436 



GERMANY. 



had fallen behind. Were the perils of pro- 

 tectionism really so great as sometimes painted, 

 France would long ago have been ruined, in- 

 stead of which she was more prosperous after 

 paying the five milliards than Germany is to- 

 day. And protectionist Russia, too look at her 

 marvelous prosperity ! Manufacturers there 

 had lately been able to save from 30 to 35 per 

 cent., and all at the cost of the German market. 

 The question before them was not a political 

 but a financial one, and they should put all 

 personal sensibility aside. Nor should they 

 forget the maxim, "Bis dat qui cito dat"; and 

 whichever of them would not quickly give 

 would do detriment to the economic interests 

 of the realm. Dr. Delbruck warned the House 

 to beware of approving the proposed taxes on 

 cotton yarns, as thereby certain branches of 

 export industry would in the highest degree 

 be imperiled. Dr. Delbruck then contrasted 

 France and Germany in this respect, proving 

 by statistics that in the former the customs on 

 cotton yarns are very high as compared with 

 those in the latter, and that, though the im- 

 ports are thrice as great as in Germany, the 

 export is only a third. On the 3d Herr Bam- 

 berger, of the National Liberal party, a great 

 financial authority and an ardent free-trader, 

 undertook to refute the speech made by Prince 

 Bismarck the day before, which, he urged, 

 contained nothing but the assurance of future 

 prosperity sure to result from the acceptance 

 of his scheme, and raised hopes which in the 

 long run could not be realized. Whether such 

 a course was judicious in view of the efforts 

 and expectations of social democracy seemed 

 to him highly questionable. The strength of 

 Prince Bismarck lay in the domain of foreign 

 policy, but his intervention in matters of finance 

 was at variance with his Highness's activity in 

 the past. The Prince's pillar of support was 

 the Center, and the tendency of the Ultramon- 

 tanes was invariably retrograde. Nor had the 

 Federal Council shown much independence in 

 their discussion of the bill. Herr Bamberger 

 proceeded to consider the probable effects of 

 the new tariff from^ll general points of view, 

 ending with the assurance that if it were ac- 

 cepted German industry would most assuredly 

 suffer euthanasia, or die a calm and gradual 

 death. On the 4th Herr Richter, Progressist, 

 and a financier of no mean order, chained the 

 attention of the House for nearly three hours, 

 and drew a gloomy picture of the evils sure 

 to result to the empire from the adoption of 

 Prince Bismarck's bill. The Fortschritt (Pro- 

 gressist) party were unanimously opposed to 

 the proposed taxes on tobacco and beer, petro- 

 leum, and the most indispensable articles of 

 daily consumption, and they would listen to no 

 compromise. They looked upon the question 

 of customs and taxes as one of might. Money 

 was power, and this Prince Bismarck was evi- 

 dently bent on gaining for the empire at all 

 risks. In proportion as direct taxation was 

 lessened, the parliamentary influence of pro- 



vincial assemblies, and even that of the various 

 states, would be weakened. The proposals be- 

 fore them aimed at absolutism. He reminded 

 all who loved freedom that it was never sent 

 down direct from heaven, but had to be fought 

 for and won. He bade them hold fast together, 

 for liberty and the future of the German Em- 

 pire were at stake. On the 6th Freiherr von 

 Varnbilhler, President of the Tariff Commis- 

 sion, combated the arguments advanced during 

 the last few days by such champions of free 

 trade as Herren Bamberger and Richter. On 

 the 8th Deputy Lasker called the attention of 

 the House to a letter written by Prince Bis- 

 marck to the Bavarian Herr von Thilngen, the 

 chief of the so-called Agrarian party, as reveal- 

 ing plans still more reactionary than those in- 

 dicated by the new tariff. Herr von Thuugen, 

 in his letter to Bismarck, had complained that 

 the interests of German agriculture were not 

 sufficiently protected in the new tariff, at all 

 events not in due proportion to commerce and 

 industry. A number of agricultural products 

 continued to be imported free of duty. The 

 agricultural middle class was on the point of 

 disappearing. Rich capitalists buy real estates 

 for small sums; the peasant becomes again 

 what he was a thousand years ago, a shepherd ; 

 some emigrate, the others become Social Demo- 

 crats, and the social revolution which ends in 

 imperialism is completed. The Imperial Chan- 

 cellor in his reply expressed his concurrence in 

 the opinion of Herr von Thiingen that the 

 corn duties were insufficient as a protection of 

 agriculture in proportion to the burdens which 

 it bears; but, in his negotiations with the Gov- 

 ernments of the other German states and the 

 Tariff Commission, he had been unable to 

 obtain greater concessions, and had found it 

 even difficult to retain the concession that had 

 been made. In view of this correspondence, 

 Lasker laid a special stress on the corn duties 

 proposed in the new tariff, and with great ve- 

 hemence denounced the intention of the Chan- 

 cellor. The reply of Prince Bismarck admit- 

 ted that in his opinion the agricultural inter- 

 ests of the empire deserved a more energetic 

 protection than they received at present. Herr 

 Windthorst, the leader of the Ultramontane 

 Center, declared that his party would support 

 the new protective policy of the Chancellor. 

 A few days before, Herr Windthorst ("the 

 Pearl of Meppen"), who is not only the leader 

 of the Center, but also the trusted adviser of 

 the ex-royal family of Hanover, and who for 

 long years had been the uncompromising foe 

 of the Prince, had for the first time had an 

 interview with Bismarck, and on May 4th he 

 had attended the parliamentary soiree of the 

 Prince, who was observed to receive him with 

 warm and prominent hospitality. It was there- 

 fore inferred from the speech of Deputy Windt- 

 horst, that Prince Bismarck must have secured 

 some kind of agreement with the Center. On 

 the llth the tobacco-tax bill was defended by 

 Deputy von Schmid of Wiirtemberg, who con- 



