The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-29
GERMANY'S GOVERNMENT.
Another Opinion Of the Degree Of
Popular Control.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-SUr. II.
Il. Siebcneck Is disingenuous. to say the
least. when he writes One OF the pro-
visions OF that instrument 1.-THE German
constitutional exacts universal (nale)
suffrage IN elections for members OF the
imperial legislative body. No tax can
be levied to support the army or for n
other purpose without the consent of .
majority OF the representatives OF ali
the adult males In Germany
This OF course refers to the Reiehstag {.
but he says nothing of the Bundesrath.
This federal council of the empire con-
sists Of delegates appointed ny ana rep
~resenting the rulers OF the various States.
There are 5S members. Prussia has H.,
Bavaria 6. Saxony 4, Wurttemberg 4,
Baden 3. Hessen 3. Meoklenburg-Schwe-
rim 2. Brunswick 2 and each OF the other
states 1.
This body meets in Berlin, sits In
secret. and the delegates have no discre-
ton, but vote a. directed by their State
Governments. Here 1t is that Prussia,
and through Prussia the Emperor. domi-
mates. This Bundesrath." says the late
Price Collier, lis the most powerful upper
chamber in the world" With respect to
all laws concerning the army and navy.
vote Of Prussia shall decide disputes. II
such vote be cast in avor OF maintain
ing existing arrangements. In other
words. Prussia IL armed In the Bundes-
rath with a conservative veto! In de-
elaring war and making treaties the
consent of the Bundesrath In required.
The following article also sives the
Bundesrath a very complete control OF
the Reichstag:
The Bundesrath shall take action upon
% the measures to be proposed to the
~ -.
the ssme; t2) the general administrative
provisions and arrangements necessary for
the execution OF the imperial laws. - far
as no ether provision Is made by law;
l3) the selects which may be discovered
in the execution OF imperial laws or OF
the provisions and arrangement hereto
fore mentioned.
The Relchstag has 3s7 members. OF
whom 235 are from Prussia. II sits for
Ave years, but may be dissolved by the
Bundesrath with the consent OF the En-
peror. All members OF the Bundesrath.
as well as the Chancellor. may speak IN
the Reichstag. Neither the Chancellor
nor any other executive officer Is re-
sponsible TO the Reichstag. and the Min
lsters are seldom or never chosen from
this body. II Is really only nominally
a portion Of the governing body. 1t has
to be sure. the right to refuse to pass a
bill presented by the Government. but
IL II does so II may be summarily dis
missed, as has happened several times.
and snother election usually provides
a more amenable body.
To quote Collier again, to whom I am
indebted for this information:
None the less. It remains true tina, (,
L. the executive who rules and has the
whip hand. and who In a grave crisis can
ApavrtIA shA 49,
assembled In the Re!chstag, and on more
than one occasion this has been done.
The fact Is that the members OF the
Reichstag are not in the saddle, but are
used unwillingly. and often contemptu.
ousiy. as a necessary and often stubborn
and unruly pack mule by the Ministers
appointed by the Kaiser.
Then there - the three class system
OF voting. The division IL made by talk.
ing the total amount of the state taxes
paid in each electoral district and di-
viding It into three equal amounts. The
first third Is paid by tho highest tax.
payers. the second third by the mex:
highest taxpayers and the last third by
the rest. The first class consists of q
comparatively few wealthy people IL
may even happen that a single indi.
v!dua! pays a third OF the taxes in :.
given district These three classes then
elect the members OF an electoral col
lege. VINO elect the member of the house.
In Prussia II may be said roughly that
100000 wealthy taxpayers elect one
third. $4,000 taxpayers elect one-third
and the other $500. 900 voters elect one
third of the members OF the electoral
olleg What chance ha V the $500, 00o
for representation with the two othe,
classes naturally combining against tbs
third class? 1t Is a strange arrange.
ment for giving men the suffrage with.
out either power or privilege.
In addition. ! have read that no bill
can originate IN the Reichstag, though
Il can request the Chancellor TO intro.
duce "A bill in the Bundesrath. which will
afterward be sent TO the It~eichstag 10,
consideration. However, the Chancelloi
exercises his own sweet will.
II will be seen that even n only one
third OF the males in England can vot,
for members OF Parliament the Eng
lishman who has no vote is Just as wei
of as II he had a vote that amounted
10 nothing and was only a toy To keer
the baby quiet. q T.. X.
New YoRK. February cs.