The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1893-05-04

The Peoples Cause In Belgium.
Belgium is 6 constitutional hereditary
monarchy. Two bodies, . senate and
chamber Of representatives, constitute
its lawmaking power. Representatives
and senator's have been hitherto elected
by the votes of male citizens21 years old
and over who paid annual taxes to the
amount Of about IS Of our money. This
Of course cut off nearly all the Belgian
workingmen from voting. As a matter
of fact, the Belgian legislature has been
elected by vote of about 1 in 10 Of the
adult males Of the country. The nation
was practically run and owned by the
rich manufacturers and middle class.
King Leopold himself has been in favor
Of universal manhood suffrage, but the
rich bourgeois would not permitit. They
elected whom they pleased to the as
sembly. and their tools passed exactly
the laws the masters demanded. The
lot Of the Belgian factory operative, me-
chanic or 1aborer vas in consequence
harder than that Of any other of his class
in Europe, except perhaps in Russia.
No legislation shortening hours Of work
or fixing the duties and liabilities of m
ployers could be passed.
This was the distinctive grievance Of
the common people in Belgium. A spe-
cial session Of parliament had been called
to revise the Belgium constitution. The
extension of suffrage was the burn
ing question they had to deal with. The
chamber of representatives voted against
taking it up at all. Then the working
people all over Belgium struck work
and marched through the streets Of the
towns rioting, fighting and demanding
a revision of the vote of the representa-
tives under threat of revolution. There
were fights between the police and the
workingmen and women. The first mar
tyr to the Of universal suffrage
was oma in Jolimont, who was
killed by a policeman's sword stroke
while she was working for the right of
men to vote.
Dynamite was brought to bear to en-
force the strikers demand for manhood
suffrage. In staid old Client there was
a tremendous riot. The strikers drove off
the police who tried to dispense them,
and it was not till a military troop ar
rived and charged them that they scat
tered. In Antwerp the very women and
children left their homes and marched
through the streets with guns in their
hands to help the downtrodden work.
ing1nan gain his rights. The only thing
that at all detracts from the story is the
fact that in many instances the down.
trodden workingman got crazy drunk
and acted shanefully.
There is scarcely a shadow of doubt
that in a few days more a revolution
would have occurred and Belgium beer
proclaimed a republic. But the mem
bers Of the chamber of representatives
frightened out of their senses, huddlel
together in a hurry and decided thai
they would take up the question of suf
frage at this session and do it immedi
ately. Then, with a dynamite boml
practically under their seats, they quick
ly passed an act granting suffrage to al
male BGlgians 81 years old and over, bu
giving two votes to heads of familie
who own a certain amount Of propert,
and three to those who in addition t.
property have also a certain amount O
learning. The politico-industrial striker
accept that for the present, and SO one O
the great historic steps in the march O
human progress was taken. The striker
say they will agitate peacefully till the
obtain the rest of their demands, whic.
is plain manhood suffrage without an;
frills.
. If the chamber Of representatives ha
J. persisted in its refusal to revise the sui
r frage law, the streets Of Brussels woul
8 have run with blood. An army Of 25,0 90
$ desperate strikers stood waiting to Ell
9 force their right to vote by fighting fo
it. We congratulate the working peop]
of Belgium on their great victory. w
approve Of all they did except gettin
9 drunk. It was a labor strike to gal
political rights.
The law under which Secretary Ca:
Isle may cease to give out gold certif
n Gates was passed in 1882. It provide
that whenever gold coin in a sum of NJ
less than $40 should be presented at Il
United States treasury the presentt