The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-25

Copyright, 1914 by Curtis Brown)
n ERLIN, January 24.-(Special)-ls
N representative gov e rnm e u t
- doomed? That question, otherwise
put in the phrase, "crisis of parliament
tarsm, is occupying the minds and pens
of Europe's political thinkers. 1t is a live
question everywhere, and particularly live
in states like Austria Hungary where the
inherent defects of the parliamentary sys-
tenn are aggravated and complicated by
race rivalry.
No observer of European domestic poll
ties denies that the reputation of parla-
ment has fallen badly, and that it has
fallen lowest in the countries where par
liaments have unchallenged power. That
rarliaments are congested, unproductive,
and unbusinesslille Is admitted by them
selves But worse accusations are made.
Pariaments have forfeited public respect.
They have ceased to represent nations and
to legislate on great affairs, and have de-
generated into machines for producing
deals and compromises between the
pocket interests of rival economic inter-
ests Membership of parliament has be-
come a salaried profession. The old con-
fidential relations between voters and rep
resentatives has disappeared. Both sides
are guilty. The public is guilty in thas
ii either ignores politics altogether, or
treats them as sport, and ia either cases
reglects to keeps a proper watch upon it's
members and upon parliament as whole.
The representatives are guilty in that
they do not work in the interests of their
electors and of the public as a whcle. ana
that they provoke public Indifference oy
their low standards of talent and honesty.
This diagnosis is just. The result is
condition which the German Kolnischs
Zeitung calls Observation-Disclosures -Mudig-
keit''-that is, exhaustion and disillusion
with the present prevailing forms Of rep
resentative government. No European
state is free. In Great Britain, whose
parliamentary system was for centuries
the envy of Europe, "Parliamentarismu
Mudigkeit'' is the daily topic of the press.
Some of this talk Is exaggerated. 1t is
usually the party with a minority In par
liament which claims that parliament has
decayed. while the majority party being
responsible for parliament's acts, dissents
and (until it loses it's majority praises
the parliamentary system. In France
parliament exhaustion" is more genuine.
The Unstable party system of the Cham
Der of Deputies prevents any ministry
staying in power for more than few
months, and this has disastrous results
on the administration of all state depart
ments which demand a creative and con-
tinuous policy. In France, the working
class is exhausted with parliament.
Parliament, says the working class, has
never done and will never do anything for
us. Hence the growth of syndicalisn.
the principle of which is that the workers
must work out their own salvation by ex-
parliamentary means, and, If neces-
sary i'm defiance of parliament. In Ger
many things are no better. The German
complaint is not that the Reichstag will
do nothing, but that it can do nothing.
The Reichstag is assailed by the press for
not having the spirit and will to establish
It's power in the state, and for allowing
itself to be dictated to by every second
rate bureaucrat who happens for the time
being to enjoy court protection. This ac-
y cusation is not as true as it was. The
(.Reichstag has undoubtedly enlarged it's
control over the Kaisers ministers.
The prominent center Reichstag men,
Der, DR.. Erzberger. one of the ablest
thinkers and political writers in the en-
pire, proclaimed lately that responsible
government" has already been estab-
lished. The Reichstag, says Erzberger,