New-York tribune., 1886-07-18
MISERY IN BELGIUM.
THE WORK OF FOREIGN AGITATORS-ENG-
LIsH AND FRENCH INDUSTRY.


will taxe place on the | 18th of next month with q
v;ev Of forcing the Government to grant univer-
sal All race without anv further delay If the meet
ipo il prohibited. or if the Government hesitate
IN comply with its demands. general strike VIII
be ordered throughout the country. AT the pres
emf moment no one who does not pay FLO per an
num direct taxes to the State Is entitled to voee
no matter how worthy citizen he be; and OF
| national population numbering 6.OO"oOO. only
10000 are permitted to have voice IN the eiec-
tions.
Now although this demand for universal suffrage
answers the purpose of the ealers of the anarchl-
cal faction who have adopted It as n kind of war
cry for the Workingmen's party. yet it is dlibcut
IN understand in what manner the relative situa-
t;ons of c.pital and labor will be improved thereby
IL will not restore life and prosperity to declining
trade nor will increase the wages of the operat-
ives Most of tho latter scarcely know the mean
inc of the ord anl merely look upon 1t as sort OF
univer,,l panacea for their ills something in fact
which will. without effort on their part. make
them rich and independent of work. Confdcns OF
the early realization of this kind OF millennium.
they give but halfhearted attention 70 their var
ions trades and professions. and the already ntoi-
erable state of affairs is considerably aggravated
thereby
The Socialist agitators who here as elsewhere
consist of foreippcrs in no wise Whatsoever inter
e.ted in tho prosperity OF the nation. have indeed
incurred q terrible responsibility in inaugurating
q series of strikes and labor riots IN country
which until recently was famed as the most produc
tive and prosperous of all Europe In sone respects
Pelp,um resembles tbs United States. and may
afford to American workmen valuable object
lesson IN Social revolution. Since their separa-
tion from Holland in 1881 the Belgians have Gu
,oyed more than half century Of steady progress
oil nnI.r q opst n
ernmept which they have worked with an ability
and appreciation of constitutional principles rare
amonr races not sprung from the AnglOSaxon
stock The great natural resources of the ry
and the industry of its tee ming population. lod
TO an extrao dInary economic ADVANCE. The SOIL
10 in many places OF unu,uil Fertility. Inc eX-
tersive and product,ve coal fields have served
tho basis of an industrial development unparall-
eled excepting in the United States or Great
Britain and the manufacturing population conceh-
| trated In the towns furnished the agricultural
provinces with ready markets fo1 their produce
and an ontet for their superluous numbers.
The position of the country makes 1t the natural
trAdo ronte for Of the ira tic between France
and Germany on the one hand. ana England and
Central Euro pc on the other. Moreover an admlra-
bic system of railways, roads and canals carries
prosperity int, every corner of the land. Until
year ago one could travel al! over Europe meeting
everyw here with Belgium produce and manufac-
lures Cotton fabrics locomotives, agricultural
and tool machinery glass steel and metal ware
aud coal-evcrythlng. III short. came from Belgium.
which had the advantage Of always being able to
undersen its competitors rhs efect of Prince
Bsmarck's action III adopting a protective tarin
for Germany a iew years ago. was more than conn
terac ed by the opening mp OF several new markets
However for two years ira 10 IN BE glnn. as
elsewhere has suffered from certain amount OF
depression. and taking into consideration the di-
mini shed profits. several OF tho mine ana factory
owners determined to cut down the average daily
wages by q cents 80 centmes). Taking advan-
tage of this fact. AMI encouraged by the know ledge
that owing the very liberal laws OF the Belgian
Government they were not likely to incur any pen
aties whilst in the act of organizing strkesa gang
of Professional agtators. all foreigners. mostly do
classes and outlawel Germans Poles AMI French
inen determined TO fix upon this prosperous lttle
kingdom as the scene of their operations The usual
tactics were adopted which are successful in every
country where class of the population has to
work harder to earn its living than the other
Ontcry against capital and against society y" WAS
raised and strikes were inausurated which quick
ly degeaerated into riot bio Ddshel and the whole
sale destruction of factories, mines an other prop
erty What has been the RESULT The foreign |
markets finding that the Belgi IN manufacturers
strikes or bv the demolition of their factories and
property from filling their orders on time. carried
their demands elsew here. and accordingly very |
large share of the Belgian III III nflcturing trade has
passed into tile hands of Germany. To such an ex-
tent has this been the case that the French do not
hesitate to accuse Prince Bismarck of having TO- |
mcntei the labor riots i'll Belgium. Moreover the |
prices OF all Belgian securities have fallen capt.
tsts are afr aid to rebuild the ruined factories
to reli3ht the extlnguished blast furnaces in a
country where they now looked npon as enc
mics who must be punished by AMI murncr.
The Anarchist leaders, VINO as mentioned above are
all foreigners state that capitalists receiving
lesson. That is certainly for if the latter
prudent men. they will carry their capital across
the frontier and seek fresh and safer helds for in
vestment.
Meanwhile the position Of the workingIpan is
daily becoming worse. Their hard earned say
IN IS were exhausted during the strikes and now
owing to the destruction of the factories aud
transfer of orders from Belgian houses TO those of
Germany, they without work and literally
starving Wages of course are now 10 ser than
ever aud the OperatlN cs, especially III ;hc mining
isTicts. are forcod TO live O1 hOr,e and donkey
flesh. While ii 10 easy to explain the cause of The
present miserable state ol affairs due to the inter
esicd lntrIgues OF a dozen foreign agItatOrs who
make their living thereby, it Is diilcuit TO ind u
rcmedv. and great fears are expressed as to the
possible early outbreak OF d Jacqueric throughout
the country.
The situation is almost equally bad IN both
England and France. In the fOIiucr country the
exports are diminishing to most alarming extent.
Compared with the same period OF lSS2 the
exports during the first four months OF the present
year show "A decrease OF S1O.JOO.OOO. Moreover
many factories are at II standstI!. operatives with
OUT worN and even the Government itself finds
II portable TO have the material
which IL requires for its my aud navy purchased
abroad rather than AZ home. Thus all the
bayonets and sword blades are procured from
SulIngen on the hhIne. the gan stocks from Italy.
the machine guns from sweden and the gunpOwder
from tirrmaDy whilst most of the rifle barr,
also imported thence. An tnssn workman
writes bl. ter and yet sensible letter on the
subject: Formerly says he, German cutlery
worthless aud would not sell The English