New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-29
THE KNIFE TO THE Hit"

Count Taaffe and DR.. Rieger both secuted the
idea of granting such demands. whereupon DR..
Gregg drove home the knife. He preached
revolution in every Bohemian village. Night
and day he rushed about the country de-
nouncing Dr. Rieger as a traitor and eXhortins
the Czechs to rise for independence. The ex-
citablc populace were won to his side. AT the
next election the Young Czechs swept the coun-
try. and pr Riegers house In Prague was
sacked by a mob. II was a IRENE ndous vie
tory. but DR.. Gregr did not know how TO i'm
prove it. He held the balance OF power In the
Rcichsrath: Count Taaffe had no majority with
on, him: and with prudence and discretion he
might have carried almost every point at which
he had aimed. But he overreachcd himself
i'm his eXultation and arrogance. He demanded
too much at once from Count Taaffe and when
il was refused declared open war. Th"reupon
Count Taafe made bargain with the German
Liberals for help. and thus secured a majority
independent of DR.. Gregr ana the Young
Czechs.
This seemed to drive Dr.. Gregr mad. He
ra ged against Austria in the Reichsrath. using
Language that a few years ago would have cost
him his life lie openly declared that he would
not rest until the last link that united bohemia
and Austria was broken. He organized pub
lie demonstrations in Prague against Austria
and in favor Of Russia. and melted the czechs
to use violence against the Germans ana dflVc
them out Of the country. In brief. he brought
on the recent violence the proclamation II
martial law and state Of siege In Prague. and
the present crisis in the politics of the Empire.
THE ArsTRO-HUNGARIAN CRISIS.
Another great surprise was furnished by
Count Taaffe when he introduced his Reform
bill in the Reichsrath. This was practically
measure for universal suffrage. and it was par
ticularly obnoxious to the German Liberals-the
very men who gave Count Taaifc his majority
over the Young Czcchs. If II became a law II
would reduce the German Liberal representation
in the Reichsraih by at Least one-thlid per
haps by onc-haf and correspondingly strengthen
the Czechs and Poles. Naturally the German
Liberals rebellcd. and broke their alliance with
Count TaaYe. They held what would In America
be called a caucus. and unanimously resolved
that the Reform bill was affront and an act
Of open hostility to them. and that IL was ncc"s-
sary 10 answer il BY offering determined opp
Sition to the Government on all questions. begin
ming with the party vote against the exceptional
State Of Siege in Pragu" as the first act II re-
taliatiOn. and ending with solid vote against
every Government bill. They recalled their
many services to the Government. and then
said. substantially, IF our party is 10 b. re-
duced in numbers. and, in fact. nearly eXtin-
gushed by Count Taaffes Reform bill then
prefer to die at once, and not after rendering
the Cabinet substantial services. without which
1t could not exist"
Count Taafe. however. persisted in his course.
The question Of the State Of Siege came W. The
German Liberals told him they would support
him on II only on condition that he would a5an-
don his Reform bill; but he declined 10 do so.
Thus the case stands to-day. and the outlook ~
one Of the most vcxing and uncertain in all the
history Of that much-troubled Empire.