ernment
and the parties of the _bloc_, on the one hand, and the more purely
popular parties, especially the National Liberals, the Radicals, and
the Social Democrats, on the other;[346] and the issues were chiefly
such as were supplied by the spirit, purposes, and methods of
Chancellor von Bethmann-Hollweg and his Conservative-Clerical allies.
Of the alleged reactionism of the Government parties there was
widespread complaint. They were held responsible for the fiscal reform
of 1909 which imposed burdens unduly heavy on industry and commerce,
while sparing land and invested capital; they were charged with
re-establishing the yoke of the Catholic Centre upon the Lutheran (p. 237)
majority; and they were reproached for having failed to redeem their
promise to liberalize the antiquated franchise arrangements of
Prussia. The Conservatives in particular were attacked on the ground
of their continued monopoly of patronage and of power. On the whole,
however, the most important of practical issues was that of the
tariff. Throughout a twelvemonth discontent occasioned by the high
cost of living had been general and the Government had been besought
by municipalities, workingmen's organizations, and political societies
to inaugurate a project for the reduction of the duties imposed upon
imported foodstuffs. The demand was in vain and the country was given
to understand by the Chancellor that the Government, under
Conservative-Agrarian mastery, would stand or fall with "protection
for the nation's work" as its battle-cry. Upon this question the
National Liberals, being protectionist by inclination, stood with the
Government, but the Radicals, the Social Democrats, and some of the
minor groups assumed an attitude of clear-cut opposition.

[Footnote 346: The gravest abuse in connection with
the conduct of campaigns and elections in Germany
is the pressure which the Government brings to bear
systematically upon the enormous official
population and upon railway employees (alone
numbering 600,000) to vote Conservative, or, in
districts where there is no Conservative candidate,
Centrist. This pressure is applied through the
local bureaucratic organs, principally the Landrath
of the Kreis, who not uncommonly is a youthful
official