voters, mas
six reichstag representatives whereas
the province of East Prussia, with lo2,-
945 voters. has no less than seventeen.
The main fact about every German cleo
ton is that the conservatives are enor-
mousIy favored by the present Distribution
OF seats, and that the leading part which
they play in the reichstag Uhe speaker is
a conservative is not JuStifed py the
number of their followers.
The election is one of measures, not or
men. There is a singular absence of
dramatic interest. Leadership plays no
influential part. There are too many
parties for their chiefs to occupy COM
mandng positions and ministers consider
IL beneath their Olympian dignity to de-
scend into the fray. In 1907 however.
this rule was broken The magnetic
Colonial Secretary Dernburg, not being
a bureaucrat, but an outsider did descend
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-10
The legislative chamber of Germany. the

Inc leklSldtlVe cu8mDcF Oh ueIm0nys TN
liberal, Tia: freisinn. 30: socialists. AZ. The
81 other reichStag members are Poles,
Hanoverians, Bsvarian peasant party
men and non-party men,
The ''blue-b.ack icon CENTER
block" has not always been govern
mental In 1906, Chancellor BueiOw quar-
relied with the center because 1t refused
to vote the colonial estimates. The GEN.
ter went into opposition. while the conser-
natives remained governmental. To re-
place the center. and give him the neces-
sary majority Buelow formed a con-
servative- liberal alliance. known as the
Buelow block This coalition lasted un-
Ill midsummer, 1909 1t was born weak.
because there are essential differences be-
tween conservatives and liberals, repre-
senting. as they do. respectively. the coun-
try and the towns. The new block col
lapsed i'm 1909 because Buelow insisted on
dea TN duties, while the conservatives re-
iected them The conservatives won. the
death duties were abandoned. Buelow
fell and the angry ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS went
into opposition. AS the conservatives alone
were too weak the new chancellor Beth
mann Hollweg had to seek majority.
and he got one by taking the center back
as his allies. Hence the conservative
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-10

terndtiOnal relations. that students or
politics ought to follow il with close at
tention. 1t has been called the he-or-not
to-be election" iuasmuch as upon its is
sue depends the continued existence OF
all the political and economical institu-
tons which in the eyes Of the outside
world are modern Germany.
The present reichStag. twelfth since the
union of Germany, expires in February.
FIVE years after its election, in 1907. 1t
will be dissolved a few weeks before.
The new reichstag Will be elected, like
all others. on equal, free. universal and
secret suffrage. Every male over twenty
five has right to vote. All votes are of
equal value. In theory at least there is
complete freedom OF choice OF candidates
The elector delivers at the polling booth,
which is presided over by honorary Of
fcials. his ticket. which must be on white
paper The ticket is delivered sealed
I'm an envelope and is thereupon deposited
in voting urn.
more than half the the total votes cast.
This does not always happen, as there
are usually three or more candidates
Failing such an absolute majority, a
''stichwahi." or second election, is held
a fortnight later between the TWO candi-
dates with the most votes. The other
excluded candidates usually transfer their
votes TO the party nearest TO them Thus
a typical German election would be:
First election:
Meyer fcentrr party. 1915 votes.
Schmidt tnational- Iiierali. 3.2i0 votes.
Henckel tfrcisinni. I,T1i votes
In the "stichwahl.' Henckel would be
excluded. and would probably give his
votes to the national-liberal candidate.
so that the election tpresuming that the
number exactly voted would probably
be:
Schmidt 4.gs4 votes
Meyer 3.I1J votes
German olcction thus is seldom de-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-10
BARONESS HENGELruLLrR
WIFE or The DEAN OF
.D1PL OnATIC CORPS

THE Patchwork Code
/ That Governs Is Com
plicated and Formidable-Its
Need of Revision-The Cause
of Many Social Feuds-Con-
gress and President Disagree
as to Social Rank of Certain
High Functionaries - What
Will Be the Coming Seasons
Social Wars?
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-10

dent must be the last parsonage to enter
any public assemblage or ceremonial to
which he is invited. The violation of this
rule during the Mckinley memorial eX-
ercises in the House of Representatives
necesstated President Roosevelt's rising
with the other guests to do homage to
the Supreme Court, which, by an over
sight was given the honor of entering
the hall last. The incident was at once
seized upon by the social critics. and
considerable newspaper space was de-
voted to comment on the incident"
Another social rule concerning the
President which debutantes and older
newcomers in official society must be
taught is that defining the mode Of adj
dressing him. Never as Mr.. Taft" or
Judge" but always as Mr.. President
must the greeting be. And by the same
rule his interiors are addressed MT.
Vice President" Mr.. Justice" Mr.. Sec
rotary" or Mr. Speaker; members OF
the upper body of Congress as Senator;
those of the lower body as Mr.. never
as congressman" or Representative
ambassadors "EXCellency' and MINIS
tiers as Mr..
Many are the embarrassm which the
social tyro at Washington has suffered
because of ignorance Of these little points.
For months she may harbOr resentment
a
latter has not returned her call. Then
by accident she learns that that lady
never returns calls, except those OF SEN
ators' wives, and the little rent in her
heart heals up.
And unless she has carefully studied the
little blue diplomatic list she may make
the faux pas of calling at an embassy or
legation, where there is no hostess, the
amba ssador or minister being a Bachelor
or daughteress widower.
The diplomatic corps, indeed. causes
her more anxiety than any other body or
officials residing at the capital for 1t is
made up for the most part Of men who
have received social training at courts
of proud and punctilious monarchs.
A charming hostess who is as highly
connected as she is wealthy. and who is
houses" Of the capital. suffered cruel
embarrassment, some seasons back. simply
because she had not mastered one little
techncality of the code governing Off
cialdom's dealings with this pampered
coterie of foreigners. At an exquisite
musical she invited list OF ambassadors
Ito meet'-as the Invitations read-a
But all of the ambassadors stayed away
bel ause their code forbids their accepting
an invitation Ito meet" any American e%-
cept the President or his wife.
Another fact to be learned about the
ambassadors is that their wives make
first calls only at the White House and
the home of the Vice President. For
some time this prerogative was disputed
by the late Chief Justice, but when the
point was brought before Mrs. Roosevelt
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-10

She must know that an officer of the
above naval officer of equal relative
rank; that invitations for formal dinners
should be issued three weeks OF more in
advance, and that such functions should
not be held earlier than o'clock.
Debutantes and other novices in official
society have as much to learn regarding
the propreties of not merely dispensing
hospitality but of accepting it, Thus
they must know that an invitation to the
Presidents board demands "A call within
three days. while that to a card reception
demands no call: that when calling upon
the President $ wife she should leave but
one card and that formal invitation 10
dinner must be acknowledged upon the
day of its receipt
Indeed. the patchwork social code
which governs official gayeties in Wash
ington is so complex that il may well
discourage persons from distant parts
who are otherwise ambitious for social
life, while to the casual reader who has
never had the time or inclination even
for the social formalities of his home
such conventions as are
above described may be sneered and
shifted at fiipperies and fopperies un-
worthy of the serious thought devoted To
them. But in official Washington, a. no
and business to be effective must be con
Quoted with system, as we'll as according
to hallowed traditions. Statesmen. sol
dierS. publicists and Giplomatists coming
to Washington soon accept even If with
a sigh, the doctrine of the old maxim.
when in Rome do as the Romans
Copyright. :9ll, ~ 5onn s1lrrets waJkinsD
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-10

ANU AIRY - will be
the greatecc day in
German h i : ( DRY
since the war Of
1870. The ultimate
results of the ma
tional election to
be held on that day
will exert Sucn an
influence on trans
atlantic commerce
and industry, and
like wise upon in
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-10
RY JOHN EI.FRETH WATKINS

OMETIMES t W o
great powers are
uron the eve of
destroying e a C h
other merely be-
cause two silly
jades have SQUAD
bled.' was Napo-
Icons warning to
the wife of his am
bassador, departing
for Lisbon. And
the social functions
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-10

of our republican court have often brewed
bitter enmities between great men, II
not between great states.
What social feuds will We have this
season." Mistress Columbia asks herself
now. when the gates of Vanity Fair are
once more to swing open, for the capital
has seen scarce winter when. 'twixt this
time and Lent. some high functionary or
his wife particularly the latter has not
divided officialdom into hostile camps be-
cause Of a coveted place in a receiving
line. an envied seat at table. a dispute
over the prerogative of the first call.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-10

Such embitterments occur merely be-
cause official Washington has no social
code. II is governed merely by a patch
work of precedents, handed down by the
three coordinate branches of government
whose separate sections CT the texture can
never be fitted together. President Jeffer-
son once tried to compile such code. but
failed dismally, and his successors, instead
of deciding social questions. have merely
smoothed things over. An example of
this is found in the case of the cabinet,
whose social rank has long been disputed
by the Senate and the Supreme Court
AT White House receptions the issue of
assigning them definite place in the
line of guests is avoided by asking them
with their wives, to receive with the
President and his wife, and thus form a
part of his official family.
This is the only American city in which
certain pairs of high officials. on per-
fectly good terms, cannot properly be
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-10
ITALIAN AMBASSADOR AID, WIZ
CALLING ON PRESIDENT

State in case of the death of both Presi-
dent and Vice President. Indeed. the
Supreme Court has. in its time, had to
dispute its rank with the Senate. which,
by virtue of the fact that the Constitu-
ton mentions the judiciary third. claimed
precedence But after studying her little
book carefully the new senator's wife
will now pay a first call upon all of the
Supreme Court women. although requir-
ing first calls Of the cabinet women and
the wives of representatives
The Senate has lost some of the social
prestige which it enjoyed in the days
to consider an election thereto. because,
as he said. he was too old to fall into
the ''awkward limitations" which had be-
come fashionable. Before the days of am
diplomatic corps. and old timers in Wash
ington society recall an exciting occa-
sion when a certain senator's wife made
a loud uproar because her host escorted
the wife of foreign minister to the
dining room and thereby deprived her of
the seat of honor But the ambassadors
like wedge forced their way in above
the Senate. which at the same time had
to yield to the Supreme Court, and thus
came down two pegs.
x
But the new cabinet wife who elects
to test her rank with that of any sena-
a stone wall. C'Fear of senatorial
power over our husbands has prevented
cur open revolt explained one cabinet
wife The demand by the wives of sena-
tors that call upon them first Is
species of social blackmail to which we
are compelled 10 submit.o The cabinet
still yields to the Senate in the matter of
first calls. despite the fact that the cabi-
net is in succession to the presidency.
Cabinet wives have certain prerogatives
which may engender resentment among
the uninitiated. Because they receive
more calls than any other women in Off
cial life. Dame Etiquette long ago relieved
them of the necessity of returning. in per-
son. calls from other than personal
friends. Their purely formal visits are
returned by card only, and many a new
hostess who has called upon a cabinet
wife is surprised because that lady does
not accompany the bit of bristleboard
bearing her engraved name. She is also
surprised to find that no address is upon
the card. but later learns that cabinet
women omit this detail.
The wife of the representative is,
indeed, confronted by a narrowing task
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-10

many or outside. He has been many
months in jail and many years i'm the
reichstag, and it is believed that he pre-
fers the first. The fact Is that reichstag
party life is entirely overshadowed by
the bureaucrat ministers. who are not