Germany and the Germans from an American Point of ViewCollier, Price
History
Germany and the Germans from an American Point of View
Collier, Price
Germany; National characteristics, German
So far as one may so divide them, the voters have aligned themselves
as follows: In the last elections, in 1912, the Conservatives and
their allies elected 75 members; the Clericals, 93; the Poles, 18; and
the Guelphs, 5; and these come roughly under the heading of the party
of the Right. Under the heading Left, the National Liberals and
Progressive party elected 88, and the Social Democrats 110 members to
the Reichstag. The parties stand therefore roughly divided at the
moment of writing as 191 Conservative, and 200 Radical, with 6 members
unaccounted for. The Poles with 18 seats, the Alsatians with 5, the
Guelphs and Lorrainers and Danes with 8 seats, and the no-party with 2
seats, are also represented, but are here placed with the party of the
Right. To divide the parties into two camps gives the result that,
roughly, four and a half millions voted that they were satisfied, and
seven and a half millions that they were not.
No doubt any chancellor, including Doctor von Bethmann-Hollweg, would
be glad to divide the Reichstag as definitely and easily as I have
done. Theoretically these divisions may be useful to the reader, but
practically to the leader they are useless. Bebel, the leader of the
Social Democrats, declares himself ready to shoulder a musket to
defend the country; Heydebrandt, the leader of the Conservatives, and
possibly the most effective speaker in the Reichstag, has spoken
warmly in favor of social reform laws; the Clericals are for peace,
almost at any price; the Agrarians or Junkers for a tariff on
foodstuffs and cattle, and one might continue analyzing the parties
until one would be left bewildered at their refining of the political
issues at stake. Back to God and the Emperor; and forward to a
constitutional monarchy with the chancellor responsible to the
Reichstag, and perhaps later a republic, represent the two extremes.
Between the two everything and anything. It is hard to put together a
team out of these diverse elements that a chancellor can drive with
safety, and with the confidence that he will finally arrive with his
load at his destination. In addition to these parties there are the
frankly disaffected representatives of conquered Poland, of conquered
Holstein, of conquered Alsace-Lorraine, and of conquered Hanover, this
last known as the Guelph party; all of them anti-Prussian.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account