Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1898-01-29
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he SlugPing match In the Teichs
| rath building had its echo at Prague
| the capital Of bohemia, where fierc,
mobs attacked and looted all the shop,
bearing German signs and attempted
to kill epresentative-G German citizens
In the course of "a hours the uprising
assumed the proportions of an insur-
rection, and the governmentproclaimed
the "standrecht"--a peculiar legal in
stitution brought down from remote
ages.
Anyone brought before the court of
first and last resort, if found guilty, is
executed within 60 minutes after the
decision is rendered. and a hangman
and priest are in continual attendance
TO carry out the orders of the presiding
| Judge and to give spiritual consolation
TO the doomed. The "standrecht" is
proclaimed only at most critical pc
riods, and its declaration at Prague and
other Bohemian towns emphasized the
really critical condition of affairs. 1t
has always been the practice of the i'm
perial war office to station troops of
nationalites other than Bohemian at
Prague and it is probable that this
precaution prevented successful revo-
luton during early December.
The troops used to suppress the mob
belonged TO the Hungarian regiments.
They obeyed the orders of their SUI
periors promptly and without question.
But their fine military action must not
create the impression that they fought
so nobly because they love the Ger
mans, but rather because they dislike
the Czechs more. The Hurgarians con-
slider themselves superior TO any other
race in the dual empire. In fact, there
has never been time when they did not
hope to be the rulers of German. Czech
and Pole.
While it cannot be disputed that the
Germans have done more than the other
races composing the Austrian empire
to foster science and literature and in
dustrial enterprise, not only in Austria
proper, but in Bohemia itself. which
contains large German population,
yet the Bohemians are entitled to our
sympathy in the present struggle. The
bill which rehabilitates their language
was passed in parliamentary way. by
a large majority, and approved by the
crown. Instead of submitting grace
fully to the inevitable. the disappointed
Germans attempted by forcible and OBJ
jectionable methods to strangle free
speech and throttle representative gov
ernment. Their reactionary acts have
imperiled the stability of the house
of Hapsburg and prepared the way for
the dissolution of the ancient state.
From q political point of view read
justment of the empire on the basis of
nationalities might be a good thing for
all concerned, however. Teuton. Czech
and Magyar-what mixture! Each
might be happy, if left to himself. All
are unhappy chained together against
their will.
The one grand, heroic figure in this
war of races is Emperor Francis JOS
eph. Throughout the fray he has stood
out firm and bold, retaining to an al
most incredible degree the love and
veneration of his subjects. A lifetime
of sorrow, defeat and worry has en-
deared him to every race and condition
of men. When, at the age of IS, in the
fateful year of 1S4S, he succeeded the
feeble-minded Ferdinand, he was at
once called upon to suppress the Hun
garian revolution, during which he
shared in person in the storming of
Raab, receiving a slight wound. In 1852
an attempt was made on his life. In
1859 he was defeated by France and
in the great battles of Solferius
and Magenta and had to cede Lom-
bardy to the new kingdom of Italy. In
1866 Prussia defeated Austria in the
north and Italy vanquished her in the
south, peace being secured only when
Francis Joseph ceded Venice to the
Italians and recognized the formation
of the North German confederation un-
der the king of Prussia. But in all these
defeats neither emperor nor people
lost their honor. Francis Joseph be-
came great constitutional reformer,
and introduced system of local gov
ernment almost as broad as that advo-
Gated by Calhoun in our own land.
Home government was granted to al
most every province, among which are
the archduchy of Austria; the duchies
of Salzburg and Styria; the principal
tiles of Tyrol, Vorarlberg and Lichten-
stein, the kingdom of Bohemia, the
margravate of Moravia, the duchy of
Silesia, the kingdom of Galicia and
Lodameria, the kingdom of Illyria, the
kingdom Of Dalmatia, the kingdom of
Croatia and Slavonia, the Military
Frontier, the Voivodina and Banat, the
kingdom of Hungaria, the principality
of Pennsylvania, and the protectorates
of Bosnia, Herzegovina and Rascia.
The people living within these domains
speak SO distinct languages, and be-
tween many of them exist traditional
feuds. They have at no time had in
terests in common and for years have
been held together only by their love
for Francis Joseph. This truly great
man is now 67 years of age, worn out
by state and family troubles. His only
son, Crown Prince Rudolph, died few
years ago under tragical circum-
stances; he lost two brothers, the fate
Of one of whom. Macmillan, was one of
the tragedies of the century. His wife
suffers from melancholia. His eldest
nephew and heir, Archduke Franz