The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-08-25
Liberals Get New Ammunition.

benefits from the Norwegian referen-
dunn In the first place, they point out
that the conservatives, by demanding
a mandate from the people Of Norway,
practically admit that in the people
rests the ultimate power, they "a argue
chamber, who steadily oppose all re-,
forms in the electoral system and all
extensions Of suffrage in Sweden. have
stultifed themselves by demanding
plebiscite in Norway. They add that,
when the franchise question comes up
in the not distant future, it will be
well to remember that, according to
the first chamber, the surest way to
ascertain the nation 8 will is by pie
biscite and not by the opinions Of a
legislative assembly elected by less
than per cent Of the people. ....,, -
Debate Over the Loan.
The only point in the committees re.
port over which there was any discus
sion was that proposing that the riks-
dag authorize the treasury to. float d
loan of hundred million kronor. The
whole tenor of the report was so peace
full that the liberals could not see, the
necessity Of this warlike addendum.
fensive' to Norwegian pride, But
meant anything, that Sweden was pre-,
pared to meet an eventual refusal Of its
terms by Norway with strong measures:
The peace party scented danger in the
loan proposal and there was signif-
cant debate in the second chamber on
this point: Hjalmar Branting, the
able and clever leader Of the socialists,
raised the cry of warning and opposed
the loan. Per Person in Torneryd,
vice talman Of the chamber, and leader,
of the peasant party replied that
everyone wanted peace and nothing but
peace, but as Norway, had hoated a
loan of 40,O00,000 kronor, 1t was no
more than necessary precautlon for
Sweden to be prepared. :,..-= T.
Young Liberal, Leader Speaks.
Then Karl staaff,, the young and
brilliant leader of the liberals, arose
and quieted the fears of his colleagues.
He is a prominent lawyer Of this city
and has served niEe years in the riks-
dag, where he has risen rapidly to the
leadership. To him principally is due
the sunanimity of the riksdag in adopt
ing the report, loan and all. - He point
ed out that while the riksdag would
necessarily have to trust the incoming
!. government-w had not then been
named-with the money<tu be voted,
that had to- be done every day with
every: government. However, danger
from that source was most remote, since
the riksdag had expressly and emphatic
ally declared that it desired only, a
peaceful settlement. Then he made
this significant statements: = a.;
"Should coming government SO
abuse the confidence Of the riksdag,
| that it gives other advice to him who
has to decide in this matter, (the ,king(
4 VIII dor a nh
advice will not be followed. a.: -
L This was equivalent to assurance
from tthe liberal leader that King Oscar
would never consent to war-a declara-
/ ton which, you may remember, / set
down in this correspondence some. Three
weeks ago. -, ':ss% , .<.::.@.y>g :"
! "conscience Of the Riksdag.''
After Mr.. Staff came the grand old
and f N5 ee %dopR a Hail. me whose ee
quence has often stirred. the riksdag tc
action, but whose warnings have, alas
too often, been ignored by his col
leagues. Mr.. Hedin as the father. OF
the chamber occupies the first seat. HI
is little and old and. bent. The raw
ages of rheumatism have twisted his
form and put the mark Of pain on hi
noble face. The evening. Of life is de
scending upon him, and it was will
hushed expectancy that, the chamber
what was to be the last :speech-the
swan song-of the great leader who 1hat
!, been aptly called "the conscience Of thu
riksdag.o - y o. -"
Herr Hedin's Warnings. =
If there be one in the Swedish
parliament who can lay his hand on hi
L e., e
: that we are come to this sad end 9
the union,' it is Adolph Hedin. H
foresaw what would happen long be
fore anyone else in Sweden. He ha
: looked into the future and forewarne,
his colleagues, of the consequences O.
the false steps they were taking. H
has tried to find ways out Of the grow
ing difficulties. But he has not bee
listened to: In the early eighties. h
posing a program, which was adopte
in. its entirety ten years later by til
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES it was too late
i He. has stood alone, this great parlis
mentarian whose eloquence has neve
g been equaled in the history of the riks
3 dag and whose speeches, if he had bee
a citizen of a large, country, woul
0 world. "A severer and yet more JUS
t critic the government has never had t
face, safer guardian of the people
rights never sat in parliament, a grea1
), er and truer patriot few countries ca
boast Of.
Swan Song Of the Parliamentarian.
l. AS he stood there, bent with age an
= sickness, his once mighty voice onl
S now and then with painful difficult
rising above the conversational, b
; made at once a pathetic and an eli
e, quent figure. His opening words he'll
in them the pathos Of the ages: g
will use this opportunity to say my las
words in this chamber And then /
Il launched into a denunciation Of. tt
loan, as not in consonance with tt
II peaceful purport of the report. If
J loan was to be foated 1T should I
"a ordered directly by the riksdag as
2 nothing else; The worst Of it was,
=. said, that this money was to 20 int
= the hands of-pe1sons yet unnamed. f
! should not give his vote to it, even
y he stood alone. If parliament wou
ll ~ MY take. proper measures and not i
.s wife trouble by such<a loan, peace wou
reign in the north. And he hoped f
Il something more than mere peace, f
~ he was firm in the belief that the
;e. two8 nations were bound by the ve1
e. ma ure of their position to defend eat
other. There had been much talk of
=, defensive alliance, but such an ALLAN
Z must be founded on a joint declaratiit
Of permanent neutrality. Under su,