The San Francisco call., 1899-07-01

BRI SSELS. June 30.-The. Belgian
Parliament and streets of Brussels
haye been presenting the last few days
a 81. tacle Before unheard of in this
peaceful little kingdom Irish-even
rauch-obstructions have been sur
passed by the radical socialists minor
ity in the Belgium Chamber of Depu-
Tics. where free fighting has become an
hourly occurrence. members struggling
against ushers to reach and modest Pre-
mier Van den PeerebooTn. Streets every
night are made nightmares with shrek
ing, stone-t throwing, firing reVolvers,
and attempts at revtying the lost art
of barriCade-m making.
The reason Of this extraordinary out
break lies in the disappearance from
Parliament of the mod rate. liberals
or conservatives, whom the new suf-
rage regime swept from the. srene"Ieav-
ing the political power to be fought for
by the extreme fanatjGal Catholics and
most advanced socialists This was the
regime establishea. in 1888; which. while
giving universal SURFACE, sought to
temper it by giving. one or: two extra
votes to property ana education.
tNQt'u a new t',ti tailt'' III lf'llbiAH0 NA
cited curiosity" and: sympathy through
out Europe, .but..eoupled with the very
uuequal and unjust: distribution Of
seats. t Horked:so badly that all par
ties agreed updn% altering it, although
disaereeing absolutely a $ to the regime
IT, be- substituted" ~
The first effect was to overthrow the
8hiHet- of NJ. -Berndert a Catholic
statesman. :-Who governed for years
with such: .nOderation and wisdom
as TO .reC0nCile:: even the liberals. In
NJ, Beernaert'S place rose the blgoted
prIeSj-ri ridden. :reaCti0nary Government
headed Rrst*by NJ. de BurIet and now
by N. Van den PeerebOom. He is
fiGhtiIlg. against. the opposition now,
consisting :Of socialists. who, although
Ou'y=nuubeTing thirty-seYen against Ill
Government supporters, have managed
to turn, Parliament into something like
a FISH. market while thrilling the labor
classes with the hope of ultimate and
complete mastery.
The necessity for the revision of the
franchise has long been perceived by
the King, and I have reason to believe
that his Majesty is anxious for reform
which. while reducing the present over
" helming power of the uitramOntanes,
would reopen Parliament to the mOder-
ate Liberal party as a check to the So
cialists or as a kind. of buffer to the
state between the extreme parties the
extreme Clericals having so far pre-
vented the esta blishment of compulsory
military service, while the Socialists set
their faces against Belgian colonial eX-
pansiOE. on the Congo and everywhere
else.
But NJ Van den PeerebOOm, instead of
fashioning. the e.refOrm bill on such lines,
has introduced one specially planned to
still sfurther'Increas his own majority
He does introduce the principle Of rep
sentatiOn of mnorities, but instead of
making il. an a bsolUte uniform rule. ap-
plies ii only .to.distriCts where his own
party is in the. minority, and withholds
ii FROM those. where it would be a loss
20 the Governments.
The. bill. IS. considered immoral and
dangerous. not only by the Socialists
and. Christian. Democrats, but also by
some fair minded and eminent Catholic
staJesmen::. Many very moderate Liber-
ais. hitherto: afraid, of socialism, have
Furthermore been terribly impressed
against. the: C}ericalS by the Dreyfus
case, which they wrongly or rightly at
tribute to:the Jesuits- and have rallied
vith.the Socialists, against the bill,
which makes the opposition formidable
There is: no 'iIl-Wil1 against the King
so far and the Socialists have no idea