Imperial Valley press., 1918-03-18
PLURAL VOTES
GERMANY SCORED
BY NEWSPAPERS
(By ASsocia ted Press)

German newspapers recently received
here show that they had vigorousl!
disapproved of the system of plura
voting in Prussia, which subsequently
was accepted by the franchise commit
tee Of the lower house of the Prussial
Diet and incorporated IN the bill fol
submission to the PrUssian parlia
ment. The German editors had de.
clarei. before the franchise committee
thus gave its approval of the plural
voting system, that this would MOI
fulfill the intent of the manifesto is
sued last July by Emperor William
as King of Prussia. in which he an
nounced that a bin would be INTRODUCED
in the Diet providing for universal,
and equal suffrage.
The plural system. as approved BY
the franchise committe, classif.es the
voters according to certain trades anG
professions, allotting specified num-
Der of votes to each class.
The editorials advocating the fran.
chise reform were replete with acri-
mony and eXasperation An attempe
by the Conservative party to induce
the committee to favor the plural vot-
ing system was denounced by the
newspapers as an effort to postpone
Indefinitely the entire movement 70
electoral reform.
The Berlinger Tageblatt of Januar,
IS, in an editorial captained "Electora.
Reform in Danger" said:
The deliberations of the commit
tee regarding the three reform bill
are taking a course such as had no
been expected by even the most OBJ
stinate pessimists. The reactionary
parties, -;ith the National Liberia
leading, as is clearly shown, aims t
postpone indefinitely the entire frar
chise reform.
But these parties will soon have
to recognize that the people will no5
stand for such attempts to frustrate 4
solemnly given promise"
The Vorwaerts of January 13 said
in connection with the committee de-
libretaions on the franchise reform
bill, that the proceedings in that COM
nitee must be considered by the
working classes as mockery.
"For decades" the paper stated
"the Prussian people have been forced
to endure the shame of the three
class electoral system. Before the
war and also since the beginning of
the war they have fought untiringlv
for free franchise. And not without
success. The crown has solemnlv
promised the equal, direct and secret
ballot. The government is bound by
this promise. And at this stage the
enemies Of the franchise resort to
means which, clearly show that. not
the viewpoint of right, but only that
OF might, concerns them"
A few days later the Vorwaerts as
serted editorially that the battle of
the opponents of the franchise reform
had entered a phase (which must turn
the evaporation prevailing in the wi
dest circles of the people into indig
nation" 1t was obvious, the editor
wrote, that the Conservatives support
ed directly and indirectly by the Ma
tlonal Liberals had begun a systematic
campaign to withhold from the people
their right and to defeat the equal
franchise promised them in the most
solemn manner. "How long," asked
the Vorwaerts, "do the gentlemen be-
lieve that the Prussian people will put
up with such methodist"
A Polish deputy, replying to vari-
Gus remarks regarding Prussia's pol
icy concerning the Poles, said the
Prussian regime as heretofore conduct
ed was deeply hateful to the Poles,
for 1t was the type of the "most re-
pulsive form Of domination a people
ever had to bear" The war, he said,
would give the Polish people equality
lof rights. They would then no longer
be subject to the "nauseus Prussian re-
gime."
The chairman, Deputy Hausmann,
requested the speaker to moderate his
form Of expression, but the Polish
deputy added that the peoples would
come to their senses and that the war
would be common grave for national
chauvinism.