The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-05-13
NORWAY.

again oHe Ot the most interesting
characters Of modern Norway-a man
who, however, is less known among
the younger N~orwegians on both sides
OF the Atlantic than among the older
ones AS it seems certain that Mar
Gus Thrane will live in Norwegian his
tory and that his life will be studied
with increasing interest, | therefore
believe that the following sketch of
Marcus Thrane. written by an Eau
Claire, Wis, correspondent, Is both
timely and interesting:
A monument is oon to be erected
In Christiania, Norway, in honor Of a
man whose name is a household word
In every laborer's and peasants home
in that country, whose picture hangs
in almost every home, whose body lies
IN an obscure grave in Lakeview
cemetery in Eau Claire, and whose
life history is hardly known among
the N~orwegians in this land. or even
In this city. where he made his home
for many years. The man to whom
this memorial is to be erected was the
late Marcus Moeller Thrane, the first
to organize w~orkingmen's associations
in Norway, and who died in Eau
Claire in 1890 at the home OF his son.,
ticing medicine here.
Several movements have been
started in Norway to erect a monu-
ment to the memory of Marcus
Thrane, but in each instance they
were halted by the extraordinary pro-
vision in the old Viking patriots will
prohibiting any such tribute. Even
his grave in Lakeview cemetery in
this city bears no tombstone, simply
a big fiat iron slab lying over the
grave. News from Christiania indi-
Gates that the Norwegian people are
going to set up a memorial in spite
of the mandate in the will.
Marcus Moeller Thrane was born in
1917 in Christiania. Norway. His
father encountered reverses, and Mar
Gus was thrown upon his resources.
At the age Of twenty he visited Ger
many, France and Switzerland, sup
porting himself by playing the violin.
In his travels he learned German and
French. Returning to Norway he en-
tered the University Of Christiania.
from which he was graduated in 1S41,
marrying soon after his graduation.
He then became a school teacher and
taught in several cities and towns in
Norway.
In 1S48, the era OF great revolution
AIRY movements in Europe, Thrane be-
came an editor. and made It the most
radical publication in Norway in the
advocacy of the principles Of govern
ment by the people, including univer-
sal suffrage. His advanced ideas.
however, lost him his position, and
from that moment he gave up his life
to the organization of the working
men Of Norway. This was the first
movement Of It's kind In Norway. Be-
fore the end Of 184S he had estab-
Kshed the first w~orkingmen's organi-
cations in Norway. He travelled
through the country, gave lectures
and rallied the w~orkingmen to the
standards OF the association. At
Christiania he established a working
mems newspaper, which gained a wide
circulation.
Thrane thus wove together over
$1,000 workingmen. He caused dele
gates to be chosen for national meet
ings where political platforms were
enunciated. Among the planks pro-
posed by the workingmen's party
were:
Opposition to a protective tariff.
Universal suffrage.
Regulation Of the country's labor
conditions.
Betterment Of public schools.
The foregoing planks. not consid-
cred radical in these days, were so
considered then. All have since been
adopted in Norway, although there
has been a return to the old tariff
system.
In the discussion of the demands Of
the platform many OF the aborers
were taken with the idea OF threaten
ing revolution, but Thrane opposed
this, and consistently spoke against
the use Of force. But early m sum-
mer morning he and some hundred OF
the leaders under him were arrested
bv order Of the government, a com
mission to investigate being created.
Thrane was thrown into prison for
four wears. At the end of that time
he was sentenced to four more years,
notwithstanding the fact that he was
not and could not be convicted of any
crime. The words of the judgment
were simply that he was the originator
Of the movement. The arrest n I'M
nrisonment of Thrane and the other
leaders was a crushing blow to the
movement. and when he emerged from
prison there had been a reaction, n
his cause seemed lost.
The papers in Sundvall report a
slight earthquake shock in hat vicin-
ity a few days ago. The shock con
timed for two minutes, and IN some
places did some damage to buildings
Owing to difficulties with Director
Ranft of the Ropal opera house OF
Stockholm over a score OF the com
nanv have thrown up their positions.
THE result Is that the theater-going
nuhlic have missed some OF their "a
vorites, and the latter part of the sea-
son has been rather unsatisfactory.