The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-04-28

LONDON, April 2z-The 1st of May is
again the BanQuo's ghost of continental
royalty. Russia on one hand and England
on the other regard the coming day with
serenity or indifference. The same may
be said of the Scandinavian countries and
Turkeys former and present empire, but
in the remainder of Europe, from the
Russian border to the North sea and the
Atlantic, police and military are getting
ready for the 1st of May. Austria has
prepared to meet the issue squarely by
forbidding any demonstration or public
procession that day and has instructed the
directors of all the manufactures under
the control Of the state to prohibit the
employer from making May l a holiday.
In Italy Baron Nicotra has Used circular
to the perfects prohibiting organized pro-
cessions in connection with the lst of May
demonstration. The circular does not
meet with approval in the Italian press,
being considered more likely to create
than TO prevent disorders. Baron Nicotra
says the precaution is not taken against
the real laboring classes, but against the
Anarchists, who are always active on. these
occasions, and that the police will not
interfere with the meetings of the work
ingmen unless the utterances tend to
disorder
The probability of dangerous agitation
in Brussels on May is somewhat lessened
by the action of the central committee of
the chamber in adopting for recommends
tion a radical extension of franchise. The
qualification for the parliamentary fran.
chise is fixed at the age of rs and the pay
ment Of 10 francs a year in direct taxes.
This franchise has heretofore been con-
fined to those paying AZ francs a year and
direct taxes, while the provincial franchise
requires 62 francs and the communal of So
francs annually. While the reformed
franchise, as proposed, would not be the
universal suffrage demanded by the work
ingmeD, it would amount to household
suffrage, and take in nearly all of the
working classes who have settled habita-
tions.
A singular plea for shorter hours comes
from class of Belgian miners who seldom
see the light of day. The prodigious depth
of the coal mines in Belgium makes it al
low all the time in order to keep a clear
road for the others to work. In a pit at
Flenut work is now done at 300 feet
depth and in the st. Andre pit at Mon
tig y at 100 feet In former years it was
customary TO keep boys at these great
depths from one years end TO another,
having them fed and sleep in the mines
and spend their working hours in clean
ing up after the regular miners. The poor
wretches could not stand the daylight
and sought cover when above ground like
a bat or an owl in the sunshine. But this
has lately been prohibited, although, as
stated a great many miners SO seldom
come to the top that they may be said to
live in the mines. But all Of them intend
to be above on May l.
In Germany the workmen are divided as
to their course. They had resolved to OBJ
serve the first Sunday in May as May day,
but this program has been changed in
difference to the wishes of the wOrkingmen
in other parts of Western Europe, and the
lst of May will be celebrated in An orderly
manner in Berlin and other leading cities
and manufacturing cities. The Social
Democracy has urged upon all its mem
bers the necessity of maintaining order
and not sacrificing the advantages gained
by constitutional means. The German
Socialists feel that they have much TO lose
by disturbance and that their prospects of
controlling the reichstag are improving
with every election. For various reasons
there is little danger of an aggressive
demonstration among the intelligent work
men Of the cilie5. But among the West |
phalian miners there is a difficult and
dangerous spirit, which the moderate
socialists are striving, so far in vain, to
keep down. The police and military are |
guarding Bochum and other points in the |
mining district in great force. and if the
day should pass without bloodshed the I
German public will be agreeably sur
prised.
The French government has made pre- |
paration TO deal with any disorder and is |
not going away from it. The best as
surance Of the peace of Paris, Lyons and /
Lyle and other labor centers in that
Anarchists and Socialists understand the !
resolute attitude of the government. The 4
Paris municipal authorities are in degree I
in sympathy with the disorderly element, |
but the police, being under state control, |
are not subject TO the dictates of the |
municipality, and, with the troops, are 1
able To crush any outbreak, however I
formidable. The French communist OF /
today is, however, comparatively harm /
less individual He is not ambitious TO |
emIgrate 10 the New Hebrides. where the |
natives have acquired taste for escaped |
convicts, especially when captured soon
after escaping.
Disorder may be looked for in Barcelona /
and other Spanish industrial towns. The
Barcelona labor sgitator is fast acquiring
a reputation as the most dangerous of his |
type in Europa He has the fire of the
Moor and the physique OF the Basque,
with the courage that is the heritage of
the poorest SpRniard. The eight hour
with universal acceptance. pre-
walls among the Spanish. and on this the
government bases hope of quiet Monday.
But the workmen are determined to parade
of any principle 81 stake, and
the recent encounters in Barcelona have
caused = feeling of intense animosity
against the police and the authorities gen
orally The garrison has been largely re-
Enforced within the past few days. and if
there should be rising, il will be vigcr-
ously met. What Spanish workiugmen
most want is an increase of wages rather
than a shortening of hours even the late
attempt TO legisiate against Sunday labor
has aroused but little sympathy among the
industrial classes. Ii should be remem-
bered, also, that in Spain there is 4 power
ful revolutionary propaganda, which has
Its ne!o and support among the working
people. But for the influence of the
church, the government could hardly
stand day against The republican senti-
ment which pervades the lower and middle
ranks, and tie clergy, true 10 their con-
servatlve instincts. are doing all they can
TO make the lst of May harmless
THE LIBERALS AND TIE IRISH.
LONDON, April 21-The general polit-
lcal outlook here i growing extremely IN
feresting The last three elections disclosed
SO uniform an increase in the Tory strength
that the opinion is becoming general that