The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-06-03
BY Hugo Vailentln.

Il Stockholm, May 19.-Even the worst
enemies Of the first chamber could not
have wished them to commit a greater
blunder than when on May "A they
threw out the moderate bill for the ex-
tension of the franchise which the
ment AMONG. the $50 senator's only
eighteen could be found who believed
that the only way to solve this vital
question Of Swedish political life was
! to accept the franchise proposal Of Mr..
a and Willie iS F1 profes sar s' to ka1s the
wish to give an extended franchise to
the people, voted for a system of pro-
aportional representation moved by one
Of their own party, which for It's only
aim had to consolidate SlS sas t the powe. of
ready to say thai. they did not trust
the majority of the nation, and that
they found that the power ought to
rest where 1t was.
]: One would have thought that this
Feeling that disturbances would have
J: followed, but that was not the case.
The capital was as quiet as on any
ordinary day. The streets did not pre-
sent any unusual appearance, and the
crowds outside the house Of parliament
aid not. amount to more than perhaps
/ emit sightseers.
l. Trouble Was Expected.
/ And yet those in power seemed to
have expected something else, If one
should Judge from the elaborate prep
arations they had made to uphold law
and order DER The The guards IN the soy
the house Of parliament were strongly
reinforced, and in both places cavalry
q was CHARTERED. On the river lay. four
ironclads ready to land strong forces of
blueiackets, and inside Of the house Of
parliament about $50 police were in
hiding. while the. chief Of the detective
force was parading the police outside
the house Of parliament with his mer
ready at hand.
In the second chamber the result was
2 foregone conclusion, i.e., majority
for the government proposal. The
only matter for speculation was the size
ginning Of the debate, Which took pract
at the same time as in the first chamber
about 120 out Of the 230 members il
sembly expressed their adherence, tt
the government proposal, by. standing
up in their places after one Of the lead
ing members in the liberal party ant
the leader of the social democratic
party had, in short speeches, said tina
they, were going to vote for the govern
debate had continued the whole Of tina
day up to midnight and the whole o
the next day for the same amount O
time, division was taken showing
clear majority Of forty votes for tn
government.
: The practical result Of this was o
course, only kind Of a vote Of cor
fdence in the government and the ad
iherence to It's franchise proposal, as tn
first chamber had already thrown on
the bill thus making It IT,, impossible s.SsIb IT.
those Of the members who already be
fore had given expression to how! the
were going to vote, partly to emphasiz
the necessity Of passing this bill, an
to refute the arguments Of the othe
speeches were those Of, MI. Brantin!
the leader Of the social democrati
party, and Of the, prime. minister hin,
self. Mr.. Branting, who was loudl
,cheered even by those who do not b.
long to his party, gave expression to
idea which created q certain sensation
der insisted that the Norwegian peopl
must speak for or against the dissol,
referendum. Might not that whic
was good! for the Norwegian people ais
pe goCd enough TOT the S"ed1sn
tain the will of the Swedish people. {
regards the franchise thru refe
endum7' H."
ttE- Prime Minister Emphatic
Il The prime minister. who had opene
chamber, came at the close in the Sc
Sond. His speech ended in declar
lEtion Of war against the stubborn senat
He expressed the hope that perha7
still the first chamber would come
its senses! (meaning,. Of course, thu
new. elections bringing back. a stro1
majority for the government in the sc
skond chamber, the first chamber wou
give way when the bill was broug
lin again next year,, but If that W
not the case "then it must be seen vi
crown with the classes, or the CROW
with the masses.'
This expression, which created tt
deepest sensation, was, of course, mea
to imply that the cabinet intended
stake it's existence upon the crown b
against the first chamber, i. e., that
meant the king would dissolve parli
sment and thru new general electio
make the nation give voice to it's wish
in this vital question.
If the king, who returned from lo1
stay in the south Of Europe toda
5ahould listen to the advice Of those
his surrounding whose sympathies a
mot with the present government al
refuse to dissolve parliament, then t
government would resign and leave t
with. the classes against the masses.
the moment am writing this It Is on
o matter Of guessWork what the XII
win. do. At the railway station IL