Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-28
SUFFRAGE DEMANDED
Remarkable Demonstration
in Vienna Today.
PARLIAMENT OPENED
zoe, 900 MEMBERS OF ORGANIZED
LABOR PARADE STREETS.
Nearly Every Store in the City Closed
Red Flags and Banners
Bearing Inscriptions.
PARLIAMENT OPENED

Vienna was treated to a remarkable dem
onstration by organized labor today. when
100000 workmen paraded the streets and
passed the parliament building. where the
session was opened today The Austrian
body is called upon to decide the question
of universal suffrage and the nations atti-
tude toward Hungary.
VIENNA, November 28-The Austrian
parliament opened today one Of the most
important sessions In it's history, as it will
have to decide the questions of suffrage and
the nations attitude toward Hungary, and
as the members took their seats monster
popular procession, variously estimated to
number from one hundred thousand to two
hundred thousand workmen, was filing past
the parliament building In silent, orderly,
impressive array, thus voicing their uni
versal demand for equal and universal suf
TRACE. Disorders had been freely predicted
for today. Practically every store in the
city was closed and the iron shutters were
down. The authorities had strong forces
OF police cavalry and infantry ready to
maintain order. but the day has up to the
present time passed quietly.
The demonstrators were forbidden by
their leaders to cheer, sing or shout, and
ooeyed orders strictly, but their demand
was emphasized as hour after hour tens of
tnousands marched past the parliament
puiiolngs with red flags and banners bear
ing Inscriptions tmperatively demanding
equal, direct and universal suffrage. EN-
peror Francis Joseph spent the day at the
vienna palace, from the windows of which
ne could witness the silent defiling of his
people. Premier Baron Gautch Won Frank
enthurn meanwhile was laying before the
deputies the governments bill providing
for equal suffrage.
How Voters Are Classified.
Every Austrian male over twenty four
years of age has a vote, but the voters are
divided into five classes and the votes cast
by certain classes notably the landed pro-
prletors. various chambers of commerce and
urban dwellers. are infinitely more effective
in securing the election of a DEPUTY than
the votes cast by the ordinary people to
the extent even that sometimes q dozen
land owners votes count as much as 300 :
oOo votes cast by the ordinary people The
result OF this system Is that the wealthy
classes can secure parliamentary protec-
ton and fayoritism at the expense of the
masses. Consequently the masses are de-
manding in no uncertain tones the abolition
of all suffrage privileges enjoyed at their
expense. The movement applies only to
Austria
Suffrage In Hungary is provided for by
the recent Fejervary-Kristoffy program, and
the opposition of the united coalition party
in Hungary to this program because 1t
does not grant the use of Hungarian words
of command in the Hungarian section of
the army today stands alone between the
Hungarians and the enjoyment of suffrage.
The Fear in Austria.
There is much fear in Austria that the
new suffrage may deprive the German
claimant in Austria of &c ha15
litical leadership In national affairs On
this basis there is reason to believe that
the suffrage bill will be bitterly attacked
by the German deputies who constitute
FOG members out of a total of 425. The
Germans are followed by the Czechs with
eighty-seven members. The government
bill, however. while abolishing the ex-
listing suffrage privileges, provides a
clear system for determining the num-
Der Of deputies returnable by the va
rious provinces on the basis of the num-
Der OF inhabitants in each province and
the total amount of taxation paid in each
province, by which the Germans will still
have 2o2 members and the Czechs o.
Under this new system the number of
Polish, Italian, Croatian Roumanian and
German deputies will be diminished,
while the Czechs, Ruthenians and Sla-
vonians will be augmented
Some 100000 representatives of organ
the parliament buildings today, and pa
raded the streets of the capital in support
Of their demand for the election of mem
bers Of the retchsrath by universal, equal
and direct suffrage.
Demonstration Of Social Democrats.
The demonstration was under the aus
pices Of the social democrats. Most Of the
factories and many Of the shops and offices
were closed. The procession mustered on
karlplatz and, headed by banners, marched
to the parliament buildings, where a depu-
tation presented a petition for universal
suffrage to the premier and presidents of
both houses. The presidents were sympa-
tnetic. They said they recognized that the
foremost duty Of the legislature was to u.s.
ten to the cry for an extension of the sus-
frage which was reaching parliament from
all classes of society. At the same time
they pointed out the difficulties Of dealing
with so far reaching a reform In the pecul-
lar political and national conditions existing
in Austria and declared that 1t would only
be accomplished when parliament could
meet TRANQUILITY without being swayed by
outside influences.
The premier, Baron Gautch Won Franken-
thurn, promised soon to lay the intentions
of the government in detail before the low
er house He said he was firmly convinced
that tranquility and order were the best