The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-07-18
HOW GERMANY IS RULED


demand for electoral reform in Ger
many should succeed, it will not make
! Germany one whit less an autOcracy!
1t will wipe out the junker influence
in the reichstag. 1t will do away with
the rotten borough system by which
1000 East Prussians can outvote
125,000 Berliners. But if the whole
reichstag were given over to the lib
eral element, ,>aiser Wilhelm would
still rule Germany as an autocrat.
For the reichstag, of which we hear
so much, is not a legislature; 1t is
debating society. 1t can talk, but it
cannot act. The real legislative body
of Germany is the bundersrath. of
which we hear hardly anything. The
bundesrath has not only legislative
power, but executive and judicial. The
reichstag talks, but if it should pass
resolution, the bundesrath can veto
it, The reason we hear so much of
the conversational reichstag and so
little of the potent bunesrath is that
the reichstag meets in public to in
dulge in oratory. the bundesrath in
private to act.
The bundesrath is not a body of
representatives of the people. 1t is ap-
pointed by the kings and princes; its
sixty-one members are nominated by,
and directly represent, the mOnarchs
of the twenty-five states composing
the German, empire. When the bundle.
srath meets, the emperor and the
kings are in session its members are
their ambassadorN not in any Ire
spect the delegates OF the people.
When it is said that the bundesrath
has the power to veto any legislation
passed by the reichstag, what is meant
is that the princes have that power,
for the bundesrath is the German
monarchy in session. The reichstag is
merely, what it has been bitterly call
ed in Germany, "a hall of echoes"
There are officials who are called
ministers, but there is no ministry.
The so-called ministers are merely
heads Of departments, whom the
chancellor is not obliged to consult
about anything; they are there mere
ly to receive orders, they are not
much more than bureau chiefs. The
chancellor is the only minister. He
is responsible only to the emperor.
The reichstag cannot remove him and
cannot, as in liberal monarchies, COM
pei his resignation by vote Of lack
of confidence in him. 1t can only storm
at him. so long as the emperor is
satisfied. Under the emperor he Is
supreme, accountable to no man.
Not even the bundesrath can
change the constitution without the
lemperor's consent. for no amendment
can be passed II twenty votes in the
ihnHd d0snatfa ara, against it, ar,d TIA
kaiser controls twenty seventeen
from Prussia and three from Alsace-
ILorraine. As Prof. Hazen forcefully
said in the Sunday Times a week
ago:
If every individual in Germany ex-
cept this one, and including the other
kings and dukes, wanted a change in
the constitution, they couldn't get 1t
if William II said no! This is the
peoples kingdom with vengeance!
The United States is union OF the
people OF forty-eight states. Germany
is a union of the kings and princes
of twenty-five states, not of the peo-
pie. The people have nothing to do
with the government. which Is car
ried on by the emperor, his servant
the chancellor, and the bundesrath.
The bundesrath has nothing to do
with the people; it is a council of the
kings, and over even the bundesrath
the emperor has veto. This is the
autocracy which can plunge Germany
into war without being responsible to
anybody. and plunge not only Ger
many but the world, warlike and
peaceful nations alike. w..
II there should be electoral reform
in Germany, it will give the people
larger representation in the power
less reichstag, the body which can
only talk. the debating society, the
hall of echoes" But the power which
alone can act will be wholly unaffect-
ed and it's ability to desolate the
world whenever it's own interests
seem to dictate such thing will be
the same as before. No more than ever
will the German people have any
voice in the matter.