Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1918-03-12
GERMAN RULE IS
HATED BY POLES
SYSTEM OF PLURAL VOTING
CAUSES INTENSE DISSATISFAC-
TION BERLIN PAPER COM
MENTS ON SITUATION.

NEW YORK, March documents
in German newspapers recently re-
ceived here, show that they had vigor-
ously disapproved of the system Of
the system of plural voting in Prussia.
which subsequently was accepted by
the franchise committee of the lower
house of the Prussian iDet and incor-
norated in the bill for submission to
the Prussian Parliament. The Ger
man editors had declared, before the
franchise committee thus gave its APP
prevail of the plural voting system,
that this would not fulfill the intent
Of the manifesto issued last July by
Emperor William, as King of Prus-
STA, in which he announced that a bill
would be introduced in the Diet pro-
viding for universal and equal suf.
frage
The plural system as approved by
the franchise committee classics the
voters according to certain trades and
professions, allotting specified num-
Der of votes to each class.
The editorials advocating the fran
chise reform were replete with acri-
nony and evaporation. An attempt by
the conservative party to induce the
committee to favor the plural voting
system was denounced by the newspa-
pers as an effort to postpone indefi-
nitely the entire movement for eiec-
torial reform
The Berliner Tageblatt of Janaury
10, in an editorial captioned Electoral
Reform in Danger" said: "The de-
liberations of the committee regarding
the three reform bills are taking a
course such as had not been expected
by even the most obstinate pessimists.
The reactionary parties with the Ma
tioanl Liberals leading, as is clearly
shown, aims to postpone indefinitely
the entire franchise reform.
But these parties will soon have
to recognize that the people will not
stand for such attempts to illustrate
a solemnIy given promise.
The vorwaerts of January ID, said
in connection with the committee 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 untiringly for free
franchise. And not without success.
The crown has solemnly 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 clear
" 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 re-
form had entered a phase (which must
turn the evaporation prevailing in
the widest circles of the people into
Indignation" 1t was obvious, the
editor wrote that the Conservatives
supported directly and indirectly by
the National Liberals had begun n
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 Vorweaths, do the gentle
men believe that the Prussian people
will put UP with such methodist
A Polish deputy, replying to various
remarks regarding Prussia's policy
concerning the Poles, said the Prus-
sian regime as heretofore conducted
was deeply hateful to the Poles, for it
was the type of the most repulsiye
fern of domination a people ever had
to bear" The war, he said, would
give the Polish people equality OF
rights. They would then no longer re
subject to the ."nauseous 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 a common grave for national
chauviniSm