burning questions of domestic policy before the government. These: were what shall be done with the Roman Catholics who thought that the Pope should control Germany; and what shall be done with the Socialists who believed in a revolution in the form of government? Bismarck determined to crush the life out of both these parties, and had the most rigid and repres sive laws enacted. In 1873 the celebrated May laws were passed which it supposed would completly break the Catholic power. For introducing these measures Bismarck was justly accused of violating the con stitution, trampling on all religion, and ignoring every principle of honor and right. He could en force his laws, but he soon found he could not change the religions convictions of the millions of German Catholics. In spite of his repressions they have continued to flourish and grow in pow er. They have compelled the iron chancellor to recede step by step from his position until the May laws have all been repealed, and had he not resigned when he did, he would have been com pelled to ally himself with the Catholics in order to secure a majority to sustain his government. In his treatment with the socialists he has met with the same fate. He has always been a most bitter opponent of constitutional reform. His first speech in the Prussian Reichstag was in op position to the revolutionists of 1848, who were trying to secure a representative form of govern ment, and had it not been for his iron handed policy we should long ere this have seen a peace ful republic on the banks of the Rhine. Through out his life he has endeavored to trample to death all democratic ideas. It is this blood and iron policy of repression which has created the social ist party, and which has sent so many of Ger many’s best citizens to seek liberty on the shores of our blessed republic. The socialists, while including many fanatics on the land question, represent the great mass of dis contented people who can no longer endure the heavy hand of oppressive absolutism, and long for THE FREE LANCE. a more liberal government. But has Bismacrk suc ceeded in his policy of crushing democratic ideas? No! Here as elsewhere the principles of liberty have flourished under repression. In the recent elections the Socialists nearly quadrupled their number of Representatives in the Reichstag. In the city of Berlin where they have been under a close police surveillance for thirty years,they have doubled their vote, and now have a majority in the German capital. Does this immense gain in votes look as if Bismarck has succeeded in his policy of crushing the popular movement to wards constitutional reform? He has never been allied to any settled line of domestic policy, such as we have represented in our great political par ties. When he found he was not supported by a majority in the German Parliament he changed his political principles in order to gain the sup port of the many factions which go to make up German politics. Thus, when with the National Liberals he was a free trader; at another time to gain the'votes of the conservatives he turned pro tectionist. As a bait to the laboring classes he changed his policy of grinding repression to a species of state socialism. After a bitter persecu ion of the Catholics, publicly declaring that he would never go to Rome for aid, even after raising a monument with the inscription, “We do not go to Canossa,’’ he has gradually changed his Catholic policy; and had he not been dismissed by the sagacious and patriotic young emperor, he would not only have gone to Canossa himself but would have dragged all Germany with him in hu mility to the Pope. The German people have at last awakened to the fact that their old hero has never represented one sound economic idea; and has been supported only by his own indomitable will and the mili tary force which he has created about him. The absolutism which he represented did very well to bring a mass of independant states together and weld them into a permanent powerful nation, but it is not abreast with the modern growth of politi cal ideas. The German people will no longer be
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