In the Reich presidential election of 1925, the Center Party competed with the Jewish Democrats and Social Democrats in inventing slanders against that same general field marshal.
The Center Party issued a leaflet with the title: “Why am I not voting for Hindenburg?” It stated:
Not Hindenburg, because 1: Since the revolution, he has done nothing for the people;
Not Hindenburg, because 2: He lost the World War in the West and therefore has responsibility for the huge war debts;
Not Hindenburg, because 3: He was partly responsible or the fact that we did not make peace in 1917, which would have been easier on us;
Not Hindenburg, because 4: He is a military man, not a statesman, who has never been active in public life;
Not Hindenburg, because 5: We certainly respect him as the victor over the Russians in East Prussia, but we also know that he was not able to handle the French and their allies in the West;
Not Hindenburg, because 6: He has said himself that he has never been concerned about politics, and repeatedly refused to be a candidate for the Reich presidency;
Not Hindenburg, because 7: The name Hindenburg is a symbol of war to our neighboring enemies. Who among us wants a new war today?
Not Hindenburg,because 8: He is an evangelical Protestant who can command soldiers, but not govern a whole people; one cannot even be a chimney sweep if he has not had training and practice;
Not Hindenburg, because 9: Hindenburg is an old man of nearly 80 years; he would have to have an assistant as Reich President, which would cost the people more money. — It is a crime of the German nationalists that they do not allow the aged Hindenburg to enjoy the retirement he earned as a soldier; it is a crime of the German nationalists that they want to force the aged Hindenburg to swear an oath to the constitution that, in the depths of his heart, he does not recognize, for even today Hindenburg is sworn to the Kaiser who deserted his people and army and fled to a foreign land.”
Therefore, it concluded, “each Catholic voter who still has sound human understanding can only vote for the best statesman of our day, Wilhelm Marx!”
After Hindenburg’s election victory, the Center Party newspaper Kreuznacher Zeitung wrote:
“Hindenburg’s election
The fortunes of war decided in favor of those in Berlin who declared that they were willing to conduct the election campaign with the “absolutely crudest’ methods.” They did what they promised. They have done everything possible along the lines of nastiness, vileness, lies, and slander.
Formerly, one termed the German people the people of philosophers and writers. We fear that in the future, if one judges the German people by the conduct of this election, the judgment will be: For the leader: a people of fanatics, of liars and hypocrites, for the led: a people of fools and idiots lacking all character.
Can Hindenburg be happy with a victory that resulted from the absolutely crudest methods?He himself said that at 78, he was too old for the office, and was also not suitable, since he had never concerned himself with political matters. Hindenburg was pressured into becoming a candidate through the absolutely crudest methods by those controlling him from behind the scenes; he probably would have been happy if he had not been elected. When, however, Hindenburg takes office in a few weeks, he will within the first few days realize that he is entirely incapable of mastering the job. If Hindenburg is an honest man, as his supporters claim, his honesty will compel him to give up an office which he is neither physically nor intellectually capable of filling.
That part of the German people that wants peace and economic growth can demand this step from Hindenburg; if he does not take it, the Reichstag must force him to do it, for a Reich President who cannot fulfill the duties of his office is surely against the constitution.
The Reichstag can depose a Reich President who violates the constitution.
Hindenburg has performed great services for the fatherland, but the greatest of them would be to renounce his office, which came to him only through lies and deception, through falsehood and hypocrisy, through fanaticism and infernal hatred.
Hindenburg is an honest man, and therefore cannot and may not accept the office.”