Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-12-03
The Warning States of Turkey.

The Ottoman empire, properly
speaking, comprehends ali the coun>
tries in which Turkish supremacy is
directly or indirectly recognized. as
a whole the empire is an aggregation
of governments, often widely separa-
ted and only united by having been
the subjects of common conquest.
During the years 1877-78, at which
time the Turkish government engag-
ed in war with Russia, Bulgaria,
Eastern Roumelia, Bosnia and Here
govIna, were included in the Eu-
ropean Turkey possessions, but the
result OF that war was TO create semi
Independent states of the former two,
Bulgaria and Eastern Roumelia, and
to place the latter two, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, under the pro-
lection of Austria Hungary.
Bulgaria, Roumania, Servia, Bosnia
and Montenegro are all separate, dis
tinct and practically Independent
states, enjoying all the rights of SOW
ereignty. They each have their own
rulers, king Or emperor, their own
constitutions and their own legisla-
tive bodies. They recognize Turkish
suzeranity, some states to a greater ex-
tent than others, and pay to her an
annual tribute or contribution as
compensation for the obligation of
Turkey TO defend their soil.
Eastern Roumelia, Adrianople, Sol
onika, Mascedonia, together with
several others, are divisions of Turkey
proper. It was the annexlng of one
of these divisions, Eastern Roumela,
by Bulgaria which caused the now
existing war IN Turkey.
In the early middle ages Servia
formed an Independent kingdom,
powerful and fourlshing. But in 1886
it was conquered and subjected by
the Turks, and they soon brought 1t
to q miserable state. The first rising
of the Servians against their oppres-
sors in 1906, under Czermy, was sue
cessful but not lasting, and the Turks
took a bloody revenge when they
again came into possession of the
country. The second rising in 1914
under MilOsce proved lasting, and the
country is now rapidly progressing
as an hereditary monarchy under the
ObrenOvitch dynasty, paying an an
nual tribute of 100000 piasters to
Turkey, but with free constitution
and an Independent government.
Servia is a kingdom, her complete
independence being recognized ia the
treaty of Berlin. The constitution
of 1869 reaffrmed succession
in the family of Obrenovitch,
declared the responsibility of the as
sembly and vested the legislative
power IN the skuptschina, jointly
with the sovereign. The senate was
transformed into council of state,
charged with the elaboration of Law.
The skuptscEina, which is elected for
three years, consists of III members,
of whom 1873 are elected by the people,
every tax payer having a vote, and Al
are appointed by the king. A great
national assembly, composed of four
times the number Of the ordinary, is
elected to decide on constitutional
questions. ServIa was proclaimed a
kingdom March 6, 1882, and Milan [,
the fourth of the dynasty, is its pres
ent king, and Belgrade is it's capital.
BULGARIA.
Bulgaria was conquered by the
Turks IN 1892, and is now constitu-
tional principality acknowledging the
suzeranity of the Sublime Porte. The
National Assembly, or Sobrapje, is a
single chamber elected by direct uni
versal suffrage, one member to every
10000 inhabitants. The reigning
Prince is Alexander I. OF the grand
ducal house of Herse, in the cadet
line of Battenburg Sophia is it's
capital.
Servia and Bulgaria have
for some years been rivals for the
primacy among the Balkan states,
and IN the summer Of 1854 they be-
came involved in dispute that, be-
fore the friendly understanding be
tween Russia and Austria, might
easily have plunged them into war
and endangered the European equi-
ibrium. In the autumn, however,
an understanding was reached.
AGITATIoNs FOR THE UNION OF Bull
CARA AND EASTERN ROUMELIA.
The approach OF the time for ap-
pointing successor to AIeko Pasha,
gave occasion for fresh manifestations
III favor of the Incorporation of East
ern Roumelia in the principality.
Mass meetings were held IN the prin-
cipal towns of Eastern Roumelia and
IN Bulgaria, Ill which the citizens ex-
pressed their desire that the powers
would modify the treaty Of Berlin so
as to satisfy the aspirations of the
Bulgarian people for political unity.
The strongest motive of the Eastern
Roumelians was supplied by the fact
that taxes are much lighter in Bnl-
garia.
The now existing tumult In the
Balkan country dates from Septem-
Der, when the people of PhilippopoLs,
the capital Of eastern Rounaella,
rose in revolt from Turkish rule
This move took all Europe by
surprise. The first suspicion
of on-lookers was that it had
been secretly backed by Russia, the
patrons OF Bulgaria, who gratefully
acknowledged her aid in their past
struggles for freedom. The revolu-