The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-08-18
GERMAN ELECTION
REFORM INVOLVES
VAST LAW JUMB[E
Rv KARL II. Won WIEGAND.

Copyright, 1917. international News
Service.
| New York. Aug. 1S.-With the ap-
, preaching reconvening of the Prussian
/ diet, often referred to as the Prus-
1 sian parliament. the government will
introduce and undoubtedly force
: through the promised electoral re-
/ form doing away with the long OBJ
/ noXious system and providing univer-
sal male suffrage and direct secret bal
/ lot.
! Under the old system men voted in
three classes. according to the am Mount
of taxes paid. One man sometimes
/ had as many votes as one hundred
others. If Prussia and Germany get
nothing more out of the war than
( this, the war will not have been lost
, for the German people.
I This will be the most momentous
: political event in the history of Ger
many since the creation of thu en-
pire in Versailles in 1870. Its impor-
Though it will affect directly only
the Prussians, its bearing upon flu
ture political developments in Ger
many will be tremendous. 1t will be
the signal for a general constitutional
! housekeeping" and revision in the
other twenty-five German states.
They must follow the pace set in
Prussia
/ The twenty-six states making up
the German confederation. or empire.
each of which makes its own laws and
+, administers its own internal affairs,
( far more in some respects than do our
+ United States, have a verita bic crazy
quilt" patchwork OF electoral laws
and election systems Hardly any
two states have exactly the same sys-
tenn.
Makeuu of GERMANY
Many people constantly confuse the
/ Prussian diet, or parliament, with the
German reichstag. Even editorial
! writer's make that error. AS | have
| stated. Germany is made OF twenty
| six independent states, each governing
1 itself. Prussia is the New York
: among these states It has the most
representatives in the retchstag also
! in the hundesrat The reichstag Is
the congress" Of the German states.
! The bundesrat, or federal council.
corresponds in some respects to our
. senate, hut its mem hers are appoint
ed by the governments of the differ
ent states instead Of being elected
The reichstag, or German CON
sress,' Is elected by universal male
8 suffrage on an equal direct and secret
rallot, az in the United States. There
are practically no restrictions II IL
very democratic system
1t is in different states, beginning
with Prussia. where wholly obsolete
I and Incredibly out Of date systems
corresponding to our state legislatures
prevail for the election OF their diets
These systems ali discriminate against
the workingman and ordinary citizen,
as in Prussia The constitutions in no
two states are alike.
This has arisen out Of the historical
development With tho majority Of
states this would matter little to the
outside world, excepting in the case Of
Prussia. Prussia and the king OF Prus-
STA constitutes the presidency" OF
the federation of German states. with
the title Of kaiser And the Prussian
government has the direction and
control Of the foreign affairs and poll
cy OF the German states For that
reason II is OF interest to the outside
world how the Prussian government is
chosen.
Extra Taxpayer Votes.
/ VIII give a few instances Of the
crazy GuiN-N election 38p&s aa6 SIS e
TENS, IN many OF the states prop
erty owners are given an advantage.
Property and taxes paid count in
Prussia, Anhat, Brunswick, Lippe,
Reuss younger linel, Sachsen- Mem
ingen, Sachsen- Altenburg. Schwarz-
burg Rudolstadt and Schwartzburg-
Sondershausen. Some OF these states
are not as large as one of our coun-
tics
To make it more complicated. the
ruler in some of the states has the
right to appoint specified numb Der
Of members OF the iendtaF diet or
Legislature. In Anha1t two out Of
forty six: in Reuss. three out Of fif-
teen; in Schwarzburg- Sondershausan
up to six out of eighteen.
In some states profession and call
ing are given certain preferred rights
and special privileges in elections.
Thus members of chambers Of COM
merce and cham bers OF agriculturis.s
in Anhalt, In Brunswick large land
owners, the clergy and members OF
scientific bodies, In Bremen. the
merchants guild and chamber OF
: commerce. In Hamburg. real estate
owners and officials in the govern
ment and administration.
Open ballots are cast in Prussia and
Waldeck- Pyrmont. together with In
Prussia, Brunswick and three small
states, Proportional election sys-
tens, by which the majority also
may have specified number OF rep
resentatives, are in use in the free
I city of Hamburg and the kingdom of
"uerttem berg, The proportional
: system is declared to be the most
/
; advocated by the German Socialists
to be included in the measure for
universal equal suffrage in Prussia.
The advantage claimed is that the
minority will always be represented
{ and the interests and views OF TIE
! losing voters heard.
5 Plural Voting
Plural votes exist in a number O:
states. In the grand duchy Of Hes.
sen voter about fifty years of age
has two votes. In Oldenburg voters
, get two votes upon completion of their
, fortieth year. In the principally or
, little state of Reuss younger nne). a
, voter gets two votes if he pays s45o
/, taxes. three for $500, four for $3.50
taxes and then on top OF that he gets
a fifth vote If he lives to be fifty..
The kingdom of Saxony reformed
, It's election system in 1909 yindar
this system. difference in income. MN.
lie office or nature of private nosi-
ton, property owned and education
cuts considerable figure in the right
to vote and how many times. Per.
, sons who pay $500 taxes have two
votes and 800 or more. four votes
Including the 397 members ne ~ -
:. reichstag, elected by equal. erect