The morning call., 1893-05-19
THE BOHEMIAN FRAcAs.

The long smolderlng conflict between the
Germans and Czechs Of Bohemia burst into
fame in the Diet on Wednesday. For $50
years Bohemia has been an integral por-
ton of the Austrian Empire. but the
Czechs, who constitute three-ffths of the
people, have always chafed against Ger
man domination. From the time of John
Huss it has not taken much to rouse the
Czecns to mutiny. Ten years ago the En-
peror Of Austria adopted a policy of con-
ciliation to bring the Czechs and the Ger
mans into harmony, and Count Taafe pur-
sued the same course; when Baron Krauss
died a Bohemian Czech was appointed to
succeed him as Governor. This does not
seem to have pacated the turbulent Slavs.
The incident on Monday partakes rather
of the lu1icrous than of the alarming. A
committee had a report to make on ques-
ton which involved the sensitive spot.
The chairman, who bore the appropriate
name of Funk. began to read his report
from the tribune; a Czech took offense at
his remarks and proceeded to haul him out
of the tribune by the back of his neck. A
rough and tumble scramble followed with
out regard TO the Marquis of Queensberry
rules. In the end Funk was torn from his
vantage ground and thrown upon the
floor; from which position he continued to
y0ciferate until a wicked Czech poured
bottle of ink upon his head. The conflict
then seems to have degenerated into free
fight. The CZechs fell foul of the stenog-
raphers and mauled them. Prince
Lobkowitz. who presided, put on his hat
to signify that the session was suspended,
after which he proceeded to distribute
challenges among the members who had
disputed MS authority. A number of af-
fairs Of honor were arranged, and the
members went home to look up their
weapons, while the police took possess
sio2 of the streets. Little difficulties of
this kind are as common in Bohemia as
election fights used to be in Kentucky.
The new Austrian Premier, Count Kal-
noky. is experiencing the delight of ad-
ministering the affairs of a number of
races which will not blend, though for
centuries they have formed part of the
same nation. Every few years Hungary
threatens to secede; il is always qnes-
ton, when the Emperor of Austria dies,
whether the Hungarian Diet will crown
his successor as King of Hungary, and Bo-
hemia has only been kept quiet by con-
ciliatory action at Vienna. The Czechs are
Slavs; they CHERISH as they have cherished
for century, dream of Slav nation,
embracing the Slavs of Russia and of the
princpalities; and it does seem that such
nation, embracing Bohemia, Transyl-
yania, Bosnia, Serva, Bulgaria, and posi-
bly, Roumania and Walachia. might have
a sphere of usefulness, and might act as a
buffer between Russia and Turkey. But
it is not TO the interest of Russia or Austria
that such nation should be constituted,
and the aspirations of the Slavs have thus
far led to nothing beyond noisy dsmonstra-
tions and strife mong themselves. Politi-
cal dreamers cut no figure in the face of
solid. well-drilled army corps, as Kossuth
found to his cost.
The student of politics will note with in
terest the refusal of these small natonaii-
ties to assimilate with their neighbors.
The people of France sprang from various
stocks; yet they have all blended into one
nation. So the people of England and the
United States, the offspring of races diff
fering widely in physique, habits, Ian
guage and characteristics, have melted
into nifty. But these Bohemians and
Hungarians and Bosnians are still as diff
ferent from their fellow-citizens in Aus
tria as they were when they debated the
question whether it was not to their inter-
est to tnrn Turk