The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-07-05
In Belgium.

BRUSSELS, July BIN this city and
at Antwerp, Liege and other centers
the socialists are distributing arms and
preparing for revolutionary uprising
II the revised electoral bill promised at
the meeting OF the chamber tomorrow
is unsatisfactory. At Alost, fifteen
miles north of here meeting addressed
by Catholics yesterday was broken up
by socialists and several arrests were
made. The feeling to day is running
dangerously high. A big mass meeting
al MONS, mining town, resolved on
generai strike II the suffrage bill passed.
In order to fully understand the po-
sition OF affairs which makes it always
possible Tor serious trouble to arise in
Belgium at any moment q knowledge
OF few facts only is necessary. As
regards the parties, the dividing line is
that bitter one OF religion. The Con-
servatives are unbending Clericals and
the Liberals are aggressive Seculorists.
The workingmen, and notably numer.
GUS miners, are nearly all revolution
lists as regards representation. The
1000 Clerical voters send 112 depu-
ties to the Chamber, while the $780, 900
opposition voters send only 40. The
lack OF combination between the Lib
erals and Socialists partly accounts for
this. BRUSSELS, in the last election,
polled 10000 Clerical, 10000 Socialist
and 10000 Liberal votes, yet 1S Cath.
| olics fill Brussels's 10 seats.
Three months ago the Liberals and
| Socialists made peace in order to rec
tify this condition at the next election.
| To defeat this coalition the Govern
ment introduced an electoral bill, which
caused the present upheaval. The bill
ostensibly provides for a proportional
representation, but actually provides
for representation of minorities in
the few cities returning six or more
deputies. namely Brussels, Antwerp,
Ghent, Liege and Charleroi, leaving
the others unaffected. AS the minori-
ties in the towns mentioned are Cleri.
calls, the opposition protests that they
are worse off than ever, as by their
new combination they could have car
ried the elections. The bill also pro-
vides for the abolition of second bal.
lots, thus further weakening the OPP
position, as the moderate Liberals
Progressists and Socialists are not like.
ly to support each others candidates
until the first ballot has proved that
they are unable to elect their own.
The other provisions of the bill are
such that the opposition asserted
that if passed it would assure the per.
manent supremacy of the Clericals.
The king has signed the present bill
but he is impressed with the injustice
OF the measure, and is really in favor
of the "one man, one vote" principle
whereas, under the existing system q
member of the clergy or some other
privileged class may have three votes.
He has charged his ministers to find
some basis Of compromise.
The Belgian rioter is difficult and
sanguinary character. Already the
streets have been barricaded and the
paving stones torn up. Attempts to
fire the public buildings have been
made and more than 5000 persons pa.
raded in Brussels singing the "Mar-
seillaise," crying Long live the re.
public"
At Antwerp 10000 men paraded, the
civic guard cheering the parade and
singing "Marseillaise." There a1e
violent demonstrations throughout the
Kingdom against the classes privileged
to hold more votes than one to eact
man. The clerics and other privileged
classes who are in a minority, naturally
cling to system that gives them the
control of affairs at the polls,