The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-01-30
SOCIALISM In 1894.
Prodigious Strides Made in
Europe During the Year.
FRANCHISE GAINED IN BELGIUM
New York Recorder.


less. eager surf. upon the shores OF po-
Ntical Europe and America. Is gaining
no ground The year Just past has
been in many respects a memorable
one for the party which claims to
hight the holy cause OF man. There
have been ups and downs for those who
love to call themselves the proIefariat
and who believe that their destiny leads
TO the ultimate equal xasion OF the race
and the Punishment OF the so-called
slavery of wages" There have been
advances and retreats, the shock of
battle not alone at the polls. but in
the field. for it was less than year
ago that the socialistic classes OF Sicily
were fairly driven into rebellion by the
awful greed Of. their &askmasters and
the tax collectors. and in some cases
victories OF pith and moment. as In the
establishment OF q new franchise in
Belgium. with a wonderful shifting OF
the parties there and a foothold for the
Socialists. and positive advance at the
polls In Germany and France.
The advances would have been even
more marked than they WERE" said Al
exander Jonas. the socialist editor and
leader who. with Henry Kuhn. Of the
national executive committee OF the So
cialistic Labor Party, gave the infornla-
ton contained below. iii 1t had not
been for the work of the anarchists,
than whom there Is no greater enemy
to socialism. The ASA ssination OF Pres
ideirt Carnot of France and the bomb
throwing in Italy and Spain. although
We had nothing 10 do with them and
u NTH fHot srfn no
ment, have been used by the ministers
OF the established government as
club to beat US with.
In the former case the club became
Boomerang, for while the death OF
Carnot caused a temporary revulslon
of feeling against the socialists. and
many believed that the party had been
crushed, this turned out to be a mis-
take. Casimir Perier was elected presi-
dent and endeavored to prove that his
election was an echo OF a popular de-
naand BY getting one OF his party, a
bourgeois Republican, elected in his dis
trict TO iii the vacancy caused by
his promotion. But when the votes
were counted 1t was found that a So
cialist had been elected instead. and
this energetic partisan, this capitalist
par excellence. this mine owner and
wage payer was virtually defeated in
his own district.
In Italy. where the entire govern
menf seems to be involved in scandals
and where corruption does not stop
short OF the king, Premier Crispi has
sought 10 take advantage of the recent
bomb throwing in Rome. In every
country without exception the govern
ment has seized the occasion when the
anarchists have exploded bombs to is
sue legislation nominally against the
anarchists, but practically against the
socialists. An advantage was taken
in the chamber Of deputies of the Car
not murder. SO in Spain the Barcelona
outrages We're made a text for inimical
legislation. In Germany 1t was In
ISIS that this was done and now Signor
C1Ispi brings up the tail OF the process
sion. He has tried by legislative act to
break up the whole socialistic organi-
cation. But he cannot succeed The
movement Is greater than he-greater
than any man. Many believe that the
bomb throwing was done by police
agents under the orders OF their su-
periors, and for the purpose of giving
the prime minister a handle on which
to hang his unfriendly legislation. Such
things have been done before. and have
been confessed to. But IL all goes to
show that socialism has become a
mighty factor and one which il feared
by those who fatten on the established
order"
The most important victory achieved
by the socialists during the year just
past was scored In Belgium. While
Germany Is the strongest socIallstic
country. numerically speaking. Belgium
Is the strongest in comparison with Its
population. TIE entire country is an
dustrial, while much Of Germany Is
given up 10 agricultural interests. and
many thousands Of farmers. while in
law the feudai system has been abol-
ished, are really serfs OF the landed
nobility, for whom they work for wages
pFsiably small. In Beigium's elections
last September for the first time the
taboring classes Were given a vote.
and while II was an unequal VOTE, a
sort of haif-ioaf being given them by
the government 10 prevent a whole
sale strike ordered by the leaders, ii
resulted in the election of thirty out
Of possible i40 members of the parlia-
ment OF that nation. and the overthrow
Of the Liberal party. which had long
been the party dominant. and the
establishment in power OF the Clerical
party. Fully 20 per cent of those who
cast votes on election 1ay were So
ciaiiSts. So that IL there had been a
single tn place Of a plural standard
Of voting. the visible results would have
been even greater. But. as Is said. the
socialists begin the new year with a
strong focthoiG in the national ieyis-
iature. and II their representatives use
the newly acquired power wisely. they
have Il IN their power to materially
advance the cause.
The movement had been well ground
cd sni well organized for years in Bel
gsUua by the cooperative societies, and
whsgs the time for battle catna they
weve well equipped ~ make a winning
fight. Dgriag the canvass, which was
n most exciting one. the T.ifsagais were
spqrehensive OF defeat. ard triad 70
patch up a truce with the socialists
leaders. tuf the latter thongfxt rhst
fhese ovcrtnres ~ FRIENDSHIP, usra
merely an attempt 10 rope them IN
ani refused 20 60 into the deal. and
when election came the Liberal yasxty
was smashed. while the Clerical. the
Obj antagonist 4 the Liberal. came Oh,
On Top. The reforEai in the system az
vcs5ng. Il zach & nAay be caflea. vas
ssrgs.as brought ahers By the socialists
who Threatened 10 20 an strike If their
demand Tor q universal franrhssa was
not adopted TIE syFy.ss-yl rsssyxs .,-z.s-