Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-11-02
NORWEGIAN POLITICS.

the Question of.the Powers of tho King.
An "Old Norwegian" gives the Chicago
Tribune the idea that thu real question st issue
in the struggle now pending in Norway is: Shall
the king have an absoluto power to veto con-
s'itutional amendment bill passed by the Stor-
thing, or shall he no? In the constitution
there is nothing to the effect that the king
should have this prerogative, and there
is not a Norwegian who ever dreamed
that he would claim it, before he,
in the year 1880, tried to veto q
bill that was passed three times by the storthing
in sp t. 0: the fact that the king, under the
Cunot,tu on is obliged to accept any bill, in
Guiding constitutional amendment bills, which
pass three successive stortaings. The bill
i'll question makes it duty Of the kings
councillors to be present aud partake in the
Discus ous of tho storthing, or the national
assembly. The history VI this bill is unique
and Interesting, as its history is also the his
tory vt the growth of political Norway from
1921 to the present day. The bill was first IN
,roIuc.u by Carl Johau, the grandfather Of the
pres ut king, in 1921. At that time, however,
the representatives Of the people in the
stor'LinS would not pass it because they were
AFRAID that the mini Iters, VIII n admitted 10 the
stur hing. on account of their su Derlor ability,
would be able TO force through what
ever measure they liked. At that time the Nor
veg an people Wore Very lit lie USED to
free constitution, and the stortniug consisted.
to greater rxtsnt, Of farmers wh3 had only
me ,ger political education. The governm ant
did not cease TO advise every storthlng to pass
the bill until 1860 But thugs have changedA
The Norwegian peopse has grown up to
political manhood, and 1t SECS now IN the
admission of the ministry into tho storthing
means of Introducing parlanentarlem int the
country as i. is pract!c5d j.. E gland and other
European Stat IS. lhs leaders IN tue storthing
| Low ma 10 the Old government bill tnelr own,
| all it VAS passed by q handsome majo ity III
1872. Fr1derik Stang, the prime minister,
aud il speeches, had defended the m a.ure,
! now advises the king, Carl XY:, to MAKE uss
OF the vetong power. The measure
| was, in a some IA altered shape, again passed
by the storthiAg in 1874, by new stor-
| thing in 1877, aid again by q new
succeeded his brother in Tho fall If 1872.
vetoed il. The two times be had right to 40
it, If NOT under the consts1u ion, which says
(sll2) tat bills relating to Constitutional
! amendments are to b. introduced in oue
stortniug. but must be decided by
! the next storlhiug, which Is the OUT
come Of new elections, he had the right
which common practlce granted him. But the
tulrd time IL was usurpatlon The MIN
! lstry backed m The old loliticIan
eft the fight that u5d, as it grew too hot for
him. anu the king rnu ,e nam less lawyer from
a provln Q Town his prime munster. In all
Norway there was not a man OF note who would
serve the ubborn king in lis desires 70 be
| like James ii and to wleld tho scepter Of a
| Il spot. BY reason Of this political crime
w: That the responsible ministry, in
direct opposition to the constitution
Of tho c ,uut:y, has supported the ire
! spousible king in his endeavor to thwart the
viii Of tue p.opl,, the ministry has now been
| mpeached ueiore the supreme tribunal. called
~, fho -,
| is al gu lty Of nluor crimes, as alluded to III
! the Tribune, But the struggle III Norway is
! not one about trivial ma teIs. 1t il the great
! question:: Snail the people 30 and remain the
| ruler OF It's own country AID force the king to
! take sucn mon for his counsel. rs AZ have The
| co liuence of the people; or snail tue king, by
means Of an absolute power to vote, forever
| be able to thwart the will of the people aud
| choose for his advisers whOmever he Will,
| even if they be the most contemplate beings
on the face OF the earth?
| The poe. B,rnstj erne Bjornson is not, as ia
the gen raj belief alnoug Foreigners, the leader
| Of the Norwegian 'opie and the s,orthing.
| Mr. Bjornson has only little political influence.
he leader in tue peoples struggle against tue
! king is Johan Syerdrup, who has been
He is backed BY several otner
! is leader of a party who e programme 1t il
| that Norway shall have It's own pure ia :, aud
| not "uuIou" flag or one in which also Sw eulsh
| colors are Blended Bjornson and his follow
ets hold that Norway, i'll spite of the fact that
| also Sweden has ''uuou" flag. or one in winch
| Norwegian colors are blended, is not, as long as
| her SHIPS carry this ''un'o4' tiay, recognized
| by the world az large to b, an independent aud
| free country, but is considered a province Of
| Sweden. Bjornson proves this by the fact thai
| Norway's great men, and Norwegians on the
wuoie, both III tins Country and Europe, pass, 70
! great extent, under the uans OF owodes From
| thi s--that such a pure Tag" party exists
comes the talk that many will have
their country separated from Sweden.
This talk has no foundation whatever. 1t IL
the wish of the people that the union Of free
aud independent Norway and free aud inde.
! pendent Sweden shal. last forever, to the great
| advantage of both countries.