The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-10-01
POLITICAL PROGRESS IN BELGIUM

The latest experiment in constitution
making has just seen the light in Belgium.
That is a country which offered fine
field for the political Teformer. A hum
bred years ago Joseph the Second, the
most enlightened monarch Of his day,
attempted to plant liberal institutions In
Belgium. but the people arose, refused to
accept popular rights, insisted on the
maintenance of conventional and aristo-;
cratic privilege, and drove the Austrians
out of their country. The forty years OF
upheaval which folio wed the French revo-
luton we're marked by many changes in
Belgium, but in 1881 a constitution was
adopted by which only 10000 persons
in population of 100000 were clothed
with the right of suffrage. and education
was placed in the hands of the clergy. 1t
is that constitution which King Leopold
and the Ministry have now replaced by
more rational instrument
The new constitution establishes univer-
sal suffrage, but in two respects it contains
novel provisions. Voting is compulsory;
voters who absent themselves from the
polls render themselves liable to penalties.
And a curious system of cumulative vot-
ing, which appears to have been borrowed
from England. increases the power of the
conservative class. In England q land
owner may cast vote for each estate
which he owns; thus rich man who pos
sesses six pieces of property in six d fer:
ent b0roughs may cast six votes. Under
the new constitution of Belgium married
man may cast in addition to his own vote
vote to represent his wife, and if he
possesses independent means, a high edu-
cation or has held public Office still third
vote. The object of this plural voting is
to Offset the factory vote Of Liege. Louvain
and Brussels. The factory hands, being
generally unmarried. poor and only par
TALLY educated. can cast but one vote.
whereas and-owner. mere liant or manu-
facturer may cast three, SO that the power
of 200 mem bers of this class will outweigh
500 memb ers Of the wage-earning class. 1t
is reckoned that under universal suffrage.
there will be. /, 200, 900 voters, but of these.
$50. 900 will be plural voters, so thata full
vote will foot up 100000. :.
This is a very curious experiment, in
deed. 1t reminds one of old Ben Frank
Inns remark that in country where jack
asses were worth $50 fifty-dollar Qualfi-
cation would confer the suffrage on the.
jackass instead of the man.. 1t is perhaps
a good idea to give citizen an extra vote
for bis wife, but TO bestow on him third
vote for his property and his education is
invdious. 1t is cruelty unjust to those
who have had no opportunity of acquiring
either the education or the property. The
: Belgian conservatives Justify the arrange
ment by saying that the factory hands are
so liable to be led astFay by unprncipled
agitators that property needs a bulwark
against their assaults; it does not occur to
them that the best bulwark is education,
and that property owners have been the
chief opponents of thorough and enlight-
ened schools.
Few countries are more interesting OBJ
iecis of study than Belgium. It is the
most densely populated country in Europe.
perhaps in the world. 1t leads the world
in manufacturing industry. At Chicago,
the Belgians are carrying off far more than
their due proportion of premiums. II is
governed by the most sensible monarch in.
Europe; in sagacity and cnmmon-sense, he
has had no rival in this cen fury except his
own father. 1t has not lately sbone in
science. art or letters: But it can boast of
sound jurists and able statesmen. Brus-
sells has always been a thorn in the side of
Paris. The bouevardiers show their
jealousy by calling it a pinch beck Paris.
But it is an uncommonly pleasant place to
live in, and life is much cheaper than in
the beautiful city on the border of the
Seine.