The Portland daily press., 1890-01-30
WHAT cOMTE Won TAAFE HAS DONE.
The Task of Uniting the Opposing
Factions In Austria.
The Premier Believes That European
Peace Is Assured,
But Remembers That War Comes
When Least Expected.

VIENNA, January 29.-The New York
Won Taafe, the Austrian prime minister. last
night, on various ibjects. Among other
things, the eminent statesman said: "The
peace of Europe never seemed more assured
Both the kaiser and the people desire ardent
ly continuance Of that peace which is so
needful to our Industrial and political devel-
opment. feel hopeful Of peace. but / can
not say that feel assured Of it, for history
shows that war comes when least expected.
''In regard to the Bohemian compromise.
which has ended 80 years interneeine war,
his majesty called on me to form cabinet In
1878. succeeding Prince Auersperg. My
reconcile the disputing iationalties Of the
empire. The condition of the country was
compared by superficial critics to the condi-
tlon OF the workmen on the tower of Babel.
These overlooked the patriotism Of the Aus
trians. their loyalty to the kaiser and his
house. These sentiments, which are COM
mon to all his majesty's subjects, be they
Germans, Slavs or Hungarians, have brought
about the happy result In Bohemia, which
was officially signalled to the world on Mon.
DAY. MY trst step as premier was to at
tempt what, thanks to the circumstances, l
shall soon show / have now succeeded in ac-
ec2mplishing. Nearly 10 years ago, Herr
Herbst, the German leader, and Dr. Reger
then, as now, chief of the old Czechs, met
here. After a few moments conversation
they saw the time had not come for settle-
ment. Both parties thought themselves
much the strongest and powerful enough to
oppress the other, so during the first year
my ministry had to watch and wait, govern
ing with the help of the opposition, until
finally succeeded in settling the Pol
ruff hA nfd ~ fhA
Polish deputies, and found myself with a
small majority behind me, with which /
nave governed ever since. waited 10 years
before Intervening again in the question.
Meantime many things had changed. Both
parties grew weaker with unsuccessful on
slaughts upon each other, but out of them
ties.
"The Germans saw spring up German ma
tlonalists, who coquetted disleyally with
their neighbors on the north. and with the
anti-Semtes and with the old Czechs, who
talked pan-Slavism and cast eyes at Russia.
The very radicalism of these extremists in
directly brought about the present reconcile
alton between the four important and justi-
fable parties in Bohemia, viz. the Germans,
the old Czechs, the German nobility and the
Czech nobility. These, weakned by long strug-
giles, and seeing the dangers which threat
ened the country from the impossible parties
have mentioned, united on a basis of mutu-
al concessions and mutual sufferance. Though
weakened separately, they now form a
strong, united party"
What effect will the new order Of things
have upon the complexion and composition
OF the central Parliament or Reichgraph?"
"A very great and beneficial one, hope
and expect. | hope the whole complexion
Of the Imperial Parliament will undergo
transformation, and that we will have DO
more national groups, no longer any opposi-
ton - that is, opposition for opposi-
legitimate aspirations Of these four great
national opp0sltional groups in Bohemia
once fully satisfied, it is to be expected that
and that they will support the government
which has brought about such a happy
change. Single instances of opposition ON
factional grounds may occur in isolated
eases, but believe in my heart that with
the settlement of the Polish and Bohemian
questions the acHte era of radical struggles
has passed away in Austria forever"