St. Paul daily globe., 1893-04-19
Granted to the Belgian Work.
ingmen by the Chamber
Of Deputies.
The Dread of a Terrible Up
rising Too Much for the
Lawmakers.
Four Strikers Bayoneted by
Soldiers at a Village Near
Antwerp.
Labor Leaders Advise an
Abandonment Of the Gen.
eral Strike.

of deputies today NJ. Beernaert. the
premier, congratulated the gendarmeS
and the civic guard ON their success in
coping with disorder. The government
would guarantee, NJ. Beernaert de-
clared, to maintain order. The premier
intimated that the report on the
proposed revision of the consti-
tuition would be debated tomorrow.
NJ. de Mou at once arose and proposed
that the chamber should not wait until
tomorrow. but should suspend its sit
ting in order that the report should be
made ready for immediate presentation,
and then be assembled again at on ce to
discuss the reports. To this proposition
the chamber agreed. The agreement
appeared to be hastened by the pres
ence of an enormous throng of people
who crowded the precincts of the cham
Der evidently very much excited on the
subject of universal suffrage and reso-
lutte that there should be no delay In
considering that subject. The ap-
guarded to prevent violence from being
done to obnoxious members.
The chamber of representatives reas-
sembled after the preparation of the re-
port on the revision of the constitution.
and by vote of 119 against II, with
fourteen abstentiOns from voting,
Adopted Universal Suffrage,
with a provision for plural voting by
the classes owning property. according
to the amount and situation of the prop
erty. Cheers within the chamber were
followed by prodigious acclamatiOns
from the enormous crowd that waited
the result of the voting outside the
chamber. The greatest enthusiasm was
displayed everywhere, and the people
joined in a jubilee i'll honor of the
great triumph which they had achieved.
1t is expected that the decision in favor
of universal suffrage will have an allay-
ing effect upon the popular excitement
and agitation which has been rapidly as
suming the dimensions of general in
surrection. The dread of ter
rible uprising of the people, sim
liar to that of the French revo-
luton in it's resistless rage against
privilege and power had the effect of
bringing the chamber of representatives
around to the popular side. There is no
doubt In many minds that had the
chamber not acted promptly there
would have been a revolution in Brus-
sells. The night passed far more quietly
than the authorities expected. Dis
turbauces occurred in several places
during the night. but there was no con-
certed attempt to rebel against the
king. The movement is directed en-
tirely against the chamber of deputies
and the ministers who oppose the
Workingmen'S demands for
The Right to Vote
property qualification, whatsoever. The
king, it is known, is in favor OF wide
extension of the sugrage, and the crowds
of excited workingmen who are now de-
manding what they believe to be their
right, have nothing against him per
sonally. Impartial observers of
the situation readily find SYM
pathy with the strikers. Belgium
is, with the exception of Russia, per-
haps, the only country where there is
absolutely no law protecting the work.
ingman from the rapacity and greed of
his employer. The Belgian working
men have seen within the past ten
years their brethren in other countries
placed under the protection of special
laws enacted for their benefit, and have
seen employers held to strict liza
bility when these laws were violated.
the bourgeois class, which rules the
country, evidently intends that they
shall have nothing if it can prevent.
Hence, in their desire to assert their
manhood and secure their rights, the
spectacle presents itself of the gigantic
strike to obtain the right to elect
representatives among the lawmakers.
Were the strikers armed and disci-
plined, there is no question that the in
dustrial revolution now shaking the
country would quickly become bloody
contest. AS it is, the strikers have
In many instances routed the armed pO-
lice, and have not hesMated to attack
the sOldiery.
RiOting In Antwerp.
In Antwerp the striking dock laDorers
began the disorderly demonstrations
this morning. They took possession OF
the docks and marched along the water
front, attaching the men who were at
work, compelling many of them to quit.
One captain of vessel from which the
men had been driven away protested to
the leaders of the rioters, whereupon
the mob promptly stoned him and forced
him to flee. The police in force were
finally ordered to disperse the rioters.
A short conflict ensued, during which
the police used their swords and revolv-
ers, and finally the mob scattered. The
mob gathered again as soon as the nolioa
and the gendarlnes were
again sent to the wharves to dIsperse
the rioters. This they succeeded in
dong, bat not until they bad
strength with the mob.