The San Francisco call., 1897-12-12
DECADENCE
OF AUSTRIA
Empire Falling to Pieces of
Its Own Weight.

as step to the eventuation of socialistic
oligarchy in which the tenn poral voice OF
the church may be supreme, the house OF
Hapsburg would perish amid scenes OF
violence and terror. The warning political
forces other than the Catholics are divided
into Calvinist ProtesIants, 4025, 900;
united Greeks, 4 527, 900; orthodox Greeks.
1926; Israe ties, $4,000; Mussulmans
100000. and lesser seciarian followings.
1t is over all the stormy agitation of
these forces that is extended the trem-
/ bling pter OF Francis Joseph, Emperor
at Vienna and King in Buda- Pesth. The
safety of imperial autonomy has de-
pended on the wise and preservative doc
trine TO which both monarchic parties
are committed, which is in effect an agree
ment OF compromise under all circum-
stances OF minor disseverances as to in
ternal policies, to maintain a dynastic
union. From this bond it results that
! the conduct of what is described as COM
mon affairs-that is to say diplomacy, or
foreign affairs, the army and dnance-is
placed beyond the juggleries OF parties
and The accidents Or intrigues of party
combinations. This constitutional Gus
tom is aptly described by critic of the
Austrian situation as the arc of salvation,
the intangible reserve force, the superior
dom ain of the imperial will.
The renewal of the compact between
the two monarchic branches of the en-
plre occurs every ten years under the fol.
lowing article of the constitutions:
"Tne common expenses shall be divided
between Austria and Hungary, according
10 the proportion established by the two
Governments. If no satisfactory under
standing is reached the Emperor will ad-
just the proportion, but only for the dur
ance OF one year.
If on the last day OF the present year,
such being the termination of the decade
covered by the last adjustment, an agree
ment as to the division of the public ex-
penses has not been approved, the EN-
peror will exercise his constitutional
authority. If he doe it will be the first
time he has decreed the division of the
budget since the origin of the compromise
in 1867.
| Every ten years since then the agita-
| tions marking the period of renewal have
| increased, until the differences of 1897, ex-
c'eding all others in bitterness and vio-
Ience have assumed pronouncedly revo-
lutionary form. 1t requires no adept In
| political analysis to foregee the perils of
i'm perial intervention IN a matter so deli
cafe, involving, as 1t does, the settlement
! Of question which is the subsent ntient mo-
tive of all overthrows of governm entail
| power.
| The Emperor's partition of the budget
| no matter how wisely dictated, would
! satisfy nobody, as it must prove tempo
/ rary expedient for a year, during which
! dissatisfaction and political dislntegratlon
| will grow apace.
| The secret of the present stress and
| danger lies in the decadence OF the Ger
man authority in the EN- pire. Realiz ng
! their gradual dispossession of admins
tration and governmental pre-eminence,
which had come to be regarded as an
ancien privilege, the Austrian Germans
are striving to reconquer, legislatively, a
power now strongly disputed by the Poles
and Czechs-a power no longer justified
by their numbers. Incapable of succeed
| ing by those gifts OF cleverness and supple
| ness which nature, according to the
| French point of view, has denied them,
they seek revenge in parliamentary buc-
caneering and violence of obstruction. A
u,
| they sought to impose the PROC ,rman
propositions of Premier Badeni on the
disaffected majority, until in the end they
dishear;ened the Emperor and shattered
the tirmness he has preserved hitherto
between the parties.
1t is apparent that the negative ex.
piration of the Austro- Hungarian COM
promise, which will be continued in
definitely if the Hungarians main
tain their present attitude in pur-
suit OF the ambition to become a dis.
tinct and separate monarchy, will afford
the German minority additional and
just weapons OF parliamentary warfare
The principle involved and the pretexts
OF the occasion will serve well their pas
sion for tho retention of dominance as
well as their particular interests, which
will inspire them to shatter without scru-
pie the teredo-eaten piles on which the
empire of the Hapsburgs is supported
a failure TO make important conces-
| slons to Hungary-and the conservative
German parties have no disposition to
establish closer political fraternity
with the subtle Magyars, will produce
dire consequences, the worst phase of
which will be the fiercer unificat;on of their
own mem bers in the performance of an
absolutely obstructive programme. Thus
we may witness reversal of the order of
the day. The Germans, who once presid-
ed over the destinies of Austria Hungary,
who were disciplined under the political
maxims of the hierarchy in defense of the
! divine right of the sovereign, will become
the actual revolutionists of the empire
Instead of molli ying they will aggravate
! the parliame n tary Misunderstanding by
their policy OF stubbornness; embitter the
| struggle between the race factions for
fuller recognition in domestic affairs, by
deadlocking their demands with obstruc-
! ton, and open the door 10 weak and
repressive expedieuts OF the central power,
which must end in furthering the rebelli-
Gus aspirations of minor members of the
imperial union.
The most extraordinary political paper
Incidental TO the parliamentary coup
| a 'ota q