154 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE- XV 



As to men prominent in debate, allusion has already 

 been made to the chancellor, and various ministers of the 

 crown might be added, of whom I should give the fore 

 most place to the minister of the interior, Count Posa- 

 dowski. His discussions of all matters touching his 

 department, and, indeed, of some well outside it, were mas 

 terly. Save, perhaps, our own Senator John Sherman, I 

 have never heard so useful a speaker on fundamental ques 

 tions of public business. As to the representatives, there 

 were many well worth listening to; but the two who at 

 tracted most attention were Richter, the head of the 

 &quot; Progressist, &quot; or, as we should call it, the radical frac 

 tion, and Bebel, the main representative of the Socialists. 

 Eichter I had heard more than once in my old days, and 

 had been impressed by his extensive knowledge of imperial 

 finance, his wit and humor, his skill in making his points, 

 and his strength in enforcing them. He was among the 

 few still remaining after my long absence, and it was clear 

 to me that he had not deteriorated, that he had, indeed, 

 mellowed in a way which made him even more interesting 

 than formerly. As to Bebel, though generally disappoint 

 ing at first, he was quite sure, in every speech, to raise 

 some point which put the conservatives on their mettle. 

 His strongest characteristic seems to be his earnestness: 

 the earnestness of a man who has himself known what the 

 hardest struggle for existence is, and what it means to 

 suffer for his opinions. His weakest point seems to be a 

 tendency to exaggeration which provokes distrust; but, 

 despite this, he has been a potent force as an irritant in 

 drawing attention to the needs of the working-classes, and 

 so in promoting that steady uplifting of their condition 

 and prospects which is one of the most striking achieve 

 ments of modern Germany. 



Among the many other members interesting on various 

 accounts was one to whom both Germans- and Americans 

 might well listen with respect Herr Theodor Barth, 

 editor of &quot;Die Nation, &quot; a representative of the best tra 

 ditions of the old National Liberal party. He seemed to 



