People's Pilot, Volume 2, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 April 1893 — BELGIANS WIN THE DAY. [ARTICLE]

BELGIANS WIN THE DAY.

Manhood Suffrage Granted—The Chamber of Representatives Compelled to Grant the Demands of the Desperate and Downtrodden Workingmen. Brussels, April 19.—The people have won their desperate fight for universal suffrage. Several lives have been sacrificed and the country is still in a condition of riot, but it is hoped further bloodshed will be avoided. The greatest enthusiasm was displayed everywhere and the people joined in a jubilee in honor of the great triumph which they had achieved. The chamber of deputies, by a vote of 119 to 12, adopted universal suffrage, with a provision for plural voting by the classes owning property, according to the amount ajud situation of the property. Cheers within the chamber were followed by prodigious acclamations from the enormous crowd that waited the result of the voting outside the chamber. Disturbances occurred in several places during the night, but there was no concerted attempt to rebel against the king. The movement was directed entirely against the chamber of deputies and the ministers who opposed the workingmen’s demands for the right to vote when they reach legal age, without any property qualification whatever. The king is in favor of a wide extension of the suffrage. It is expected that the decision in favor of universal suffrage will have an allaying effect upon the popular excitement and agitation, which had been rapidly assuming the dimensions of a general insurrection. The dread of a terrible uprising of the people similar to that of the French revolution in its resistless rage against privilege and power had the effect of bringing the chamber of representatives around to the popular side. There is no doubt in many minds that had the chamber not acted promptly there would have been a revolution in Brussels. In view of the action of the deputies, the labor leaders resolved at a meeting held Tuesday evening to advise the abandonment of the general strike. At the same time they decided to issue to the people a manifesto against the Nyssen bill, which proposes the combination of plural voting and universal suffrage. The leaders will urge the people to follow up their victory by agitating unceasingly for universal suffrage pure and simple. Police and workingmen had several encounters yesterday and six rioters have been seriously injured. Nevertheless, the end of the riots is believed to be near. The decision of the labor leaders to abandon the strike has produced a general feeling of relief. The most serious disturbance occurred at Bourgerhout, where the troops called upon a mob to disperse. Their demand was not obeyed and the soldiers charged upon the crowd with fixed bayonets. Four strikers were killed and fifteen others received more or less serious injuries by bayonet thrusts.