Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-03-04
SILENCE WON THE VICTORY.
The Row In the Austrian Pari,amen, over
the Reporters.

quarrel originated with Herr Won Scho
enerer, the turbulent anti-Semitic Depa.
ty. The House was in full session wher
Won Schoenerer rose and called atten
tlon TO the fact that reporters, with dis.
aerceable-looking faces, were in the
lobbies or corridors of the House, and
moved that they be compelled to with.
draw. The presence of the reporters
IN the lobbies was certainly nothing
new, as the lobbies communicate by q
special stairway with the reporters
gallery in order to facilitate intercourse
between the latter and the Deputies.
This has been the case since Austria
has had Parliament. There exists
even rule of the House concerning
this custom, which authorizes the re-
porters to enter into the lobbies to talk
with the Deputies.
Herr Smolka, President Of the Cham
Der, could therefore have forestalled the
entire difficulty by suggesting to, the
fre-eating Deputy to study the rules OF
the House little more carefully. In
stead Of doing this, as he should have
done, he sustained the motion Of Herr
Schoenerer, and the reporters were
forbidden to appear thereafter in any
part Of the House reserved for the MEM
bers.
To this uncalled-for ukase the entire
press replied with cry of contempt
and indignation. A meeting was called
at which the representatives Of all the
newspapers attended, without distinc-
ton of opinions or politics and it was
then and there decided. with imposing
solemnity, that until such time as the
House would make the ameRde honor
able the press would not consider that
body as having any existence. And
mark that this decision was taken by
men and papers that were accustomed
to wage against one another relentless
war. But on this occasion all discOrd
and ill-feeling disappeared as by en-
chantment. The profession had been
grossly insulted, and the lnsnlt
should be vigorously resented. All
were ofone mind on that point. Libe-
rails and Conservatives, Progressists and
ReactiOnaries, journals on the Right and
journals on the Left. Germans and
Tchecks, Italians and Poles. lIungarianS.
Croats, and Slavs, as well as the foreign
press, all united in the one thought of
legitimate reprisal. For four days not
word appeared in any Vienna journal
IN relation to Parliamentary proceed
ings. The eloquent Solons who were
accustomed to talk from the house-top
now found themselves talking in Il cell
lar. They had no longer the enjoy
ment which a politician so keenly
relishes of seeing their names in
print. Those who, after boring
their colleagues with a dull and m-
grammatical harangue, rose up next
morning to find their remarks trans
formed into polished discourse by the
magic of the reporters pencil, felt
themselves relapsing once more into
obscurity. The crisis at length came.
On the fifth day Herr Smolka repealed
the rule called into being by the anti
Semitic iire-cater, and sOlemnly pro-
claimed the rash ukase at an end.
Peace was concluded, the parliamentary
reports -blazoned out N the newspapers
the following morning, and the legisla-
tors, who for four days had been re-
duced to the condition of deaf mutes,
again burgeoncd forth into illustriouS
orators.
The fall OF Khartoum has produced
unusual anxiety in Vienna, as there is
little Austrian colony in that city.
According to Egyptian official statistics,
there were in Khartoum in 1882. be-
sides the missionaries and nuns, six
Austrian merchants under the protec-
tion Of the Austrian Consul, Herr Han
sal. The nuns had also Catholic
school for girls. which, with the church
and burying-ground, was under Aus
trian protection. What has become of
the little colony: Nobody knows. If
FL Mahdi has massacred them it will
cost him the friendship of the Viennese~
for just now everybody here is
" Mahdist."
Austria is so peculiarly situated that
she is interested in every European
quarrel. but this time she can look on
as disinterested spectator. Indeed,
she is the only European country at
present engaged in the honorable occu-
patton of minding her own business.
She is the only European Power that
can be found at home. All the rest
are away. France is in Tonquin, Eng
land in Egypt, Germany in Zanzibar
and the CameroOns, Russia is prowling
around Afghanistan, Italy is stealing
forts from Turkey on the Red Sea.
while little Portugal is trying to stuff
the entire Congo regions into her pocket.
In fact. the saying of Count Won Beust
is literally realized: There is no
more Europe
1t has been mooted that Tisza, chief
of the Hungarian Cabinet, is deyiSing a
colonial scheme, but he is entirely too
practical statesman to engage in any
such phantaSy. Such policy would
be in direct opposition to all the tradi-
tionS of the empire. But it is quite
certain that we are following every
of our neighbors with a jeal-
Gus eye and keeping sleepless watch
over our own interests. One of
the results of the present situ-
alton is to make plain to the
world that the famous Triple Alliance
is 10 more. Italy has ostentatiously
Withdrawn from it. She has been so
used for the past twenty years to get
ting something for nothing that she
imagined her presence in the Triple Al
lance should be paid for. She has
doubtless made a secret bargain with
England. the consideration - being
the annexation Of Tripoli. Already |
the Roman journals are grubbing up |
old documents to prove that the !
Sultan's title to the country is de- |
'ectivc. They think he ought to
be relieved of it in the interest of |
civilization. 1t is strange how inter-