:;: 



GERMANY 



oa th* bill in it* original form. The < 

 party, wbfeh had agreed to Mnpod the i,..v,m- 

 ment under the* impmsion that tin- latter had 

 Urilly conaented t.> f .-edto 



... u -.. t m --M i u 1 wn 

 reftehrd <>n ricals voted (<>r 



M in it- original 



; I.. r il. 



erthcn proposed to dispose of the 

 hill at unhand not to waste any more 

 time tip-nil. A. cordinu'ly. the differ- 

 cut iwrngrnph* of lh- lull weiv t.-ik.-n up -ue- 



ted l.y tli.- lieich 



nica.no thai n<>t even the frmalitv 

 of a division was required. Thus ended with 

 the inglorious defeat <>f th<> Govcnin 

 paign undertaken, as the Government expressed 

 the defense of religion, morality, and so- 

 , .,. idee 



The Government h < in anoth- 



feat in the rejection i rof the to- 



bacoo-Ux hill. This hill provided for a reduc- 

 ..f th- imjiort duly on foreign-grown 

 by 45 marks per 100 kilogrammes, the 

 abolition of the system of specific duties on 

 home-grown tobacco, and substitution for the 

 f an ad valorem duty of 25 per cent, for 

 cigars and cigarettes and 40 per rent, for snuff 

 and smoking an<l i-h.-'.vin- t. \t the 



time of Its iirr- lu.-tion into the Kei<-!i-'.i_ r . the 

 Oorernment declan-d that these new duties were 

 necessary to prevent a threatened deficit in the 

 ; it was expected that the Clericals 

 ; rally to its support. When it came be- 

 fore the committee it appeared that there would 

 be no deficit in the budget, and even the com- 

 mittee rejected it. When it came before the 

 Boon on a second readm-. it was rejected by a 

 large majority, only the Conservatives and Na- 

 tional Liberals voting for it. 



The other two bills mentioned in the speech 

 from the throne were never even laid before the 

 Reichstag. A bill dealing with the regulation 

 of the imperial finances was defeated. Tin- whole 

 accomplished by the Reichstag in its five mom h-' 

 i i'lption of the budg- 

 et, 9 Mils dealing with the taxation of 

 and spirits, a customs-laws amendment bill, a 

 measure providing for th.- punishment of slave 

 trading. 2 bills granting pensions to veterans or 

 their widows and orphans, and a few minor pro- 

 posals. Such lack of positive results has never 

 ..-.:;. i_-. I'm --] :.- 

 ; ,, 



8eciallsM. The unsuccessful attempt of the 

 German Government to combat socialism with- 

 in the German Empire by means of repres- 

 sive Uws in the shape of the UmeturevoHoffe 

 nlv srrrcd to unite the socialists for stronger 

 activity and helped to increase their numbers. 

 rto the strongh-Msof the social.^ have 

 been large cities and the industrial centers. bt 



.' condition of the agrarian populu- 

 Mited to swell the socialist*' nab in 

 wrote where formerly socialism was unknown. 

 la order to meet the demands of this wing of 

 ion in the party platform, 

 a agrarian committee was appointed t., .iraft 

 MMadm*ntA to the party principles, which were 

 to be submitted to the Socialist Congress at its 

 meeting at BraUu. The committee prepared a 



programme of which the prineij al j. 



I" all alininitralive fui, 

 and of all privilr-. - .-.nnerted with real | 



.vrll a- of any remains of the feinl:-. 

 t. in ; the i ii ami increase of ; 



lamled projH-rly. the tran-fcr ! pr..p. 



ain. of the forests, ami of \\a' 



Miniinilv. uinler the control of th. 

 srntativc* of the jH'ople ; the in I roil net ion of a 



f pn--i-mptii.n for tlic commuiies 

 of the sale of property by public auction, and the 

 management of their property by the stal 

 the com m lines on their own account, or by a 



"f rural laborer* ,-r -mall proj.; 

 that was not attainable, by sell'-ili-pi-mle: 

 ants, under the supervision <.f the state or the 

 commune; state credit for as^M-ia 1 

 commuiie< f,,r the purpose of impn-\ 

 ty: the payment by the empire- ' 

 penses involved iii the construct inn ami 

 of the public means of communication 

 dams and dikes; the nationali/atioii of 

 gages am I a reduction of t he rate of in' 

 on; state help for distress cau-ed by ti 

 ments of Nature; and an extension i.f for- 

 shooting rights. This programme, alt ho',. 

 jected by the con^ri-ss, was declared l.\ 

 lution accompanying the rejection to' form a 

 basis upon \vhic h a new committee was' 



pare amendments to be laid before the < 

 in 181 



it celebrations were prepared am: 

 throughout the German Kmpire tocomim - 

 the twenty-fifth anniversary of the victory of the 

 German army over that of France. The 

 i-tic press ur^ed its adherents to refrain fr.m 

 taking part in the-e celebration-, and especially 

 from celebrating the fall of Sedan, on the 

 ground that it would be an unbioth.t 

 towar.l the Kn-nch socialists. In a 

 places the socialists announced their im- 

 of holding meetings to denounce these celebra- 

 tions, of which Emperor William was the prtifl 

 mover. Their press assailed the nn-mor\ 

 helm I in recalling his repressive la\\ 

 S.-pt. '.>. lS!r>, tho anniversary of the battle of 

 Sedan, Kmperor William II. in nmi.. 

 to the Guards at a banquet in the White Hall of 

 the royal castle, concluded his s|M-.-eh 

 lows: "Yet in the sublime and noble 

 these celebrations a note has been struck 

 truly has no place there. A rabble unw. : 

 bear the name of Germans have dared i 

 the German people, have dared to drag in the 

 dust the sacred person of their late I. 

 peror. May the whole jn-ople find -tn-r 

 monstrous at lack"! If not. 

 call tijx.n you to resist thi^ trca-onabli- l> 

 wage a war which will free us fr-.m sn 

 ments." The Social- Democrat i 



peech and attacked the G-\ mim-nt and 



ujK-ror in violent article-. This and the 

 aspersions upon Wdhelm I le<i 

 several of the mo-t prominent - 

 HIM! the institution of eha- 

 le#e-majesle. A number 



pers were confiscated and. with the aid of vinc 

 old Prussian laws, repres 

 the socialists were adopted throughout, th* 1 



:..m of Pru-ia. The plant of th. 



." the leading paper of the s< 



