Socialism and Democracy in Europe Part 33

3. _Progressive_ (_Freisinnige_, literally, "free-minded").--This faction is a cession from the old Progressist Party of which La.s.salle was a member for a few months. They are Radicals of a very moderate type, and are opposed to the junker bureaucracy. There are two wings--the People's Party (_Freisinnige Volkspartei_) and the Progressive Union (_Freisinnige Vereinigung_). It is a const.i.tutional party, and has counted in its ranks such eminent scholars as Professor Virchow and Professor Theodor Mommsen. They are in favor of ministerial responsibility, are free traders of the Manchester type, opposed to state intervention and state insurance, but favor factory inspection, sanitation, and other social legislation. They are in favor of freedom in religion, trade, and education, and espouse ballot reform. They have a well-organized party, but do not seem effective in winning elections. They share, to some degree, with the Social Democrats the prejudice of the religious folk against free-thinking and religious lat.i.tudinarianism. It is the middle-cla.s.s party of protest against bureaucracy.

4. The _Center_, or Catholic Party, is a h.o.m.ogeneous, isolated, well-disciplined, inflexible group, dominated by loyalty to their religion. Whenever they have co-operated with the government it has been in return for favors shown. The ranks of this party were closed by the _Culturkampf_, which resulted in the expulsion of the Jesuit orders and the separation of the elementary schools from the Church.

The party is reactionary in politics and economics.

5. _Anti-Semitic._--The name discloses the ideals of a party inspired by dread and hatred of an element that comprises less than 1.5 per cent. of the population, and whose political disabilities were not all removed until 1850 in Prussia and 1869 in Mecklenburg. This party was formed in 1880, largely through the agitation of the Court Chaplain, Pastor Stocker, whose diatribes were peculiarly effective in Berlin, where some very disgraceful scenes were enacted by members of this party.

6. _Independent groups_ are formed by the various nationalities that are under subjection to German dominance. These are the Danish, Hannoverian, Alsace-Lorraine, and Polish groups. They usually are grouped with the Center.

7. There are also a number of independent members in the Reichstag.

They adhere loosely to the larger groups, but as a rule merit the name given them--_Wilden_, "wild ones."

The accompanying table (p. 297) shows the distribution of seats in the Reichstag, for the past thirty years.

2. SOME MODERN GERMAN ELECTION LAWS

_a.n.a.lysis of the New Election Law of Saxony_

_A._ One vote--every male 25 years of age.

_B._ Two votes, every male, as follows:

1. Those who have an annual income of over 1,600 marks ($400).

2. Those who hold public office or a permanent private position with an annual income of over 1,400 marks ($350).

3. Those who are eligible to vote for Landskulturrat (Agricultural Board) or Gewerbskammer (Chamber of Commerce) and from their business have an income of over 1,400 marks. (This includes merchants, landowners, and manufacturers.)

4. Those who are owners or beneficiaries of property in the kingdom from which they have an income of 1,250 marks ($312.50) a year, and upon which at least 100 tax units are a.s.sessed.

5. Those who own, or are beneficiaries of, land in the kingdom, to the extent of at least 2 hectares, devoted to agriculture, or forestry, or horticulture, or more than one-half hectare devoted to gardening or wine culture.

6. Those who have conducted such professional studies as ent.i.tle them to the one-year volunteer military service.

_C._ The following have three votes:

1. Those who have an income of over 2,200 marks ($550).

2. Those in division B, 2 and 3, who have an income from office or position of over 1,900 marks ($475).

3. Those who are not in private or public service and have a professional income of over 1,900 marks. (This includes lawyers, physicians, artists, engineers, publicists, authors, professors.)

4. Those in B, 4, whose income is over 1,600 marks ($400).

5. Those in B, 5, with 4 hectares devoted to agriculture, etc., and 1 hectare to gardening or wine culture.

_D._ The following have four votes:

1. Those who have an income of 2,800 marks ($700).

2. Those in B, 2 and 3, or in C, 3, with an income over 2,500 marks ($625).

3. Those in B, 4, with an annual income of over 2,200 marks ($550).

4. Those in B, 5, with 8 hectares devoted to agriculture or 2 hectares devoted to gardening or wine culture.

_E._ Voters over 50 years old have an extra vote (Alters-stimme), but no voter is allowed over four votes.

Sachsen-Altenburg, in 1908-9, modified its election laws as follows: The legislature is composed of 9 representatives elected by the cities; 12 by the rural districts; 7 by the highest taxpayers; one each by the Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Agriculture, the Craft guilds (Handwerks-kammer), and the Labor Council (Arbeiter-kammer).

The vigorous protest of the Social Democrats did not avail against the pa.s.sage of this law.

Saxe-Weimar recently modified its election law as follows: All citizens of communes were given the right to vote. The great feudal estates (165 persons in 1909) elect 5 representatives to the Diet; the rest of the highest taxpayers, i.e., those who have a taxable income of over 3,000 marks, elect 5. The University of Jena elects 1 member, the Chamber of Commerce 1, the Handwerks-kammer (Craft Guilds) 1, Landwirthschaftkammer (Agricultural Board) 1, the Arbeitskammer (Labor Council) 1. There are 38 members in the Diet: the remaining 23 are elected at large.

3. STATISTICAL TABLES

STATE INSURANCE IN GERMANY

_Industrial Insurance in Germany, 1908._

Sick benefits: Number insured 13,189,599 Men 9,880,541 Women 3,309,058 Income 365,994,000 marks Outlay 331,049,900 "

Accident Insurance: Number insured 23,674,000 Men 14,795,400 Women 8,878,600 Income 207,550,500 marks Outlay 157,884,700 "

Old-Age Pensions: Number insured 15,226,000 Men 10,554,000 Women 4,672,000 Income 285,882,000 marks Outlay 181,476,800 "

From 1885 to 1908 a total of 9,791,376,100 marks ($2,447,844,025) was paid out in industrial insurance. (Compiled from _Statistisches Jahrbuch des Deutschen Reiches_.)

LABOR UNIONS IN GERMANY

=================+===================+=============+====================== _Name of Union_ _Membership_ _No. of _Amount in Unions_ Treasury--Marks_ -----------------+---------+---------+------+------+----------+----------- 1908 1909 1908 1909 1908 1909 +---------+---------+------+------+----------+----------- Social Democratic 1,831,731 1,892,568 11,024 11,725 40,839,791 43,743,793 Hirsh-Duncker 105,633 108,028 2,095 2,102 4,210,413 4,372,495 Christian 264,519 280,061 3,212 3,856 4,513,409 5,365,338 Patriotic 16,507 9,957 69 91 57,786 24,858 "Yellow" 47,532 53,849 79 85 386,305 437,602 Independent* 615,873 654,240 1,357,802 1,655,325 -----------------+---------+---------+------+------+----------+----------- * This is a nondescript group of local organizations, containing (1909) 56,183 Poles, as well as the organization of railwaymen, telegraph operators, postal employees, all in the government service, and organized as friendly societies rather than as fighting bodies.

Government employees are not supposed to partic.i.p.ate in "Unionism."

Compiled from _Statistisches Jahrbuch des Deutschen Reiches_.

TABLE SHOWING VOTE CAST IN REICHSTAG ELECTIONS SINCE THE FOUNDING OF THE EMPIRE*

==========================+==========+==========+==========+==========+ Election Year 1871 1874 1877 1878 Population of Empire 40,997,000 42,004,000 43,610,000 44,129,000 Number of voters 7,656,000 8,523,000 8,943,000 9,128,000 Number who voted 3,885,000 5,190,000 5,401,000 5,761,000 Per cent. of vote cast 51.0 61.2 60.6 63.3 ==========================+==========+==========+==========+==========+ Conservative 549,000 360,000 526,000 749,000 Imperial Conservative 346,000 376,000 427,000 786,000 Anti-Semites ... ... ... ... Other Conservative Groups ... ... ... ... Center 724,000 1,446,000 1,341,000 1,328,000 Guelphs 73,000 72,000 86,000 107,000 Danes 21,000 20,000 17,000 16,000 Poles 176,000 209,000 216,000 216,000 Alsatians ... 190,000 149,000 130,000 National Liberal 1,171,000 1,499,000 1,470,000 1,331,000 Other Liberal groups 281,000 98,000 89,000 69,000 Progressist or Radical 361,000 469,000 403,000 388,000 People's Party 50,000 39,000 49,000 69,000 Social Democrats 124,000 352,000 493,000 437,000 ==========================+==========+==========+==========+==========+ ==========================+==========+==========+==========+==========+ Election Year 1881 1884 1887 1890 Population of Empire 45,428,000 46,336,000 47,630,000 49,241,000 Number of voters 9,090,000 9,383,000 9,770,000 10,146,000 Number who voted 5,098,000 5,663,000 7,541,000 7,229,000 Per cent. of vote cast 56.3 60.6 77.5 71.6 ==========================+==========+==========+==========+==========+ Conservative 831,000 861,000 1,147,000 895,000 Imperial Conservative 379,000 388,000 736,000 482,000 Anti-Semites ... ... 12,000 48,000 Other Conservative Groups ... ... ... 66,000 Center 1,183,000 1,282,000 1,516,000 1,342,000 Guelphs 87,000 96,000 113,000 113,000 Danes 14,000 14,000 12,000 14,000 Poles 201,000 203,000 220,000 247,000 Alsatians 147,000 166,000 234,000 101,000 National Liberal 747,000 997,000 1,678,000 1,179,000 Other Liberal groups 429,000 ... ... ... Progressist or Radical 649,000 997,000 973,000 1,160,000 People's Party 108,000 96,000 89,000 148,000 Social Democrats 312,000 550,000 763,000 1,427,000 ==========================+==========+==========+==========+==========+ ==========================+==========+==========+==========+ Election Year 1893 1898 1903 Population of Empire 50,757,000 54,406,000 58,629,000 Number of voters 10,628,000 11,441,000 12,531,000 Number who voted 7,674,000 7,753,000 9,496,000 Per cent. of vote cast 72.2 68.1 75.8 ==========================+==========+==========+==========+ Conservative 1,038,000 859,000 935,000 Imperial Conservative 438,000 344,000 333,000 Anti-Semites 264,000 284,000 249,000 Other Conservative Groups 250,000 250,000 230,000 Center 1,469,000 1,455,000 1,866,000 Guelphs 106,000 109,000 101,000 Danes 14,000 15,000 15,000 Poles 230,000 252,000 354,000 Alsatians 115,000 107,000 127,000 National Liberal 997,000 984,000 1,338,000 Other Liberal groups 258,000 235,000 285,000 Progressist or Radical 666,000 558,000 538,000 People's Party 167,000 109,000 92,000 Social Democrats 1,787,000 2,107,000 3,011,000 ==========================+==========+==========+==========+ ==========================+==========+=========== Election Year 1907 1912 Population of Empire 61,983,000 65,407,000 Number of voters 13,353,000 14,442,000 Number who voted 11,304,000 12,207,000 Per cent. of vote cast 84.7 84.5 ==========================+==========+=========== Conservative 1,099,000 1,126,000 Imperial Conservative 494,000 383,000 Anti-Semites 261,000 ...

Other Conservative Groups 272,000 424,000 Center 2,159,000 1,991,000 Guelphs 94,000 91,000 Danes 15,000 17,000 Poles 458,000 448,000 Alsatians 107,000 157,000 National Liberal 1,696,000 1,723,000 Other Liberal groups 435,000} Progressist or Radical 744,000} 1,506,000 People's Party 139,000} Social Democrats 3,259,000 4,250,000 ==========================+==========+===========

* In round numbers. From Kurschner's _Deutscher Reichstag_, p. 24.

PARTY REPRESENTATION IN THE REICHSTAG

THE YEARS ARE THOSE OF GENERAL ELECTIONS--EXCEPTING 1911

--------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ _Party or Faction._ 1881 1884 1887 1890 1893 1898 --------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ RIGHT Conservatives 50 76 80 72 67 53 German or Imperial Conservatives 27 28 41 20 28 22 "Wild" Conservatives 1 2 -- 1 5 4 Anti-Semites -- -- 1 5 16 14 League of Landowners -- -- -- -- -- 5 Bavarian Land League -- -- -- -- 4 5 --------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ CENTER Center 98 99 98 106 96 102 Poles 18 16 13 16 19 15 Guelphs 10 11 4 11 7 9 Alsatians 15 15 15 10 8 10 Danes 2 1 1 1 1 1 "Wild" Clericals 2 -- -- -- -- -- --------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ LEFT National Liberals 45 51 98 41 53 48 RADICALS United Progressives 47 } { 14 13 (Radicals) } 64 32 64 { Other Progressive } { groups (Radicals) 59 } { 23 29 People's Party 8 7 -- 10 11 8 "Wild" Liberals 3 3 3 5 1 3 --------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ Social Democrats* 12 24 11 35 44 56 --------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ --------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ _Party or Faction._ 1900 1903 1906 1907 1911 1912 --------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ RIGHT Conservatives 51 52 52 58 59 43 German or Imperial Conservatives 20 19 22 22 25 14 "Wild" Conservatives 7 6 1 4 2 2 Anti-Semites 13 11 14 20 } 29 13 League of Landowners 4 3 4 7 } Bavarian Land League 3 3 3 1 -- 2 --------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ CENTER Center 102 100 100 104 103 90 Poles 14 16 16 20 20 18 Guelphs 7 7 7 2 3 5 Alsatians 10 10 10 8 7 9 Danes 1 1 1 1 1 1 "Wild" Clericals 1 -- 1 -- -- 1 --------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ LEFT National Liberals 53 50 51 54 51 45 RADICALS United Progressives 15 9 10 14 } (Radicals) } Other Progressive } 49 42 groups (Radicals) 28 21 20 28 } People's Party 7 6 6 7 } "Wild" Liberals 3 2 -- 4 4 2 --------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ Social Democrats* 58 81 79 43 53 110 --------------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+