Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-07-31
lFrom Msnneapolis Tribune.)

The present/liberal movement IN
Germany recalls the so-called reyoiu-
ton OF lS48 and suggests Comparisons
land parallels: It is 10 years since the
ideals of true democracy filed the
minds and stirred the hearts of the
people Of Germany to the point OF re-
distance of their government. IT IS
asserted that democratic aspirations
impel the present demand for pol1ti-
cal reforms. 1t remains to be seen II
they are genuine desires for democ-
racy or whether they may be ~as'eas1ly
satisfied with a spurious kind of po-
llitical liberty as happened when Bis
marck substituted an attractive kind
fof nationalism for real democracy.
1t is a singular thing that the peo-
lple Of Germany, surrounded by a
lions where the essence of democracy
has been infused in their political IN
situations for many years, should have
been content to remain so long the
least democratic Of all the great states
Of the western world, except one, and
Ishould have seen that n converted
Into a republic almost without blood
shed while Germany remained as re-
dictionary and autocratic as 1t was
when the imperial union was formed
and Germany became a great and
united power.
IolSIildICh was LllS dbJuI0
who saved the day for autocracy
when the demands for democratic-in-
stitutions were most insistent in Ger
many. He played a shrewd political
confidence game on the people. They
asked for the bread Of democracy n
he gave them the stone of national
ism. But he won acceptance for his
substituted gift by so concealing it be-
meath the cloak of paternalism that
lie ns -. ~-~- - 4hnn
realized by a submissive people. Fol
popular rights, he gave them pensions
and old age insurance and minimum
wage laws: instead of a free ballot
he gave free bread; instead Of a rep
resentative and responsible govern
ment he granted a debating club call
ed the Reichstag and maintained as
before an imperial head claiming Di-
vine right and no appeal. The per-
formance was not so very different in
principle from the policy Of the Ro-
man emperors. who provided for the
people games and feasts and pageants
in order to make them forget that
they had rights and powers which
they had learned to exercise.
Bismarck bought with the hribes of
a paternalistic regime the submission
which induced the most aggressively
liberal to follow the lead of arrogant
militarism into this war without an
audible protest. wal conceived not
for the diffusion or the defense of
liberty, but for the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of
an imperial autocracy.
That is what happened to the re-
form movement of l848. The idea of
a united Germany, democratic and
free like the other progressive peo-
pies of both hemispheres, was lost I'M
der the glamor of a united Germany,
strong, aggressive and prosperous be-
Iject to an iron rule-the land of ever
boten."
After three years of war, with the
world arrayed against them because
of the declared ambitions Of their
government and because Of their in
human methods of warfare, a new re-
volt against the ancient order of alb.
solutiSm has commenced to show it.
self even in the German Reiehstag
Two great parties are demanding po-
litical reforms, the adoption of which
would transfer authority, from 9
monarch holding himself responsible
only to Heaven, to chosen representa-
tives of the people. This movement
makes its demands upon a govern
ment facing the world in arms. The
German is intensely loyal. He feveres
the state as does no other citizen OF
subject. His ethical teachers have in.
dedicated assiduously the idea that the
state is the highest aim N the sup.
port of 1t the highest good. How
much will he venture TO do or demand
that might embarrass his government
at a time SO critical as this? Alas fol
the a~utocracy! There is no Bismarck