St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1918-01-26
The Government Of Germany
Continued from page two.

the popular assemblies. These may
vote a lack of confidence as often as
they feel like 1t. The ministers will
go right on as long as the Emperor,
King, Grand Duke, or Prince desires.
You can not amend the constitution in
any German State without the con
sent of the Prince. You can not
amend the constitution of the Empire
without the consent of one man, viii
liam II. Reichstag committees may
discuss and propose amendments to
their hearts content. After they
have obtained the consent OF the
Reichstag a rocky road opens out
broadly ahead of them. For they
must have the approval of the Bund.
esrat, which is appointed by the reign
ing Princes of Germany, and is
obliged to vote as they direct. No
amendment can pass the Bundesrat IL
IA votes Of the 81 are east against it.
OF these 81, Prussia has 20. The
Prussian votes are cast as the King
of Prussia directs. II every indiyi-
dual in Germany except this one, and
including the other Kings and Dukes,
wanted a change in the constitution,
thy couldn't get it if William II said
No! This is the peoples kingdom
with a vengeance.
The power Of the Prussian Grown
is virtually Observation-Disclosures IN
der constitutional forms" said Ru-
doph Gneist, once considered in Ger
many a great authority on public law
before the modern school of publicists
George Meyer, Bornhak,
Jellinek, Treitschke-became the
teachers of Germany, and taught the
most reactionary political philosophy
Europe has heard in a century.
They have taught that the complete,
uncontrolled power of the Govern
nent" (Regierung) is in the power of
he prince; that the granting of con-
,titutions did not mean the recogni
ion Of popular sovereignty in the
slightest degree; that legislatures are
lot representations of the people but
re mere organs Of the state; that
legislatures have no right to bring
he state to a standstill; that is, have
right to refuse a budget until their
wishes are respected; that, il they do.
hey are acting not in a constitutional
ut In a revolutionary sense; that il
uch a step is taken, then it is the
light OF the sovereign to recur to the
rinciple that existed before the
ranting of the constitution, namely
bsolue monarchy, and to do what he
egards as wise.
German legislatures are impotent
nd Ineffective. The effective seat of
power In Germany is. as i'll
as always been. in the monarchs
.ermans may have the right to vote.
ut Napoleon l and Napoleon III
bowed men land Bismarck among
thers1 that made no difference, II
le vote led nowhere, il the body
lected by the voters was carefully
nd completely nulliaed by other
over which the voters had no
whatever.
The legislatures Of Germany are
only royal councils, ~consulta-
We assemblies. Bismarck's defiance !,
the Prussian Chamber and the vot-
s wing. elected it, in the conflict Pc
cd, from 1852 to 1866, has been deci-
for the fate of popular govern
emit in Germany. {.
Prince Won Buiow, the aDlest chan :
Of the Empire since Bismarck, !
in 1914: Prussia attained her
'eatness as a country Of soldiers and
lcials, and as such she was able to ,
;complish the work of German I'M !.
n; to this day she is still, in all
sentials, a state Of soldiers and Off !
The governing classes are, in !
which in turn governs Ger
any, the monarch, the ar~istocracy !
d a bureaucracy of military and .
vii officials, responsible to the King !
me. The determnng factor In the !
ate is the personality Of the King.
Prussia has been the strongest OBJ
acle the democratic movement of
1 nineteenth and twentieth centuries !.