The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-12-16

f1atten them out into one level mass
of Germans.
His misfortunes abroad corrected
his mistakes at home. As he learned
that he could not win battles with dis
affected subjects, he became a more
liberal monarch. He not only re-
stored the Austrian Constitution, but
he also, granted universal suffrage to
the people Of Austria. After 10 years
in fruitless struggle with Hungary.
he went to Budapest, where he waved
his sword to the east and the west,
the north and the south, in the old
fashion of that kingdom, took his
oath on it's Constitution and at last
received the crown of St. Stephen.
Instead Of persisting in his ORR
ginal purpose to Germanize the alien
races under him, he gave the Poles,
the Czechs and the Croats schools of
their own and covered his currency
with the languages of his polyglot
Empire. For 60 years, his chief Min
isterial adviser has seldom been an
Austrian or German.
Although he did not bring his En-
pire abreast of the more western and
more progressive Nations. he gave his
sanction to many liberal laws that his
grandfather and Metternich had jail
ed men for proposing to them. When
he came to the throne he found Aus
tria and her associates land of feu-
DIAL estates and trade guilds. He
leaves it without a vestige Of feudal-
ism remaining; the tiller Of the soil
freed from vassalage and noble and
peasant equal in the courts. where he
abolished privilege Of class and tor
ture; threw all trials open to the pub
lie and established the right Of ap-
peal And under him the Jew found
emancipation, with fairer field than
in almost any other country beyond
the Rhine.
Perhaps Francis Joseph should not
be called an enlightened ruler. But
at least he was the next best to that
a sovereign willing to profit by his
mistakes. He virtually said to his
people, ''Ir you don't like my prin-
ciples, I will change them" After
ALL a Hapsburg really has no inter-
est in a principles; he is looking out
only for the principal.
AS the Emperor convinced all varie-
ties Of his subjects that he had no
favorites among them. he became the
hope of every race and the trusted ar
bitter between the jealous Nationali-
ties. The Bohemians, the Poles, the
Creates and the rest preferred his i'm
partial rule to being ruled by one an
other. And his familiar gray coat
became the common flag of all. "Only
let Franz Josef get on his horse"
said Bismarck, after he had been try
ing in vain to seduce the Magyars in
to the Prussian camp, land all Of
them will follow him anywhere
Capitalizing His Errors
Such a strange rule shows us how
sweet may be the uses of adversely.
The Emperor's domestic misfortunes
aside, he appears to have capitalized
his errors and converted his liabili-
ties into assets. All the sings and
arrows that outrageous fortune aim
ed at his crown were frugally gathered
up by him to stock his own arsenal
Losing all the wars of his reign, he
yet left his Empire wider than he
found it.
Even the croIning catastrophe
which he brought down upon his
white head, when he issued the Ser
bian ultimatum that started this aw-
full war, may have been the means of
saving his throne for his heir In and
out Of the Empire people long had
feared that his going might be the
signal for a rebellion and that the
crown Of the Hapsburgs might be
buried with him. But the tolling be 1
Of the old mauso1eum church is
drowned in the din of the great strife,
md people can hardly turn to look
lfter him as he passes out.
He came in a storm and he goes in
r.
j lent for the transfer Of the scepter