The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1918-09-13

ward into new stages of their deve-
lopment They explored and exploit
ed new continents and grew rich on
the commerce; they built up great col
onial empires; they applied steam
power to machinery thus increasing
many times their productive power,
and multiplying their population.
England, especially had grown great.
She controlled a large portion OF the
earth, was mistress of the seas, and
led all lands in riches and in lustry
But this stage in political develop
ment brought into prominence now
class of citizens, the bourgeoisie, the
commercial or middle class. They
owed their prosperity very largely to
the strong, stable government under
which they lived. The state by spe-
cial legislation had fostered the com
mercial classes. They were in large
part the product of political absolut-
ism 1t was not long however, before
they begun to realize their Importance
and their power If the country was
rich and prosperous, they argued, it
vas they who made it so. They chat
ed under despotism and demanded a
share in the government. During the
seventeenth century they united with
the small landowners and crushed abb
solutism in England. A century and
a half later the bourgeoisie in France
in the violent outburst of the French
revolution overthrow the very citadel
of despotsm and divine right theory.
Thus these states passed from one
necessary state in their development
to another, from the rule of an alb
solute monarch to government by the
ablest members of the state-the pro-
pertied classes.
But Germany, meanwhile was lag
ging far behind The Thirty Years
War, as we have seen left her desc
late She had no internal trade, she
did not share in the rich commerce of
the new WOIlN I1tI IdIlOuo COIllIHCl-
cial towns declined. The consequence
was she developed no strong, self
assertive middle class to stand as
hulwark against absolutism. The
commercial class that has developed
in recent years in Germany has rather
joined forces with absolutism. The
reason is clear. France and England
were first welded into great national
states and then took on commercial
prosperity after absolutism had done
it's work. In Germany the delayed
political development made absolutism
real force during the period when
German commerce was developing.
This striking difference in the his
tory of German development and that
of the more western states of Europe
is of utmost Importance in under
standing present conditions in the
Central Powers, and the conditions to
be met in the world reorganization
that is to follow the war. Germany
has yet to pass thru her French rev.
olution. She has not yet had a bour-
geois government such as has existed
in France, England and America for
the past century or more. She is
consequently without the training for
democracy that the other states ha,"
had. She may, at the conclusion of
this war, set up middle-class gov
eminent, just as the more advanced
states are ready to leave it for a full
Ter democracy of the workers of all
classes and thus be still one stage be
hind the procession, OF it is barely pos
sible that she will be able to ski one
stage in her development and ro over
directly to thoro going democracy.
This much is clear that in dealing
with Germany and the German people
in the war and after it we mus bear
in mad that they are one stage be
hind the rest of US in world progress.
This will help us to make fairer and
saner conclusions.