The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-01-12
GERMAN ELECTION
VERY PORTtNIOUS
Country in a State of Fer
ment, Quite Unusual
with Germans.

mentary election ever held since the
establishment Of the empire in 1870.
1t 10 not surprising therefore. that the
whole country. fully realizing the i'm
portancs Of tomorrow's election 10 In a
state of ferment quite unusual with
Germans. who take pilitics and cleo
lions cody and deliberately, as q mat
ter Of fact and are not given much to
election demonstrations.
There are many causes which com.
bine to make tomorrow's election Of
great Importance. The most porten.
tious feature IL the probability that
the result OF the election will COM
pletely change the political situation
in the Reichstag. by giving to the So
cialists, heretofore In the minority,
the control Of power during the Thir.
teenth session Of the Imperial Parlia-
ment. This would be q severe blow
to the government which has hither-
to been able to carry through it's poll
cies national and economic, foreign
and domestic with the powerful help
Of the two leading parties. the Roman
Catholic or Centre party and the Con-
servativss. Supported by the BLUE
Black" coalition the government con-
tinued the development OF its army
and navy at q tremendous cost, which
made II necessary constantly to add to
the heavy burden OF taxes resting up
on the shoulders Of the people. The
high protective tariff. particularly up
on Agricultural products. which was
maintained by the government to sat
isfy the demands Of the conservative
Agrarians, the high railway rates and
other factors forced the cost Of living
to q level Of unprecedented height and
made II almost impossible for the pro-
per classes to make both ends meet,
even with the most rigid economy. II
tho government Ia defeated tomor-
row and the Socialists win the great
victory which they confidentially ex-
pect. It will principally be due to the
stress Of economic conditions existing
throughout the empire.
Germany has about seventeen or
eighteen political parties. but only
eleven OF them have been represented
in Parliament. The five great and
most important parties in the Reich.
stag are the Conservative, the Centre
or clerical party. the National-Liberal.
the FreiSnnige or radical party and
the Social Democrats. In the twelfth
session Of tho ReichstaE recently dis
solved. the Centre had 1O5 seats: the
Conservatives had so: the National
Liberals 4S: the Radicals rs and the
Social Democrats, SO. The minor par
ties had together 81 seats.
r.. strength Of Partiss.
The number OF seats held by the
various parties does not give cor
rect idea Of the real strength of the
parties. At the last national election
in 1907 the Conservatives polled
2.05O.OOO votes: the Centre. 2.145,OOO:
the National Liberals 1,716,0OO: the
Radicals $4,000 and the Socialists
1888. 900 votes. This apparent incon-
gruity Is due to the unequal distribu-
ton Of election districts which makes
It possible for the province Of East
Prussia. for instance. with 402,945
voters. to have seventeen representa-
tives in the Reichstag. while Berlin,
with 493,457 voters has only six seats.
Generally speaking tomorrow's elec-
ton will be fought out between the
combination Of the Conservative and
the Centre parties on the one side
and the Liberals. Radicals and Social.
lists on the other. There IL no firm
and positive alliance between the
parties standing together in the fight.
no coalition for mutual SUPPORT. but
there 10 good reason to believe that
tho Socialists will gain considerably
by the support and cooperation of the
liberal and radical elements among
the voters.
The issues Of the campaign which
will reach its elimination in tomor.
rows election are essentially Of an &c.
onomical nature. The enormously high
cost Of living and the refusal Of the
government to reduce tho tariff on
meat and other food products. which
would mitigate the condition Of the
poorer classes now on the verge of
starvation. 10 undoubtedly the most
potent factor to influence the coming
election. Other reasons. however, are
tho general feeling that Germany, ow-
ing to the incapability of the Imperial
cabinet. has lost prestige during the
controversy with France concerning
Morocco; the bitterness caused by the
prolonged controversy over the imam.
cial legislation Of 1909: the universal
complaint that Chancellor Won Beth
mann Hollweg had re-estabished the
yoke OF the Catholic Centre upon the
Lutheran majority. and many other
minor grievances perhaps Insignificant
In themselves. but Of SUFFICIENT weight
With the voters to influence them at
tomorrow's election. The fact that at
the recent by.elections at Dusseldorf
and Constanz the Socialists were sue.
cessful seems to indicate the tendency
OF popular feeling in Germany and to
foreshadow the defeat Of the govern
inent parties at the polls tomorrow.
Don't mlss the extraordinary valusa
w are offering you In Millinery. Ev.
eeythlnS reduced. G. A. orehm, South