Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-04-17
SPIRIT OF UNREST.

One-thtrd OF the members Of the Ger
man parliament are elected by the
wealthy land holders who constitute
only per cent of the total number Of
voters, one-third are elected by anoth-
er IL per cent Of the voters and the re-
naming one-third are elected by the
remainder Of the population having
the elective franchise In each Of
more than 1900 election districts a
single rich land owner is the sole first
class voter and the laws are such that
he is able to compel his tenants to vote
exactly as he wishes.
The junkers. the aristocratic party,
elect 100 members of parliament while
the commercial and business classes
elect but H. These aristocrats. through
their control OF Prussia, control the
empire Naturally they are heart and
soul opposed to democracy and exert
themselves to stifle every democratic
movement as well as all attempts to
provide education for the peasant
class. The kaiser. himself pronounc-
ed junker, obtains and holds his con-
troll by means of the junkers.
From these facts it is evident that
the poorer classes are practically de-
MED the right of suffrage. Under the
present system the reichstag has little
more voice in the government than the
Russian duma had before the revolu-
ton: it has no part in the setting up
or dissolution Of ministers and the EN-.
peror and bundersrath can act indie.
pendently OF it.
There are indications that the sue.
cess Of the people in Russia in throw
ing of autocracy has stirred the people
of Germany very deeply and that a
feeling Of unrest and discomfort with
the present German system Of govern
ment is growing to ominous proper
tons. Germany's feudalistic system Of
Prussian diet lately and it has been
pointed out in that body that the Rus
sian revolution should be taken as
warning by Germany's rulers. Seri.
GUS agitation has been started In some
Of the industrial centers, notably Leip-
zig, Dresden and Munich, and strikes
and other disturbances are in progress,
according to reports.
The Berlin Vorwaerts. socialist
newspaper, In comparing the situation
in Russia since the forced abdication
Of the car with the situation in Ger
many asks: Shall the world say that
all the nations of the earth are free
except Germany" It goes on to assert
that 1.-The king should straightway give
back to the Prussian people their fran.
chise which was taken away in 1S4S."
Herr Schefdemann, socialist leader
in the reichstag. writing in the Vor
waerts recently, declared that the rea.
son for so many nations being now ar
rayed against Germany Is that ''the
whole world sees among Germany's
enemies more or less developed forms
OF democracy while in Germany 1t
'sees only Prussianism." He declared
that now is the time for granting re-
forms that would give Germany .
greater degree Of democracy.
Some observers see possibility
that If the present shortage of food SUI
fers further reverses the German peo-
pie, discouraged and disheartened by
the great suffering and hardships that
have been brought on them by the
present governments prosecution Of
the war and with the success of the
Russian revolution fresh In their
minds. may rise in rebellion against
the government and compel farreach-
ing reforms.-The Pathfinder.