Omaha daily bee., 1895-04-20

dFlaituL ltNuluNlOn dBtlUsl MIX OsChIt UtleN
from twenty-five years ago It was the Nor
wegian poet and novelist, Bjornstjerne Bjorn-
son, who started the agitation in 1873 for the
equal and coordinate position of the two
countries under the union guaranteed by the
constitution of 1914. By his kindlng elo-
quence he aroused the tremendous popular
indignation which swept the old ministry Of
Stang from power and caused the impeach-
ment and condemnation Of the Selmer min
istry The new Stang ministry re-cstablished
in 1893, however, the odious minority rule
The BernadOttes have been swapping their
fingers at the NOrsemen for nearly a quarter
of a century, and 1t will not be a matter
Of wonder If those sturdy democrats shall
arise in their wrath and break the double
crown in twain. The democraces Of Norway
and Sweden are one. but democratic Nor
way Is opposed to ariStocratic Sweden, with
her landed nobility and feudal traditions
Although of the same kin, these northland
brothers will never be good yokefellows. The
sooner the twin harness Is snapped the bet
ter. Oscar II is but a duplicate of Charles
XIV. Everywhere today the Norsemen are
singing Bjornson's national songs, "Yes, We
Love Our Native Country" and Il VIII
Guard Thee, My LandH
Madagascar has population more than
double that of Greece and would be proud
feather in the colonial cap of France if that
sions over it. But that is not at all likely.
Notwithstanding her great efforts and expen-
ditures. French claims to some sort of
authority in the island date back to the time
of Rlchelieu and Anna Of Austria, but they
have always been greater than the islanders
admitted and the present campaign against
them is to secure their recognition and en-
forcement. Madagascar has a wise and sa-
| gacious prime minister, Rainilarivony, who
| has in one way and another been in the
| public service for ffty-three years, one of his
| duties being to marry the regning queen
| and to hold himself in constant readiness
| to espouse one after another all her sue
| CessOrs. QUEENS have ruled in the island.
| except in the case Of one short reign that
| of Radama II, for sixty-siX years, no salc
| interdict existing in their old or revised
| codes, the latter containing 305 statutes dat
| ing from 1878, and forming a most respecta-
| Bile and adequate table of Jurisprudence The
| reasons for the marriage Of the queen and
| prime minister are political. 1t being a local
| convention that the former represents the
| mobiles and the latter the people and that
| a proper balance of power is thus preserved
| between them. Her present majesty was
educated in the London Missionary society $
girls school and is now SO years old. She
| dresses in European costume and her palaces
| are furnished in the European manner. Set
| in the circle of all the European queens and
empresses it is asserted by local connolssaurs
| VI SlSIe NldJ Sne WOUlQ eNOlDlt as royal a
| bearing as any of them and she is probably
| behind few of them in natural ability, en-
| lightenment and accomplishments Much at.
| tention is now drawn to her princpaity from
far and near, and the sympathy of the world
outside of France is with its native rulers
rather than with its invaders
Senor Canoyas has hitherto been acknowl-
edged to be so completely the boss as well
as the leader of the conservative party in
| Spain that the secession of Senor Silvela
one of the most influential of the conserva-
| tive members of the Cortes, and his avowal
that he would not support the arbitrary
| methods contemplated by the prime minis
| ter, must have produced considerable CON
sterration in Spanish military and official
| circles That the present Cortes in which
| the liberals largely prponderate, would refuse
| to sanction the trial of the journalistic
| critics of the army by court martial and
| would oppose other oppressive measures
| was to have been expected But the break
| in the conservative ranks will deprive the
| government Of the easy resort to a dissolu-
| tion of the Cortes and the election of a
new Chamber since the ministry would not
be sure of support in its reactionary policy
even If a majority Of conservative members
| should be returned. Senior Canovas how
ever, is not one Of those who easily sur
render their purpose, and he will not stop at
| triflcB. Although this awkward, squat and
| hideously ugly little man is a son of the
! people (hls father having been a Malaga
| peasanO, he is more of an ultra conservative
! than any Spanish Erandee with a pedigree
| reaching back to Alarc the Goth Indeed
| the hidagOs have become accustomed to
| regard him as an even more stawart sup
porter OF caste and privilege and stronger
| Dulwark against democratic ideas than the
| army itself If the eXigencies of reactionary
| politics in Spain should require a suspension
| OF the constitution, and the practical estab-
| lishment Of a dictatorship, the prime min
| istcr with his ungovernable temper and his
! unmitigated contempt for his fellow-crea-
! lures, would probably not hesitate a moment
| from resorting to this extremity Evidently
the disturbance in Cuba is by no means the
| most serious trouble that confronts the
Spanish people.
| The Jews in Germany today fill the ranks
! of the intellectual as we'll as the financial
aristocracy of the country; they contral the
| press they are the best representatives of
| modern culture, and they are forcing the old
Teutonic aristocracy to the wall. The CON
| test against the advancing power of our
own day by these who still remain in love
with feudal times must end in the victory of
| progress and the complete overthrow of the
! present party which supports the emperor
through thick and thin. He runs great
| risk of falling with his ardent supporters
| and his appeal to Bismarck is in some sort
a cry Help me from my friends" Those
who seek to suppress the intelligent growth
of public opinion are undermining the throne
and the government. Personal freedom IS
| as necessary for an aristocratic as for a
| democratic government and the empire
will be safe only when 1t wins the support
of the people, and thus gives them the power
| of being represented by those who really un-
| derstand the needs of Germany, industrial
| economical, agricultural, financial and social
| The repression of the best expression OF
| German intellect must make it hostile tC
| the government, and thus pave the way fol-
| revolution that cannot be kept within
limits. The faithful adherents of the Ger
man system Of government of today hope tt
maintain 1t by ignoring public opinion and
the influence Of German art, poetry, science
and thought upon it, but the ignorance o
the ruling classes only sharpens the growing
intelligence of the people and their danger
Gus thirst for knowledge. This is the Capi.
tai mistake of the German government
and all the conflicting parties in opposition
are inspired by varying kinds and degree!
of hostility to its principles and methods
Once united, they will form solid phalanx
supported by the people, which must attain
power-peacefuly, III the governing class
yields in time; by revolution, if necessary
and who can tell where that will end il
Germany?
Mr.. Gifen presented some statistics relat
ing to Ireland to the royal commission ap
pointed to consider questions connected witt