Willmar tribune., 1908-05-06
DENMARK.

After a five-year parliamentary
struggle the Danish folketing passed
law introducing general suffrage in
local oaatters. The government is
pleased with the result, while the op-
ponents among the Septists and the
Rightists are very noisy, and the So
cialists threaten to, kill the whole
measure at the next general elec-
tions. The new law grants the voting
franchise even to women and SER
wants in purely local affairs. The
county (amt) boards are to be elected
partly according to the old method,
partly by modified general suffrage.
The new law has whetted the appe-
tites of the Democratic elements, and
the Conservatives will be pestered as
badly as ever.
FINLAND.
The czar dissolved the Finnish diet
on the ground that its conduct in cen
surfing the senate, which acts as Fin
lands cabinet, was "inadmissible" and
insulting" The dissolution forms al
most an exact parallel with the dis
solutions of the first two dumas, and
is proof that Nicholas II. is deter
mined on policy of ruthless re-
action. The dissolved diet contained
40 per cent of Socialists, who, by cas-
lily formed alliances, always main
tanned a majority. Its measures up to
the date Of dissolution were exclu-
sively democratic and progressive. It
had passed a drastic law prohibiting
all liquor traffic. But it had no con.
troll over the actions of the senate,
the members of which are appointed
by the czar as an executive council.
The senate showed subserviency to
Russia, especially on the question of
Russian political fugitives who sought
refuge In Finland. The diet there
upon passed vote of censure on the
senate. AS the senate is not constitu-
tionally responsible to the diet this
censure was merely an expression of
opinion. But the cZar seized upon
the opportunity to submit the ques-
.,
knowing that they would recommend
reactionary measures, and upon their
recommendation he dissolved the diet.
The new Finnish elections will take
place in June, and as the election law
remains unchanged the new diet will
be at least as socialistic as the old.
Probably it will be more socialistic
as a protest against the cars action,
and in particular against his dismissal
of Gen. Gerhardt, the former moderate
governor general. The Firms realize
that death struggle with Russia has
again begun. They are asking what
Russia will do when she sees her.
self again faced with an uncompromis-
ingly democratic diet. The answer is
that the diet will again be dissolved
and every one expects that the car
will again violate his oath, and, as
he did with the duma, promulgate a
new electoral law for Finland on class
lines, which will insure a conservative
diet. A favorite project of the Rus
sian>reactionaries is to detach from
Finland and annex to Russia the i'm
portant frontier province of Vyborg.
The argument used is that Vyborg
already contains a large Russian pop
ulation, and that it's proximity to St.
Petersburg makes it source of dan
ger to the empire. Thousands of St.
Petersburg citizens have summer VII
las in Vyborg, where they live under
the free Finnish government; and
such is the hatred of Russians for
their own government that the threat
to annex Vyborg led to the construc-
tion of new villas in Vyborg falling
off this year by over 60 per cent.
SWEDEN.
King Gustaf has insured himself in