The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-22
TEAPOT TEMPEST in
NORWEGIAN POLITICS
Recent Liberal Cabinet Reconstruction Brought No Re
lief From Bad Conditions Old Clique Still in
Power.
Of The Journal.
By o. j. BREDA

ChriStianla, April IL tempest III
teapot is proba bly, not a bad description
of the serio- comic political drama which
within the last week has been enacted IN
Christiania The weak vacillating and
largely incompetent Steen cabinet which,
since 1898, has held power In Norway, has
undergone its long promised reconstruc-
ton. In a cabinet meeting held at the
royal palace this afternoon under the
presidency of the crown prince, who is
recent in the absence of King Oscar, in
Biarrit2, Premier Stems resignation was
accepted. AS his successor was named Mr..
Blehr hitherto minister Of state IN Stock
holm; Mr.. Guam, hitherto minister of
justice, was appointed Norwegian minis
ter of state in Stockholm, and DR.. Sigurd
Ibsen, a member of the consular commits
sion, was named member of the cabinet
delegation in Stockholm. All the other
members of the old cabinet remain, with
only slight redistribution of department
portfolios. The whole reconstruction, OF
which so much was expected, is only a
political family affair, palace revolu-
ton. The old clique remains in absolute
control. supported by the stalwarts in par
lament. Mr.. Steen, who of late seems to
have been a mere figurehead, under abso-
lutte control of the more aggressive mem
Ders of the cabinet, is replaced by a man
who probably has even less backbone.
And the most malodorous member of the
clique, Mr.. Guam, has been put in a place
which requires, in an eminent degree, high
craftsmanship and tact, the very quail
ties in which Mr.. Guam is conspicuous1y
deficient. And the new member, Mr.. ID
sen. who by his diplomatic training and
Intimate acquaintance with the consular
question, should have been eminently
qualified for the position of minister Of
state in Stockholm, has been made sub
ordinate of the great Mr.. Guam. The re-
construction which should have given the
liberal party a new lease of life, has
caused nothing but disappointment and
derision throughout the country.
Mr.. Steen, who now departs from the
political arena forever is a man of 69
years He has been in politics since 1853,
when he first met in parliament, and with
few Interruptions he has been a member
of that body up to 1891. During the whole
period he was one of the leaders of the
opposition and in 1883 he was chairman of
the committee which moved the impeach-
ment of the Selmer cabinet and after
wards one of the men in charge of the
impeachment proceedings. In 1891 he be-
came premier of the second liberal min
istry and again in 1898 he became pre-
nlier. Mr.. Steen, during his long political
career, has proved himself man of great
ability, wide information, personal integrity
and high aspirations. AS presiding officer
of parliament he showed great tact and
marked dignity. In private relations he
always was polished gentleman.
But though an excellent par1iamentarian
he has never been a statesman and of
late years he has shown a lamentable
weakness Of will Unfortunately he has
bean surrounded by gang Of practical
politicians to whose opportunities he has
yielded time and again. Their aggressive
ness has gradually pushed Mr.. Steen out
of sight and deprived him of his leader
ship and his popularity. Some of his best
friends have repeatedly urged him to
withdraw and bring about thorough re-
construction of the government, and at
last the pressure became too strong to be
resisted Mr.. Steen has a large number
of sincere friends in both parties who
deeply regret that man of his ability
and nobility of character should end thus
ingloriously, but it is largely his own
fault.
The New Premier.
The new premier, Mr.. Blehr, has spent
four years in Stockholm as minister Of
state in the Steen cabinet. AS such he
has kept a most excellent table and has
done full justice to the social side of his
position, it is said to the great detrimen,
of his financial affairs. But otherwise hi
does not seem to have been able to &C.
Complsh much The great questions II
dispute between the two countries do no,
appear to have been advanced a single
step toward solution through any effort:
of his. Within the last few months, how
ever, as I told T h e j ourn a l readers
IN previous letter, through the initiative
of the Swedish foreign office, the consular
question has assumed a practical charac
ter by the appointment of the consular
commission. Thus at last by no merit O.
ais the great chance had come for Mr.
Blehr to do something tangible for hi:
country. Through his four years residence
in Stockholm and his long social inter
in ieb volt
tics he must have acquired an intimate
knowledge Of men and Of the drift o
political feeling in Sweden which shoult
have materially helped him, of all men
to bring Norway out of her present humil
iating position. But at the very NOM
of his supreme usefulness Mr.. Blehr de
serts his post to take the premiership va
Gated by Mr.. Steen. The whole recon
struction simply amounts to rearrange
ment for the personal advantage and con
venience of the members of the cabinet
There was absolutely no question of prin
ciple or public jolicy involved. Not on,
of the faithful lost his job with the ex
ception of the old man who was NOR
sinned against than SHINING. There seem
to be no valid reason why Steen shoult
be thrown in favor of Blehr If it be no
an indistinct feeling that something ha
to be done to fool the people into belle
that a new era of active politics was TO b.
1naugurated. Steen has not in any par
ticular proved unfaithful to the tenets O
his party and his mental powers seem n
dimmed by age.
,.s< About MFR. Guam.
Only one new man, DR.. S. ~Ibsen wa
admitted into the sacred circle, becaus
they could not very we'll avoid takin
him, and he was placed in a subordinat
position instead Of being appointed min
lister Of state in Stockholm. That plac
went to the man of the strongest will an
the greatest aggressiveness, Mr.. Guam
the man whom one of the conselvativ
papers calls 1.-The incarnate Representative
Of political brutality II anything, tn
position as Norwegian minister of stat
in Stockholm requires urbanity, tact an
refinement in the Incumbent Mr. Quar-
has for many years been prominent al
ways one of the foremost Of those poll
ticians who have won fame and power b
fomenting clerical trouble between Swe
den and Norway. He has been unsparin
in his denunciations against the king an
the union. His language has occasionall
been of such a character that 1t has bee
said that in any. other monarchy, a ma
uttering it would have been put unde
lock and key. His chief aim seems t
have been to advance Mr.. Guam, politi
cally and financially, and in this line h
has been eminently successful. His sec
ond aim appears to have been to weake
the union between the two countries b
sowing suspicion and dissension betwee
the two united nations. In this destruc
tive work he has also met with larg
measure Of success. He is man of un