The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-03-11
The SPREAD OF MISERY
Has Assumed Such Proportions as
10 Alarm the Whole Of
Europe.
italy and Spain Can Hardly Es-
oape Trouble Whom Labor
Day Comes.
Austria and Hungary Contain Many starv-
ing Peorle-Anarchists Arc Few
The Police Can Control.

PARIS, March 1o.-The European govern
msnts are beginning TO DO alarmed at TIT
spread of public misery. The Berlin rioti
and the disturbances whieh have followed
them in Dantzic and Brunswick are proofs
OF an abnormal state Of things, and when
We ind even the workmen in the petty
towns of the Duchy of Anhalt taking &c
pillapinc bakers and butchers shops We
may be sure that the danger is real.
In Austria the prevailing distress was IN
suspected even by the government, yet IN
Vienna alone moro than 800 o unemployed
workmen are wandering about the streets
and highways near the city. Assaults with
violence are becoming common. In the
northern provinces of Hungary she misery
ia terrible. More than 10000 peasants have
been forced to subsist on roots and the
bark of trees. I could name villages In
which parents have been driven to kill the
children whom they have no means OF
feeding.
In Russia there 10 no change for thesbet-
ter. Whole provinces are threatened with
starvation, but if the wretchsdness is great
there il much charity abroad. The soldiers
in many Russian regiments are AacrlnclnR
part of their rations of bread to alleviate
the distress in the rural districts.
The situation is not much moro hopeful
In Italy. There the misery is not confined
to the poor. 1t affects every class of So
cisty. From published statistics it would
seem that during the last year the con-
sumption of food has diminished in the
following proportions: Bread. four per
cent; meat, 20 per cent; coffee, q per cent;
sugar. 70 per cent; tobacco. IL per cent.
These figures are %lamsntably eloquent. but
despite all this, the Italian ministry
does not think of reducing the
army and navy estimates. which are COM
monty believed to explain the present. mis-
cry. Italy aspires to play the part OF a
great power, for which she il not suited by
the state of her finances and her public
credit.
Financial disorder in the other European
countries has led to a public crisis in
Greece. The king has been compslled to
dismiss his advisers because they could not
fill the treasury.
In Portugal the downfall of the govern
ment is inimiuent, and, lastly. in Spain,
whore the distress ia comparatively small,
matters have grown serious, owing to the
faltering policy of which the cabinet has
been guilty within the last twelve months.
Exchanges have risen in an unprecedented
way. and the holders of securities IN all the
three states last mentioned are growing
alarmed. 1t is not strange that all these
symptoms combined should have excited
grave fears as to the course which things
may take on May l.
The little German emperor talks Of pro-
posing international measures to prevent
---1- shat nanrNhJata
who commit crimes shall be liable to trial
in any of the countries leagued together IN
wkich the offender may DO captured. 1t is
easy to ~foresee, however. that this proposal,
which would virtually create a kind of in
ternational league, will not be agreed to. at
all events by France and England, who are
Jealous of their own authority.
But exceptional measures of some sort
will have to be taken. Our Labor day this
year will have much greater Significance
than on former occasions. The lat of May
will fall on Sunday. and thus many work
ingmeA who, in the ordinary course of
events. would not have stopped their work
to join in the manifestation will be free.
In France the date will coincide with the
municipal elections which will then be held
in every city except Paris and which may
give rise to disorder.
The Paris police, however, think that the
day will pass without dangerous riots ex-
cent in the outlying districts of st. E%tienne,
and, may be, at Fourmies, where the an
archists talk of renewing the disastrous
ARRAYS of last year. Ia Paris the precau-
tions which will DO taken should keep agi-
tation within bounds. The English an
archists ara powerless. The English work
lngmen will put forth their whole strength
in the great strike which the miners are to
inaugurate.
We may have more disturbsn ces in Ham
burg and Berlin, where it is thought that
the ultra socialists may try to effect the re-
lease of their leaders, but even there the
authorities expect to be able to repress the
trouble. More anxiety 10 felt in Vienna.
whore tho anarchists are making rapid pro-
gress. Strikers are also expected at Brunn.
The course of events in Belgium depends
on the chamber. Should q reform consti-
tuition be voted, all will DO calm On May /.
should the reform in question be not voted
We may see violent outbreaks, amounting
to almost revolution. The Belgium gov
ernment is keeping a sharp lookout.
Two countries can hardly hope to escape
disorder-Italy and Spain. The trial of
the rioters arrested on May l of last year in
Italy is not yet ended, and the anarchists
do not conceal their Indignation. II esh
arrests are already under consideration.
In Spain much evaporation has been
caused by the execution of the Jerez an
archists. Red-hot republicanism prevails
in Barcelona, which has been excited by
the executions and by a recent dynamite
explosion in one of the government offices,
The allegiance of the army is strongly
suspected, and it is not likely that the
troops will be called out to repress possible
riots, a fact which will give tho malcon-
tents great opportunities.
10 sum up, though there may be- out
breaks in various places, it is only in Spain
that dangerous riots may be dreaded. Tn
less d financial crisis aggravates the exist
ing discomfort no serious trouble need BIO
feared in other quarters. 1t must be borne
in mind. though, that the Mckinley bill
has forced many manufacturers to reduce
the number of their employees. The an
archlst roll has been swelled within the last
twelve months. but there are probably not
more than 10000 all told in Europe. With
such small forces the anarchists may, of
course, give trouble here and there, but
they cannot bring about a revolution. In
short, May should be looked forward to
with seriousness. 1t mead not he yiaved