New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-11
HUHGARrs SIDE OF THE CASE.

The impassioned pronunciamento which has
been put forth by a number Of representative
and estimable Hungarians in this city would be
more convincing if it were more temperate. II
is in g measure discredited by its own initial
expression OF opinion TO the effect that The
Tribune and other leading American news
papers have lent themselves 70 q well planned,
deep laid scheme Of Austrian ellssaries TO
"hoodwink the American people" But despite
that utterance, equally offensive and prepOster-
GUS. there are some things II this statement of
the Hungarian side of the controversy between
the Nagyars and their King which merit serious
consideration
Hungary, we are told. is q Magyar country,
and before the year 1913 there was no Ques-
ton OF any nationalitieS' -; and ii IS argued
that all the non-Aiagyars in the kingdom should
be compelled 10 Magyarize themselves just rs
aliens coming TO America are expected 70 Amer
icsnize themselves Now, the fact Is that it was
not until 1915 that Pennsylvania was fOrcibly
incorporated into Hungary and the use Of the
Hungarian language was imposed upon it and
Il was about the same time that Croatia, which
had long been held as a subject province by
Hungary. found an opportunity TO assert itself
and regain some Of the rights OF which Hungary
had deprived it-Just as Austria once tried TO
deprive Hungary Of rights 1t must be remem-
bered, indeed, that Hungarian oppression Of
Croatia was the origin of the whole present
trouble In 1888 the Hungarian government tried
TO compel Croatia to abandon its own native
tongue and use the alien language Of the Mag
vars Against this the Croatians rebelled, and
war between the two countries arose. The King
interviewed IN behalf Of the Croatians and that
incident led straight 10 the Hungarian reyolu.
ton Of 1S49 and the subsequent controversies
with Austria The attempt to draw analogy
between Hungary and the United States is not
successful 1t is one thing TO require aliens who
come hither voluntarily TO adapt themselves TO
our institutions and TO recognize English as the
official language. II is quite another thing for
! the Mayars 70 Insist upon the extension of their
| language to alien lands which they have con-
| quered and annexed The United States IS not
requiring the Porto Rlcans and the EinpinOs to
| abandon their native languages in favor of
| English
Nor is the suffrage question 70 be dismissed as
lightly as these Hungarian memorialists seem
/ TO think The Magyars form only about one
half the population Of Hungary proper and less
| than one-half the entire kingdom Yet they
| have generally elected more than nine-tenths of
| the Table Of Deputes-the popular branch OF
| the OrsZaggyules, or Parliament. That has
! been effected by means Of oral voting, in which
the voter is required to speak Hungarian, and
/ some other restrictions upon the suffrage, and
/
| The present demand, with which the King Is
identified, is that there shall be truly universal
| and equal suffrage, 50 that the vote of a nom
| Magyar shall count just the same as that of a
| Magyar@just as the vote of an Hungarian immi-
| grant here counts for as much as that Of a de-
| scendant Of the Pilgrim Fathers. With that
| proposed reform we must sympathize, and to
that extent must agree with the King Of Hun
gary rather than with the Magyar leaders. 1t
Is 10 be noted that the Emperor Of Austria ap-
proves similar reform IN that country, al
| though its adoption VIII put the Germans in the
| minority and give control of the imperial Par
! lament TO the Slavic tribes, and it seems as
sured that the reform viii there be enacted at
an early date. II will be we'll 10 have the same
done In Hungary, even though the Magyar ma
| 9ority be imperilled Americans have no I'll will
toward the Magyars. They retain TO this day
much Of the sympathy with them which was So
amply manifested IN Louis Kossuths time But
they are not blind 20 the facts of history. They
recall that Hungary has strangely wavered be-
tTesn progress and conservation It's first quar-
rel with It's Hapssurg kings. after two and a