Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1917-07-18
HOW GERMANY IS RULED.
Not Much Chance for Really Effec-
tual Election Reform.
tNew York Times.)


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 $4,000 East Prus-
slams can outvote $4,000 ,Berliners.
But if the whole Reichstag were
given over to the liberal element,
Kaiser Wilhelm would still rule Ger
many as an autocrat.
For the Reichstag, of which we
| 1t is debating society. 1t can talk,
but it cannot act. The real legisla-
tive body of Germany is the Bundes-
rath. of which we hear hardly any
| thing. The Bundesrath has not only
| legislative power, but executive and
judicial. The Reichstag talks, but If
! it should pass resolution, the Bun
desrath can veto it. The reason we
| hear so much of the conversational
Reichstag and so little of the potent
'Bundesrath is that the Reichstag
meets in public to indulge in ora
tory, the Bundesrath in private to
act,
The Bundesrath is not a body of
representatives Of the people. It is
| appointed by the kings and princes;
| its 81 members are nominated by.
| and directly represent, the monarchs
of the 20 States composing the Ger
| man Empire. When the Bundesrath
meets, the Emperor and the kings
are in session; it's members are
their ambassadors, not in any re-
spect the delegates of the people.
When 1t 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 Ger
man monarchy in session. The
Reichstag is merely what it has been
bitterly called in Germany, "a hall
Of echoes.'
There are officials who are called
ministers, but there is no ministry.
The so-called minister's are merely
heads Of departments, whom the
chancellor is not obliged to consult
about. anything; they are merely to
receive orders; they are not much
more than bureau chiefs. The chan
cellor is the only minister. He Is re-
sponsible only to the Emperor The
Reichstag cannot remove him and
cannot, as in liberal monarchies,
compel 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 En-
epror, he is supreme, accountable to
| no man.
Not even the Bundesrath can
change the constitution without the
EmperOr's consent, for no amend
ment can be passed if 20 votes in the
! Bundesrath are cast against it, and
the Kaiser controls 20--17 from
Prussia and 3 from AlSa .e-Lorraine.
AS Prof. Hazen forcefu,ly said in the
| Sunday Times week ago:
If every individual in Germany ex-
cept this one, and including the
other kings and dukes, wanted
change in the constitution, they
couldn't get it if William II said no!
This is the peoples kingdom with a
vengeance!
The United States Is a union of the
people of 48 States. Germany is a
union OF the kings and princes Of 25
States NOT NJ the neople Tho noo
pie have nothing to do with the gov
ernment, which is carried on by the
Emperor, his servant the chancellor,
and the Bundesrath. The Bundles
rath has nothing to do with the peo-
pie; it is a council Of kings. and
over even the Bundesrath the Empe-
ror has veto. This Is the autocracy
which can plunge Germany in war
without being responsible to any
body, and plunge not only Germany,
but the world, warlike and peaceful
nations alike.
If there should be electoral reform
in Germany, 1t will give the people
larger representation in the power
less Reichstag, the body which can
only talk. the debating society. the
nall OF echoes" But the power
which alone can act will be wholly
unaffected. and its ability to desolate
the world whenever its own interests
seem to dictate such thing will be
the same as before. No more than
mil