New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-28

this month it has been executed In the first gen.
eral elections ever held in Austria on a univer-
/ sal suffrage basis.
! The result, now known, is precisely what must
! have been forecast and intended by the Kaiser.
| The Germans in the Reichsrath are reduced to
| an impotent minority and thus Austria, so long
/ the head Of the German world, ceases for the
! first time in It's history to be a German state.
/ Moreover, the dominance of the feudal aristoc-
! racy Is destroyed or Is transferred to the peas
antry and proletariat 1t would be difficult TO
imagine a more profound and significant reyolu-
, ton in the domestic constitution of the empire
/ undoubtedly affecting also TO large extent Its
! foreign relations No wonder that the adher-
! ents of the old regime shake their heads om-
! nousy, regard the Kaiser as having betrayed his
own order" and ask why he has done thing
! seemingly so at variance with all his traditions
and disposition.
The fact doubtless Is that the Kaiser In all
! these years has broadened and deepened into
! greater statesman than careless observers have
| supposed him to be. OF his passionate love for
| and devotion to Austria there has never been
! any question. So he has determined to signallze
! the closing years of his long reign with the
greatest possible work for the permanent good of
! his realm. We must not suppose he has not heard
! nor considered the innumerable predictions OF
! disaster and dissolution when he shall no
| longer be upon the throne or that he takes no
! care for their defeat That matter is doubtless
| of all closest to his mind and heart Conse-
Quently he has taken this extraordinary means
of preventing the threatened trouble and
of securing the integrity of his empire and
the perpetuty Of his dynasty by seeking
a basis for the throne not on outworn feu-
dial privileges, but on popular rights and the
loyal affection which will be inspired by rec
ognitiOn and safeguarding of them.
We said In commenting upon the earliest news
of the electoral results that racial rivalres had
been exchanged for partisan rivalres. That i5
quite true, and it is doubtless ominous of much
unrest until IN the process of years system
shall be evolved of two great parties, one of
which shall have a clear majority. But even be-
fore that there is much gained. 1t is immeas-
urably better to have the Reichsrath composed of
Il dozen minority parties, wrangling among
themselves but all devoted to the maintenance
Of the Austrian Empire, than to have 1t consist
Of SO many racial factions seeking to dlsmem-
Der the empire. We have said this was the
first election under universal suffrage. We may
add that the result IS the first national parlia-
ment Austria has had. Says the Vienna CORE
spondent of "The London Standard:
The impartial observer is now able to appre-
ciate the farseeinS policy OF the Emperor In
pressing for a measure of universal suffrage as
a means Of paralyzng national enmities, by
creating Austrian" parties including all
tionalties. There now hardly seems any posi-
bility OF international conflicts IN parliament.
seeing that no nationality such has any
number Of seats worth mention. 1t would al
most seem If the Rechsrath. which has
hitherto been simply cockpit for the antago-
nisms of Germans Czechs, Poles and Italians. is
likely TO become transformed in a fashion be-
yond the imagination OF year ago, and 10 be-
come a place for the discussion OF public in
terests by those sitting in It as the united rep
resentatIves Of the Austrian people. and not as
champions Of separate racial stocks.
The doing of such a work is worthy of great
sovereign and is worthy 10 be the crown of
long and distinguished reign.