Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1920-10-01
GERMANY'S NEW CONSTITUTION
(From The Eagle Magazine)

representative against and encroach-
ments by the executive. These COM
mlttees are permanent; they are not
affected even by the dissolution of
the Diet. They are legislative COM
mittees with the status of statutory
commissions, and have no parallel in
the governments of Great Britain,
France, or the United States. They
are new contribution to parliament
ary government, and perhaps might
we'll be copied in this Country.
| The equality of all Germans before
the law is explicitly proclaimed and
a practical application of this prin-
ciple was made when the Constituent
convention refused to establish spec
ial disabilities for the former sover-
eign families. Thus, these one-time
autocrats were not only denied spec
lal favors, but were exempted from
special penalties.
The following guarantee of justice
is novel in Europe: "The nationals
of the Empire of foreign speech may
not be hindered by legislation or ad-
| ministration in their free ethnic de-
velopment or in the use of their own
| language in education, administration,
or justice" This forbids the race re-
| striction and oppression that in the
mast were inflicted by Germany and
Austria upon Poles, Slays, and Bo-
hemians.
There is specific prohibition of
| the censorship of the press, which
might have been useful in this Coun-
try during the negotiation of the
treaty of Versailles.
There is a provision in favor of the
right of sections of population pro-
Tossing the same religious faith to
ask for and obtain the establishment
of denominational public schools, pro-
vided this can be done without i'm
pairing the provisions for the regular
secular public schools. This is in
direct contrast to our determined re-
fusal of any public support of de-
nominational institutions. In Ger
many religious societies will exist
with taxing power upon their own
members. There will be religious
equality; but there will not be entire
separation Of church and state as in
France and the United States. The
right of free assembly, otherwise than
in open public places, is guaranteed.
There is no prohibition against deny
ing legal capacity to any association
because of its pursuing political pur-
poses, guaranty of the right of as
sociation of public officials and a pro-
hibition against sex discrimination in
the matter of public offce-women
are as eligible as men.
Every pupil on finishing his school
course is to receive a copy of the con-
stitution-a provision we might we'll
copy. Marriage, as the foundation of
the family and of the conservation
and increase of the nation, is placed
under the special care of the Con-
stitution. The education of youth to
physical, moral, and social efficiency
is declared to be the supreme and
natural right of the parents, whose
activities, however, are supervised by
the state. Labor stands under the
special protection of the Empire.
The Constitution declares that a
family with numerous children has a
claim to public compensating provi-
sion; that illegitimate children are to
have the same opportunities for phys
ical, mental, and moral development
as legitimate children; that the ad-
ll1oSlOlI w pIlNuCSSS VI ulSucT cOu-
catinon is to rest on talent and not
on social position, and that financial
provision shall be made for this pur-
pose; that private schools shall not
be organized to promote class separa-
ton, and that education shall respect
differences of opinion and aim at in
ternational conciliation. 1t guaran-
tees the institution of property and
the right of inheritance-state par
ticipation to be fixed by law. 1t re-
quires cooperation not only on the |
part of Capital with the Community,
but between Capital and Labor. It |
secures the right Of collective bar
gaining; it proclaims the principle of
social insurance and the right of the
laborer to employment. The indie
pendence of the small concern is to
be protected from the avaricious |
trust-thus guarding against mo-
nopoly.
1t is perhaps too early to predict
how the new Constitution will work |
out. It's trainers evidently thought it |
was to give stricken people an out
look into a better future, and their
conception of that future is in con-
formity with advanced social thought
not Bolshevism or I. w. W.ism, but
liberty under law. Americans certain
ly must wish the German people to
realize the blessings hoped for by the
trainers Of The New Constitution.