New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-24
HUEGARTs IMPENDING RETOLUTToN

The kingdom Of Hungary presents the inter
| esung spectacle Of country marching through
apsoIunsm to democracy, and finding In abso-
Iut1Sm the means Of attaining democracy. That is
the meaning Of the reappointment Of the Feier-
vary Ministry. It is notorious that that Min
1stry does not command the support or the con-
fidence of the majority Of Parliament which.
under the constitution, should be essential to its
continued existence. But then neither would
any Ministry acceptable to Parliament have the
confidence of the King. Out Of that dilemma
the King finds way by reappointing a Min
tsty acceptable to himself but not to Parlia-
ment and then, in order to avoid votes Of lack
Of confidence and perhaps impeachment Of the
Ministry, he prorOgues Parliament for couple
Of months. during which time much may hap
pen. It IS undeniably an exercise Of absolutism
no less marked than that of King William and
Count Bismarck in Prussia in 1862, when Par
lament was arbitrarily put out Of business ses-
sion after session in order that the Man of Blood
and Iron might govern the country in a way
which Parliament would not sanction
The next important move seems likely to be
an appeal to the country in a general election
in which the government will shrewdly force
the issue Of universal suffrage. The Magyar
leaders Of the Opposition are almost a unit
against such extension of the suffrage fearing
| 1t would increase the electoral strength Of the
non-Magyar elements Of population and deprive
the Magyars Of the absolute ascendency which
they have long enjoyed. But If the government
proposes such a measure the Opposition will be
put into an awkward dilemma. If It rejects the
proposal it viii be assuming an unpopular att-
tude and resisting the liberal progress and popu-
lar rule TO which It processes to be devoted;
while II it accepts the proposal it may compass
It's own defeat at the polls The battle cry of
universal suffrage would be formidable one in
the campaign which would greatly enhance the
popularity Of the King and his Ministers, and
would bring odium upon those who opposed II.
Precisely what would be the effect Of uni
versal suffrage politically is a question involved
in much doubt Count TisZa has been declar-
ing 1t would make the Magyars politically sub
ordinate to the other races Of that composite
klngdom-races which the Magyars regard as
their interiors. Mr.. Kristoffy, the Minister Of
the Interior, argues that such would not be the
case, but that the Magyar vote would actually
be strengthened and would comprise 81 per
cent Of the whole, instead Of only 562 as Mt
present. What is certain is that for many years
the Magyars have been growing in strength I'M
Ill they now form a clear majority of the total
! population. Thus between 1891 and 1901 the
Magyars rose from 465S to 81 38 per cent, while
all others declined the Germans from 1851 to
| 1913 the Slovaks from 1349 to IL SS. the Ru-
manians from 17.4s to 1862 and the Croatians,
| ServiaDg and other minor races I'm Ike proper
| ton. In such circumstances the cry that
Magyar predominance is threatened nv univer-
| sal suffrage would seem TO ring hollow. How
| far from universal the suffrage now ia NAV be
| seen from the census. In 1901 the popuIatfOn
was 10 1854, 600, and the number of electors 1va 8
only 989.ooe. The proportion OF electors to the