The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1912-07-23
CAUSE OF me BEL GAN Rlors

schools and suffrage have been
leading questions in Belgian p0li-
ties for seventy years. The riots of
today are but the elimination OF a
history IN which the discussion of
these twir issaes Is ppnermost.
Ministried have risen and fallen on
them, soldiers have i61ght for
them: tHe workers. have struck on
account 81 them
Belgium onir e lty years old.
II was in $500 nat II separated
from Holland and wo years later
Is independenee Was rscoGnneil
BY convention ST tho powerss II
was decreed 10 be neutral territory.
II holds the Distinction Of hcing the
most deusely populated country of
Europe. .,...
To understand the present dis
turbanees one big fact must he
kept in mind The workingman IN
Belgium has NUT one vote and the
property holding and educated
classes two or three In other
words, every Belgian of certain
age has vote, If he owns taxable
property he has two. If in addition,
he has a university education or be-
longs to learned profession, he
has three That is why clerical
minority is able TO run the school
system along ecclesiastical lines in
defiance of an industrial majority
that wishes the schools secularized.
That is why popular riots follow
what seems on the face like fair
and square election hu, which
really represents only the Will OF
the favored few.
Light on the situation is gained
by remembering that Belgium is a
nation divided in race. The fertile
west country Flanders. is inhabited
by the Flemngs. who speak a Ian
guage, kin to the Dutch and who
generally are Roman Catholics.
They are peaceful agriculturists,
slow going, somewhat phleglnatic
and strongly conservative. The
rocky west is peopled by the Wal
looms. speaking a French dialect and
anti-clerical in their sympathies.
They are fiery Celts. and like the
Celtic-1rish, impetuous and radical
Their platform is zone man. one
vote nnd compulsory education.
The disorders have their base in
Walloon territory, being most acute
in the Liege basin where metal
works and collieries dominate. ana
at Charlerio noted for its iron
works The workers believe they
have been cheated in the recent
elections. by the fact that most of
the Clericals. in which the Flemish
element predominates. have two and
three voters. The riots are the
logical sequel.
In 1912, ten years after Belgium
became a nation. the issue arose
a law. passed by the party
then in power making religious in
struction in schools compulsory In
1878 the Liberals went to the other
extreme. II 1893 general strike,
lueled by the military, resulted
rom a discussion of the question.
Last year the Clerical majority in
pushed law which in
lirectly required the local govern
nents. corresponding to our states,
o subsidize the Catholic schools.
The king interviewed and the min
stry resigned in a huff. The new
government forced the issue at the
,olls and won its Endorsement from
he conservative classes.
The Belgian disorders are part OF
he worldwide movement for de-
nocracy a national skirmish in the
war of the unprlyileg
ID many against the favored few
The racial and religious questions |
involved are subordinate to the
issue Of straight man
Lood sumr- .--oL property or |