St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-04-29

tendency has been to drive the proietariat
into opposition and to foster the spirit of
the commune which, despite the horrors Of
its suppression in 1871, still exists in that
country, and is growing. The French work.
ingman of 1894 fully understands the great
things accomplished by the workingman of
1898, and he regards the methods of the
revolution which so effectually broke up the
power of the French aristocracy as the
proper means to be used at this time for tbs
abolition of what he regards as the ''tyrant
landlord and ':capitalistic MASTER, The
gathering in the Champs Elysee or the Champs
de Mars have therefore a much more omi-
nous significance to the French government
than have the gatherings in st. James and
Hyde Parks to the English
Labor in Belgium is becoming more and
more aggressive, and although it is a Catho-
lie country, the workingman, hitherto so SUBJ
missive to the power of the church, now re-
fuses to follow the counsels of his priests
when they run counter to the rules of his
local associations. 1t is a curious fact that
in those countries where labor has been most
suppressed, but where it has gained conces-
sions and come to realize-its own power and
begun to see its own wants, the tendency is
to run to extremes, and to hold it's own labor
organizations as superior to the govern
ment itself. The spirit of patriotism that
once so strongly distinguished the Belgian
workingman seems to have passed away;
the power exercised over him by the church
is fast becoming dead letter, and in the
fierce struggle for existence, all his thoughts
are conferred on himself, or if he gives g.
thought to others, it is simply to regard them
as associates to whom he must cling in order
to further his own ends. The revolutionary
and democratic spirit of the age is permeat-
ing and honeycombing this little kingdom to
the north of France. The peasant no longer
doffs his hat and bends his knee to the pass
ing count. and the grimy miner and the hard
listed farmer unite in sneers at and denuncia-
lions of Leopold their debauchee king.
AS might be expected, because of the great
er freedom of the republic and the higher in
telligence of the people, May day in Switzer-
land assumes the appearance OF a national
holiday. From Geneva and Lausanne to the
hamlets far up in the Alps, all are in gala
dress, and men, women and children turn
out from field and factory to rejoice in the
day, rather than to make demands upon the
government. Wisely, indeed, the govern
ment itself has entered into the spirit OF this
demonstration, and gives not only its sympa-
thy, but all its facilities, to make Labor day
a success. AS it is in Switzerland SO it might
be throughout all Europe and even in Amer
lea, if we adopted the same wise course The
daymust soon come when European govern
ments win realize, as America has already
hot hair 49,
depend not so much on the number of their
soldiers or the weight of their shipsas upon
the condition of labor and its spiritof discon-
tent or content.
This rising of the fourth estate" as it is
called, must ultimately result in the confed-
Grafton of labor throughout the world. Prop
erly managed this itself might be used as an
all-poWerful factor in the interest OF peaca