The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-22
rs GERMANY DEMOCRATfci
A German Compares Imperial and
POpuIar Powers.

tors In THE St'N have dealt with the
German Constitution. especially with the
activity and importance of the R.ichs-
tag and its relation to- the Rundesrat.
The letter of 90. r.. X" of February 2s
| contained so many mistakes that | beg
YOU to allow me to correct them. The
text OF the German Constitution is given
In English translation in The German
Empire by b. r.. Howard.
The Bundesrat II AN institution pc
Guitar to the constitutional system o;
the German Empire. n Is lot an upper
chamber as Price Collier, by no means
an authority on German constitutional
law. likes to call II. II is a body that
stands for the federal idea ot the en-
| plre an organ by means Of which th"
individual states may assert themselves
and where the interplay OF state Inter-
este is adjusted. No close analogy 20 X
| can he found in any other Governments
organization. An idea can be obtained
by imagining a body formed by dele
gates OF the Governors % the individual
states Of the United states, the number
! - these delegates being based uroi.
| historical development and brought into
accordance with NE population and the
commercial importance of the states.
In 1905 ont OF a population of sO,oo".-
ooo for the whole empire Prussia con-
tr!buted 5000. 200. Il cannot be con-
tended. therefore. that IA proportion OF
seventeen Prusslan delegates to ffty-
cigh, delegates for the whole empire IL
unjust or surprising.
The general RUE IN taking a vote IN
the Bundesrat IL thai the simple ma
jority decides There are only two cN-
c~eptions to this rule. 90. +. X" men
lions ore OF trem. but mistakes 4 for
the general rule. c~ontendine that "Prus-
sia Is armed In the Euudesrtt with a
conservative veto"
From It's own membership the Bun
desrat chooses certain committees,
twelve In number In each Of these
committees at le1s, four states besides
Prussia must be Represented hut no
state may nave more than one vote Tn
any committee. Ia the COMMITTEE" ~
Foreign Affairs Prussia .s not repre-
s"nted at all. the committee % st.ug
OF delegates OF Bavaria. SaNony and
Wucrttemberg, with two addlt!ona!
members.
Tho principle underlying the cors'i-
tuition and organization OF the Reichstag
T. radically different from hat upon
which tho Rundesrst 's based. While
In the RundeSrlt stat" lines are sharply
Drawn and IN. federal element doni-
mates. In the f.eichsta- state lines are
ignored and the u%nitsry element Is en-
rhas.zei. Fo- In the EeiclS-ag Z II not
til. people of the individual state that
are represented. even 10y the members
elected within the territory of that state
and from the midst Of SIS population.
Each delegate represents the people OF
the whole empire. 80 Il - OF no sig
! uihcance that 235 members a-c from
Prussia. a fact which seems 20 di-Co'1-
d FOR, ~ r. X"
There is no three class system OF vot-
Ing for election to the Reichstag, as &c.
/ *" seems 20 believe. Every it!zen
Of tNa empire who has completed his
twert, fifth yea- is entitled 80 woe for
/ member. Of the Re.ohsti. in whatever
state he may have his residence. All
votes are equal ard the members are
chosen b. direct and secret bsllo; AZ a
general election.
The chief function OF the Reicns.ag "a,
designated In Article V ~ the Con>ti-
ta.'or. which reads as follows: The
legislative power shall be exercised b:
the Rundesrat ana the Reichstag The
cor-cc. Of a majority of both bodies
shal be necessary and suHicien; FOR TIE
passage % AN imperial law"
The Reichstag IS an essential fac'o-
IN imperial legislation. No bill becomes
a law without It's consent. Existing
laws cannot: be changed. rev Laws can
not he enacted. the Constitution canrot
be amended against the viii % the bodr
which represents the German people
y Il a mistake to say that no Law can
originate in the Reichstac. as the latter
has the right OF initiative, that Is. the
right 20 propose laws and - transmit
70 the Bundesrat or the Imperial Chan
cellor petitious addressed IN =.
II Is true that the Reichs'ac may be
d dissolved, but a new election mus. n.
liked by the Emperor and the neDlv
! elected Re!chstag must be s~urrnored 20
meet within ninety days from the date
o. dissolution. There EXISTS no law
which forbiis the reelection ~ the same
delegates Cor tic new Reichs.ag: II.
however. another election usually pro
yides a more amerable body. a. go i
*" saye. II simply indicates that the
people were not satisfied with the po-
s!,ion the former members TOOK.
\ most powerful weapon has neen
given 10 the Re!chs'ag by A-'icle LINN,
Of the Constitution. which saws: 'Nl
receipts and expenditures Z the empire
sn,'i be Included In IN. i'm
! perial budget. The latter shan =" t>"d
by law before The beg ..nl = each
fiscal year
~ the corscrt o. the R"ic!'S;3- is
nelessary ror IL. passage Of . .aN, th'
I;c.chstag. In case OF dissent ~ 1rv
question with tic Burjc,rtt ~ the
. Chancellor. nav refuse 20 pass tN!s law.
sioppi.c the whole machinery ~ s',t"
In such a case tho Government ma"
d Sso,v. tie i,.iChstag. but Il viii ou,y
do So - l. j. convinced that the ele'-
tons VII bring forth . nor" 'tvortn.e
body otherwise IL VII! hay" to eN"
way. which means thai the Chancellor
wlr have To- 60. There have been dis~p-
d lut'ous ~ the Rc''l~fag, bat =" ms tn"
a'tcruativ" happened, a. when Prince
Won Burlow had - resign o. acrn ant %
hl- disagreement with the lie!chsttI.
The assertion that The kcicHrtt- js
less powerful 'har. for eNsWplc. fN"
House ,t Commons. which selects and
withdraws the k!uc's Ministers, ard
, that England. Ncrjl-" ~ this, Nt- 4
frenr and more LIBERAL Constitution than
German, g. erroneous. Tie British
I Cabinet "a a committee OF the rul!ug
/ party n the House ut Commons aud T.
! responsible only 20 the latter. not 20 the
King. Whenever the Cabinet does my
th.Hg hat d!Sp,eIs"s ~ pt,t.saus in
the Commons tines" pIrtisa.s can over
tnr,o, the cthiurt hy 4 vote - want of
/ throw t'lc!r own poWer. - they are
very careful not t. Withdraw confidence
from In, Cabinet without the most ur.
lent reason. winch the Ministers on their
part atc by 10 means sol'ciious e. pro-
VIDE. The result Is that a British MIN
iste- IL neither answeranle to the KIM
nor III danger Of being held ~Nsponsih HE
! bs a Parliament that i controlled hy
| hS pdIt'sIns lf' Is NOR, tlto'ritir
tnin = German Minister. The latter If