Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-08-19
ELECTION REFORM
VAST LAW TUMBLE
Recovering of Prussian Diet
Expected to Bring Death to
Long Obnoxious System.
BIGGEST POLITICAL EVENT
Bearing Upon Future Develop
rnents in Germany Tremendous,
and May Mean a Change.
BY karl H. Won w1EGAND.

NEW YORK. August ls.-with the
approac ching reconvening OF the Prus-
sian Diet. often referred to as the Prus-
sian Parliament. the government will
introduce and undoubtedly force
| through the promised electoral reform
doing away with the long obnoxious
| and notorious threc-class election sys-
TEN. and prviding universal male suf-
fragc and direct secret ballot.
| Under the old system. men voted in
three classes. according to the amount
| of taxes paid. One man sometimes
had as many votes as 100 others. II
Prussia and Germany get nothing more
out of the war than this. the war Will
not have been lost for the German
people.
This will be the most momentous
political event in the history of Ger
many since the creation of the empire
in Versailles in 1870. It's Importance
cannot well be exaggerated. Though
II will affect directly only tho Prus-
slams. it's bearing upon future political
| Developments in Germany will be ire
i ncndous. 1t will be the signal for
! general constitutional "houseclcanIng"
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 it's own laws and
administers its own internal affairs
far more in some respects than do our
| United States, have a veritablc crazy
quilt" patchwork OF electoral laws and
election systems. Hardly any two
states have exactly the same system
PRUSSIA THE NEW York; OF
| GERMAN NATIONALISM
Many people constantly confuse tho
| Prussian Diet. or Parliament, with the
German Reichstag. Even editorial
! writers make that error. AS have
stated. Germany is made up of twenty
six independent states. each governing
! itself Prussia is the New York;
among these states. 1t has the most
representatives, in the Rcichstag also
IN the Bundesrat. The Reichstag is
| the Congress of the German states
| The Bundcsrat, or Federal Council.
| corresponds in some respects to our
Senate. but its members are appointed
| by the governments of the different
| states instead OF being elected.
| The Rcichstag. or German Con
| gress." is elected by universal male
suffrage. on an equal. direct and secret
ballot, in the United States. There
are practically no restrictions. 1t is
a very democratic system.
1t is in the different states, begin
ming with Prussia, where wholly OBJ
| sol4tc and incredibly out of date sys-
TENS prevail for the election of their
Diets. corresponding to our State Leg
islatures These systems all dscrim-
| mate against the workingman and
| ordinary citizen. as in Prussia. The
Constitutions i'll no two states are
| alike.
This has arisen out of the historical
development. With the majority of
states this would matter little to the
outside world. excepting in the case
of Prussia. Prussia and the King of
Prussia constitute the presidency" of
the Federation of German States, with
the title of Kaiser. And the Prussian
government has the direction and con-
troll Of the foreign affairs and policy
OF the German states. For that rea
SON 1t is of interest to the outside
world how the Prussian government
| is chosen.
"CRAzY GUILT" ELECTION
LAWS AND SYSTEMS IN USE,
will give few instances Of the
crazy quilt" election laws and sys-
owners are given an advantage
Property and taxes paid count in Prus-
STA, Anhalt. Brunswick. Lippe, Reuss
younger line). Sachsen- MeininEcn,
Sachsen- Altenburg, Schwarzburg-
dolstadt and Schwarzburg- Sonders-
hansen. Some of these states are not
as large as one of our counties
To make 1t more complicated, the
ruler In some of tho states has the
right to appoint q specified number OF
members to the Landtag. Diet or Leg
islature. In Anhalt, two out of
forty-six; in Reuss, three out of ft-
teen: in Schwarzburg- Sond ershausen,
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 Chambers Of Agriculturists
in Anhalt. In Brunswick large land
owners, the clergy and members of
scientific bodies. In Bremen. the Mer-
chants Guild and Chamber of Com
merce. In Hamburg. real estate own
ers and officials in the government and
administration.
open ballots are cast in Prussia and
Waldeck-Pyrmont together with in
direct voting through electors in Prus-
STA, brunswick and three small states
Proportioned election systems, by
which the minority also may have a
specified number OF representatives, are
In use I'm the Free City of Hamburg
and the Kingdom OF Wuerttembers.
The proportional" system Is declared
to be the most democratic system OF
all, and is being advocated by the
German Socialists to be included In
the measure for universal equal suf-
frage in Prussia. The advantage claim
ed Is that the minority will always be
represented and the interests and views
of the losing voters heard.
MANS AGE DETERMINES
NUMBER OF HIS VOTES
Plural votes exist in q number OF
! states. In the Grand Duchy Of He's.
sen a voter above fifty years Of age
has two votes. In .Oldenburs, voter,
q CONTINUED on Ninth PaEe.l