The sun., 1892-02-12

fooeDfo OF whose programme ID th0 aooil-
ton Of all property qualifications and the
substitution OF manhood suffrage. So far
a. this fundamental demand Of tho Rsdi-
Gals is concerned. they are vehemently
supported by the Socialists. who have
numerous following among the working
men; indeed. the great Belgian strike Of
last year, organized by Socialists. had no
other purpose than to coerce the Govern
ment into acquiescence in the popular wish
for sweeping electoral reform. At that
time the Conservative Ministry managed
TO check what threatened to become for
midable outbreak by assurances for whose
fulflment the disfranchised Belgians are
looking to the present session Of the Brus-
sells Parliament.
1t was until recently supposed that the
Conservatives who are at present In power.
might be reconciled to the idea OF universal
suffrage by the belief that the small farm
ers and agricultural laborers. who are fer
vent Catholics. would prove numerically
equal to the free-thinking artisans OF the
manufacturing centres. For time. in
deed. 1t seemed that only the fsst-dwin-
ding and discredited fragment Of the old
Liberal party would clamor for a compro-
small property qualification. There Is
reason to believe. however. that the Con-
servative and Clerical majority OF the Bel
gian Chamber OF Deputies has Of late made
a more accurate and less agreeable estimate
Of the relative strength OF parties under
regime Of manhood suffrage. for they have
thus far refused the thoroughgoing re-
form demanded by the Radicals and Social
lists. and have only offered to somewhat
lower the existing restrictions on the fran
chise. They still insist that man must
be the owner OF considerable property in
order to vote; as for an educational quail
fication. they are even more averse to 1t
than are the Radicals. foreseeing that 1t
would exclude more OF tho agricultural
laborers than Of the urban workingmen.
The consequence of the position taken by
the Conservatives is not only Parlia-
mentary deadlock. but q popular excite
ment foreboding disturbances more dan
gerous than those which attended last
years strike. There is. it should be borne
in mind. no country on the Continent Of
Europe where the Government Is SO utterly
dependent on public opinion and where the
means OF coercion at the disposal OF Min
istry are 80 weak and Enthusiastically. No
well-informed observer. therefore. doubts
that the ultimate outcome Of the crisis will
be the complete enfranchisement Of the
Belgian population.
At this juncture LEOPOLD H., with an as
tuteness worthy Of his cool-headed father.
has thrown out an anchor to windward in
the hope Of keeping his vessel from being
driven on q lee shore. He has resolved to
take precautions against the vindictive or
hasty legislation which might follow the
concession OF universal suffrage and the
ensuing return OF Radical Socialist ma
jority to Parliament He has prevailed
upon the Conservatives dominant In tho
present Chamber to make the introduction
Of the Swiss referendum into the Belgian
Constitution fundamental and preliminary
feature Of electoral reform. This meas
ure having been adopted. the sole plausible
objections on the part OF the Clerical-Con-
servative party to manhood suffrage will
be to large extent annulled. For under
the workings Of the Swiss peculiar institu-
ton. not only any law affecting the Federal
Constitution. but any ordinary act OF the
Federal Legislature may be referred to the
people for acceptance or rejection on the
demand Of a specified fraction of the voters
or Of the cantons. Time is thus always Sc
cured for thorough public discussion and
the application Of sober second thought.
In the news that the referendum urged
by the Kings Ministers has been accepted
by the Conservative-Clerical party. we may
discern the end OF the constitutional crisis
In Belgium. The moment the Swiss irsti-
tuition Is inserted in the Belgian Constitu-
tion. an eventual assent to the demand for
universal suffrage may be taken for grant
ed. II property qualifications were re-
tanned. a referendum would be superfluous.
the argument for its adoption being that
1t acts as a drag upon the sometimes reck-
less and hasty doings Of pure democracy.