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.

It is not to be wondered at that the comments, deductions, and
prophecies of foreigners are wildly astray when dealing with German
politics. In America, religious differences and racial differences
play a small role at Washington; but the 220 Protestants, the 141
Catholics, the 3 Jews, the 5 free-thinkers, and so on, in the last
Reichstag are in a way parties as well. In that same assembly 2
members were over 80, 78 over 60, 271 between 40 and 60, 42 under 40,
and 3 under 30 years of age. One hundred and six members were landed
proprietors; 220 were of the liberal professions, including 37
authors, 35 judges or magistrates, 21 clericals, 7 doctors, and 1
artist; 13 merchants; 21 manufacturers; and 20 shopkeepers and
laborers. Seventy-two members were of the nobility, a decided falling
off from 1878, when they numbered 162. Two hundred and fifty members
were educated at a university, and practically all may be said to have
had an education equal if not superior to that given in our smaller
colleges.

In the American Congress, in the House of Representatives, we have 212
lawyers, though there are only 135,000 lawyers in our population of
90,000,000. We have in that same assembly 50 business men,
representing the 15,000,000 of our people engaged in trade and
industry. Perhaps the German Reichstag is as fairly representative as
our own House of Representatives, though both assemblies show the
babyhood of civilization which still votes for flashing eyes, thumping
fists, hollering patriotism, and smooth phrases. The surprising
feature of elective assemblies is that here and there Messrs. Self-Control,
Ability, Dignity, and Independence find seats at all. The
members are paid, since 1906, a salary of 3,000 marks, with a
deduction of 20 marks for each day's absence. They have free passes
over German railways dur