The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1917-08-09
The German Crisis

IL Is well W hCCp III iiiihN SiiS'i
internal, as we'll as their interr.a-
tional. situation. We are apt 10
lay too much stress upon what
appears To be recognition by
the German people Of the hope
lessnpss of their side in the pre-
sen. war. The German govern
ment is an empire. COMP ojed of
many Kingdoms. duchies and
municipalities. Each of the latter
is a monarchy with some partici-
patton by the people in their gov
eminent. The principal of these
Ilonarchies is Prussia. of which
Wi helm III (the Kaiser) is king.
Wilhelm is, therefore, king of
Prussia and kaiser or emperor Of
Germany. Germany's legisla
i've bodies are Reichstag. COM
nosvd of elected members like
our House of Representatives,
and the Bundesrath. comparing
TO our Senate, except that the
members of the Bundesrath are
appointed by the crowned heads
of the various countries compos
ing the empire. AS the Bundles
lath can veto any act, it is quite
apparent that the thrones of the
empire can prevent any reform.
But the supreme power of Prus-
STA appears from the fact that
her king appoints 20 members of
the Bundesrath, and no bill max.
ing fundamental changes can be
passed if IA or more members OPP
pose It. Therefore, King Will
helm, of Prussia, the Kaiser, can,
with his 20 appointees, defeat
any reform in the franchise.
The agitation for franchise re-
form is the cutgrowth OF sys-
tenn of voting, which is unique.
The voters are divided into three
classes. The first class are those
big taxpayers, paying the first
third Of the taxes-that is the
largest taxpayers are selected
till those paying one third of the
whole tax for that district shall
be embraced, and these repis ent
one third of the voting power OF
1he district. The taxpayers next
ia amount, paying the next third
of the taxes, have one third of
the voting power. All The rest
of the people have the remaining
third of the voting power. 1t is
an arbitrary property qualifiea-
ton, giving the very wealthy i'm
mense power; the well TODD less,
but still vast advantages oyer the
masses. The milIionaires and
the well-to-do's can control any
district. In one district in Prus-
STA. a sausage maker represents
the FIRST third, and he polls one
third of the vote. At one cleo
ton, the party polling a MAORI
ty of the votes elected only seven
members out of 70.
1t is against this franchise sys-
tenn for electing members of the
Reichstag that this agitation is
aimed and it seems that the Kai-
ser has yielded. However. the
supreme power Of this royalty ap
pointed Bundesrath will still
stand in the way Of reform. This
crisis may be the first note Of re
volution. The American stand
for democracy, voiced by Presi-
dent Wilson. may have been like
the writings of Rousseau in
France, in 1880, read in enough
German homes to quicken hope
into affirmative actior On the
other hand the German govern
ment may have yielded, at the
oppOrtune moment. to the fran
chise agitation, which has been
aimed at a system as defenseless
to reason as it is hateful TO a
democray. The people may be
ready to accept the half.loaf. in
which event the crisis may pas s
without materially weakening
the war power Of Germany. To
be sure, a people agitating for
equality of franchise, will not in.
definitely submit to a king -ap.
pointed upper house Of parliment;
and the United States has no cal
culation about this war which in
wolves the indefinite or the long
u