The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-01-11
SOCIALISTS MAY
SWEEP GERMANY
Tomorrow's Parliamentary Elec-
tion Most important in
Many Decades
ECONOMIC CONDITIONS CAUSE
Governments Defeat Would Re-
suit in Many Changes
Leading Parties Join Forces in EHor,
to Garry Battle at Polls Through
Empire.

Berlin, Jan. 1l-Germany Is on the
eve of the most potentous parlia--en-
tary election ever held since the es-
tablishment of the empire i'm 1870. II
is not surprising therefore, that the
whole country, fully realizing the inn
lportance of tomorrows election is in
a state of ferment quite unusual with
lGermans, who take politics and cleo
tions coolly and deliberately. as a 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 portent-
Gus feature is the probability that the
result of the election will completely
change the political situation i'm the
Reichstag, by giving to the Socialists,
heretofore i'm the minority. the con-
troll of power during the Thirteenth
session of the Imperial Parliament.
That would be a severe blow to the
government which has hitherto been
able TO carry through its policies ma
tional and economic. foreign and do
mestic with the powerful help of the
/ two leading parties, the Roman Catho-
lie or Centre party and the Conserva-
tives. Supported by the BLUE Black
coalition the Government continued the
development of its army and navy at
tremendous cost. which made it neces-
sary constantly to add TO the heavy
burden of taxes resting upon the
Shoulders of the people
Eleven Leading Parties.
The high protective tariff. particu-
larly upon agricultural products. which
was maintained by the government to
satisfy the demands OF the conserva-
tive Agrarians. the high railway rates
and other factors forced the cost Of
living to a level of Unprecedented
height and made it almost impossible
for the poorer classes TO make both
ends meet, even with the most rigid
economy. II the government Is de-
feated tomorrow and the Socialists win
the great victory which they conf
IDENTIFY expect. it will principally be due
to the stress of economic conditions ex-
istirg throughout the empire.
Germany has about seventeen or
eighteen political parties. but only
eleven of them have been represented
i'm Parliament. The five great and most
important parties in the Reichstag are
the Conservative, the Centre or clerical
party. the National-L Liberal, the Frei-
sininge or radical party and the Social
Democrats. In the twelfth session of
the Rcichstag recently dissolved. the
Centre had 1O5 seats; the Conserva-
tives had so: the NATIONAL Liberals as;
the Radicals 25 and the Social Demo-
Gratis 81. The minor parties had to-
gether 81 seats.
Socialists are Strong.
The number of seats held by the
various parties does not give a correct
idea of the real strength of the par
ties. At the last national election IN
1907 the Conservatives polled 2,O5O, 900
votes; the Centre. 2.145,0O0 the Ma
tional Liberals 1.716.OOO: the Radicals
E311.000 and the Socialists S,259,00O
votes. This apparent incongruity is
due to the unequal distribution of
election districts which makes it pos
sible for the province of East Prussia.
for instance. with 402,945 voters to
have seventeen representatives in the
Reichstag. while Berlin. with 493.457
voters has only six seats
Generally speaking tomorrows cleo
xx~fI H.,
combination of the Conservative and
the Centre parties on the one side and
the Liberals. Radicals and Socialists
on the other. There is no firm and
positive alliance between the parties
standing together in the fight, no coali-
tlon for mutual support. but there is
good reason to believe that the Social
lists will gain considerably by the sup
port and cooperation of the liberal
and radical elements among the voters.
Many Issues Involved.
The issues OF the campaign which
will reach it's elimination In tomor-
rows election are essentially of an
economic nature. The enormously high
cost of living and the refusal of the
government To reduce the tariff on
meat and other food products, which
would mitigate the condition of the
poorer classes now on the verge of
starvation. is undoubtedly the most po-
tent factor to influence the coming
election other reasons. however, are
the 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 finan
cial legislation OF 1909: the universal
complaint that Chancellor Won Beth
mann Holiweg had re-established the
yoke of the Catholic Centre upon the
Lutheran majority. and many other
minor grievances perhaDS insicniticant