St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1918-01-26


that Liberty which is not German is
not liberty"
The Kingdom of Prussia is larger
than all the other German staets COM
bined, comprising two thirds Of the
territory and about t%wo-thirds OF the
population Of Germany. The Empire
differs from other considerations in
that the States composing it are Of
unequal voting power in both the
Bundesrat and the Reichstag. 1t was
Prussia hat made the German Empire
ard oada it by blood and iron, and
in the Empire she has installed her
self at every point of vantage and
guards jealousy not only the primary
but also the actual power.
Prussia has, since 1850, had a con-
stitution and a parliament. What are
they like? The Constitution was
granted by the King, and nowheredoes
it recognize the sovereignty of the
people. What the monarch has
granted he can alter or withdraw. All
the restriction the constitution i'm
poses upon the monarchial principle Is
that henceforth it shall be exercised
and expressed in certain forms, with
a certain procedure. Prussian states
men and Prussian jurists maintain
with practical unanimity that this
does not mean any diminution of the
power of the monarch, that the fact
that he creates a legislature does not
for an instant mean that he bestows
upon it a part of the sovereignty.
The legislature of Prussia is the
Landtag, which consists Of two cham
bers, the House of Lords and the
House Of Representatives. The leg
~islature does not initiate much legis'
lation. Most of the bills passed by
it have been proposed by the Govern,
ment: that is, by the King. The leg
islature has practically no controI
over the administration; that is, over
the powerful and permanent bureau
cracy. 1t a in this sphere express
opinions and practically nothing more
The constitution does not determine
the composition of the House of Lords
but leaves that to the King to deter
mine by royal ordinance. AS a mat
ter of fact this house is really over
whelmingly dominated by the land
owning nobility, the famous Junkers
men frequently more royalist than the
/ King, conservative and militaristic tc
the marrow of their bones. The
! House is subject to the absolute con
troll OF the monarch through his unre
tricted power TO create peers. 1t is
really a sort Of royal council, an ex
tension or variation OF the royal pow
er. It is a body that in no sense rep
r~esents the people Of Prussia. 1t has
a veto upon all legislation, and the
King also has an absolute veto.
Yet there exists antoher House in
this legislature which enaets the laws
that govern 100000 Prussians-
the socaIled House of Representa-
| tives; and marvellous indeed is the
construction and composition of tina:
body. Every Prussian man who has
attained his twenty-nfth year has the
vote. Is Prussia, therefore a demo
cracy. Not exactly, for the exercise
OF this right is so arranged that the
ballot Of the poor man Is practically
annihilated. Universal suffrage has
been rendered illusory. And this is
the way it has been done: The vot-
| ers are divided in each electoral dis
trict into three classes according to
wealth. The amount of taxes paid by
the district is divided into three
equal parts. Those taxpayers who
pay the first third are grouped into
one class; those, more numerous, who
pay the second third, into another
| class; those who pay the remainder,
into still another class. The result is
that a very few rich men are set
apart by themselves, the less rich by
themselves. and the poor by themsel-
yes. Each of these groups, voting
separately, elects an equal number Of
delegates to a convention. which con-
vention chooses the delegates of that
constituency to the lower house Of
the Prussian Parliament.