New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-12


fashioned silk hat is usually stuck on the back
of his head So far that his hair shows in 'front.'
tween II and his forehead. Curiousy enough
his c0achman who has served him Tor many
years resembles him in looks. ana wears his
hair and hat in just the same way
Count Taafic. his name Indicates IS oil
Irish extraction The family was eminent cen
turtles ago in County Cavan. Ireland ana was
noted for its unWaytring loyalty 10 inc stuart
kings one ViscOunt Taaffe-of the irish peer
,. -asnousod the cause Of Charles | SO vigor-
ousl,. that Cromwell to punish him and to dis
c,urag.. oth.~s from following his example con-
rscof.d his Estates The result was that Taanes
son. the next Niscount. grew up to be very
novalist Of the Hoyslsis. stood By the Stnarts
through thick and thin. and finally fell al boNhe
Water brlvely fighting while ms unworthy
king ran away. Seeing that the stuart cause
was hopeless the remainder Of the Taan'
,,,,iiy ,orthwith went into exile Voluntarily be
for. they were driven II II willy-niily. Ih"S
settled in Austria and were at once regarded
with much favor. the heir Of him who was
killed at the Boync being made Field Mar
shaI a Councillor ~ state. and "A Count Of the
Holy Roman Empire. TIL" Irish pterase OF
..,,rs. remained intact. that the present
c,nr, raaG.. figures as Peer OF Ireland.
,bough he owns no property there and, OF
.o,,rs. h,s never sworn allegiance To the SOW
cr-gn ~ that country.
II - NOW almost exactly fourteen years since
th, Emperor asked his old companion I" form
q Ministry and Try to manage the warning rae
lions Of the Reichsrath. The task was an nm
.nyiable one. Austrian prestige was low anu
deserved 10 b.. The finances OF IN" Empire
were. in disorder. Everybody was discon'en'ed
The Reichsrath was divided into dozen hos
,il, parties no one having majority. Nor dld
:, soon, uossible 10 form stable majority by
any coalition. BY far the largest party was
that o. the German Liberals hey formed
nearly one-half Of the whole Relchsrath, and
they were determined TO support no Minister
not chosen from their own ranks; hence they
v.er. opposed 10 Count Taane. That Minister
then. sine. ne could not conciliate them, must
form n coalition Of all the others against them
seemingly impo ssibl" task.
l, was with great reluctance that Count
Taaifr took Office. and only because the EN-
n.ror appealed to him to do on the ground
81 personal friendship. "He cannot hold office
ak months" said the best-nformed observers.
W.. will driv" him out in MONTH. said the
German Liberals Eut they were reckoning with
an, th.ir host Count Taaffc had not wanted To
T.. Prime Minister: but. since he was. he DE-.
,.rmin.d to hold on to the place He first tried
,l.as.nt words for all This is not a Minis
fry Of faction. bat OF conciliation he said
nut the German Liberals. under Herr Herbst
v.e,. nnplacabe They would rather wreck the
Enpire than be governed by Minister not OF
their own clique. And they were formidable
foes In numbers they were nearly haIt Inc
House In parliamentary experience ana SIKH
they far outciassed The rest. for they had had Il
MONOPOLY of governing power Tor many years.
They had moreover. the wealth Of the country
and the most influential part oi the press OH
their side.
INT this quiet. sef-contaned Irishnlan was
their master lie set To work To form rom ','e
other factions a working majority. FIRST IL,
turned 10 the CZechs. who were now repieseht'u
I'm the Rechsrath for the first time III many
years. DR.. Rcger was their leader Count !
'rnaff. won his allegiance by promise OF home |
rule for Bohemia or, at any rate. or SiNlhs the |
Czcchs free hand to overthrow German OPP |
preston. If they could Thus began the modern
phase Of the CZech-Cicrman struggle. which only |
a Few weeks ago eliminated in the proclamatol,,
Of state Of siege at Prague. Then lie luine" |
TO the Poles. VINO had been declaring that my
had no lot in the Empire and only entered the |
Rechsrath a matter of form. The nome |
rule bait likewise secured their support. Next
came the Feudalists and them ne won py
imposing a tax "n corn ana meat INC
Cericals demanded as the price OF their sup
port law that would give the church Almost
absolute control of the schools of the fhipile.
This Count Taafre promised them, ana gave
Them though he worded it that he could
afterward interpret II and execute II iar dlhrr-
emily from what they expected. fihaliN' ne
turned 10 the motley congregation known as , ,he
sOcial-Progressivc party: "A very different th"h
from the Socialist party Of to-day. u was
large party divided into several sec'ions' anu
led by three nobemen Prince Alloys lieSh'em-
stein Count Falkenhayn and Count be'Vten''
To these he made generous promises ol "sls
lation In behalf of the working classes ana
sealed the compact with them by maklhs 'ouht
I'alkenhayn his Minister of Agriculture
Thus Count Taahe got his majority, py pur,
chase: and thus has he. for fourteen years heid
IT, For never once in all that tmr mas any one
party had a clear majoriy In the hrichsia,h'
OFTEN. in bargaining for factional support. he
has had To sacrifice principle to poncE' ihus
he has brought upon himself the repIoach OF
being shrewd politician. rather 'na a S,ates-
man. As a matter of fact. however. there
was no other way of governing so he'e'oseheous
An empire as Austria. and nau u. not gov
evtable. Under his administration me country
has greatly prospered. and ms wosn n. mas won
the enthusiastic approval Of the srea, mass ot
the people. Unfortunately Tor hihh' 'hese sup