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Injustice of the government against the Roumanians.

By the violation of the laws, by the false interpretation given to them, by all kinds of ministerial orders, the Roumanian finds himself almost entirely excluded from public life.

In the municipalities, the supremacy of the Magyars has been established, by the support given to privileged persons.

Half of the municipal committees are composed of those who pay the highest taxes directly to the State, and the contributions of privileged persons are counted as double:[1] the other half of the members only are elected.

As a rule those who pay the highest taxes are all magyarized Armenians and Jews, and the privileged persons are recruited from among the champions of the magyarizing State.

As to those who are elected, every possible means is taken by the government to prevent a Roumanian from being returned. Who would dare to support an independent Roumanian, to expose himself to being treated as an agitator, a Daco-Roumanian? We have written this word independent with intention, for the notaries, the guardians of orphans, and the mayors are all ready to do the will of their superiors, that being the only way of keeping the office they hold.

This is how it happens that in purely Roumanian circles, Magyar representatives or persons devoted to the Magyars, are almost exclusively elected in the municipalities.

When, in spite of all the despotism and all the injustice we succeed in electing a few Roumanian members, we have still to combat the verification committees[2] also composed of hostile elements.

Out of hundreds of similar cases, let us cite a-few to prove what we affirm. In the electoral circle of Masca[3] where there are 200 Roumanian electors and one single Magyar, there were elected 9 Roumanians the 19^th of November 1887. The verification committee in conformity with the wish and express order of the supreme count, informed him that the elections were illegal. At the new elections the Roumanians again obtained the majority of the votes; fresh difficulties were put in the way, until at length the Roumanians disgusted with the injustice done to them, preferred to take no part whatever in the elections.

And that these abuses may be still more evident, the supreme counts assume the right, by the passing of a simple county law, to enlarge the circles in such an arbitrary manner, that it is almost impossible for the Roumanian electors to take part in the elections. It is in this way that purely Roumanian electoral circles are annexed to other electoral circles at a distance of from 25 to 40 kilometers.[4]

When it is a question of crushing us, every thing is brought into play, from the supreme count, to the pretor and his instruments; the notaries and mayors are all leagued together to exterminate us. And if the despotism of these satraps, and small tyrants is not sufficient, oh! then the unfortunate Olah must be made to submit by force — by the police who are always at the service of the government. The Roumanian people could enumerate sinister truths on the subject of the brutalities, tyrannical acts, and persecutions they have endured in this country, that the young men of Buda-Pesth with so much impudence call the depositary and the buckler of liberty!

It must not be imagined that protests, petitions or appeals do anything to change this state of things; — we may consider it as an established truth that they never effect any real result.

The county council being thus constituted, its natural president, the supreme count, definitively appoints the most important officials of the municipality.[5] It is not necessary to say that amongst those chosen, no Roumanian who cares about his nationality is to be found. The rest of the municipal officials are elected by the county council at the proposal of the committee of the candidates,[6] which is composed in such a manner that the supreme count, who is the president, and his partisans are in the majority.

From what we have shown so far, it is easily seen what ill-will the Magyar students show, and what perfidy they use when they try to make the world believe that it only depends on the Roumanian candidate to obtain the confidence of his electors. There where everything is in the hands of the Supreme Count, where everything is done according to his caprice, there can be no question of winning the confidence of the electors,

But let the facts speak for themselves.

In 1877 a renewal of the municipal officials was to take place[7] a commission of three Roumanians of distinction presented themselves to the Supreme Count, of the county of Bistrita-Naseud, to beg him to present some Roumanians as candidates for the post, as the Roumanians formed there an absolute majority. To the shame of the Magyar liberalism, which the students of Pesth defend with so much ardour, the Supreme Count replied that the Magyar public opinion did not admit officials of Roumanian nationality in the government posts, and more especially in posts in which they would be in contact with the people!

What the count said is the pure and simple truth,

Out of three fourths of the officials nominated, we scarcely find one Roumanian and then only in the inferior posts.

When we consider of what elements the committee of the candidates which presides at the election of the officials is composed one can understand that whatever may be his rights, however many years he may have served, however upright his character may be, every Roumanian is put on one side.

It is in this way that, at the election of the viscount of the county of Fagaras, which took place on the 14^th October 1891, the Roumanian who applied for this post, was not even accepted as a. candidate. Sic volo, sic jubeo.

A commune is organized in almost the same way as a county.

The petty tyrants try to rival each other in patriotic merit.

In order to gain favour with the all powerful count, and to be regarded by him as men of energy, who know how to keep down the Olah, they commit such violent deeds of injustice and oppression that one might imagine himself back again in the middle ages.

Those who have gained some distinction by abuses committed in office, those who have made it a point of merit not to fulfill their duty, those whose places in other states would be in prison are the persons whom their superiors protect and consider.

In the commune the same order is given: A Roumanian cannot be a government official.

The communal committee is composed in the same manner as the municipal committee, not according to right, but according to might.

The president of the electoral assembly is the supreme pretor,[8] it is he who has the right to present the candidate.[9] This is how the pretor fulfils this obligation:

In the purely Roumanian circle of Simaud,[10] a competition for the post of doctor is announced, with the express condition that the candidates should know the Roumanian language; four applied for the post, one Magyar, two Jews and one Roumanian. The latter, although having a diploma from the University of Vienna is excluded from the list of candidates by the supreme pretof,in an arbitrary manner, under pretext that the discretional law gives him that right.

The post was given to a Magyar of the puszta of Hungary[11] who had never seen a Roumanian in his life, much less did he speak their language.

The electors appeal to the committee of administration[12] who reject their demand[13]; they then apply to the Home minister who ratifies the election.[14]

In the purely Roumanian commune of Sustarovet,[15] two candidates applied for the post of doctor a Jew and a Roumanian.

The electors of the commune unanimously wished to elect the Roumanian, but the supreme pretor refused to present him as a candidate, and as the Jew could not obtain a single vote, the election was adjourned.

At a second competition, the people employed every means to elect the Roumanian, but without result.

When a third election was proclaimed, the Roumanian candidate asked the supreme pretor to respect the will of the electors, representing to him what evils might result to the people if this post of doctor remained vacant simply through a whim. The pretor, instead of presenting him as candidate grows angry and punishes him with a fine of 100 florins.[16]

They acted in the same manner at the election of a doctor in the purely Roumanian commune of Toracul-Mare, and of Toracul-Mic, where out of the five candidates who presented themselves, the Roumanian candidate was excluded in an arbitrary manner, and a Jew, holding magyarizing views was elected, thanks to two official votes, those of two notaries.

And if a Roumanian doctor succeeds in being elected, he always loses his position on some ridiculous pretext or other. This happened to the Roumanian doctor of the hospital of Bahia-de-bris,[17] who was deprived of his office because ... the elections of 1881, he had not voted tor the Magyar candidate. Since then Jewish Hungarian doctors have successively filled this post, not one of them understanding the language of the people in these purely Roumanian countries.

And so the most salutary of humanitary institutions is placed at the entire disposal of the odious Hungarian fanaticism. A Roumanian is not allowed to take care of his health! For what else is it when the Roumanian doctors are not allowed to practise in the midst of the Roumanian people?

Who can suppose that a doctor who is ignorant of the habits, the customs, the manner of living and thinking of his patient, and who above all cannot make himself understood by him, can conscientiously do his duty? It is no question here of political struggles, it is a question of exterminating our race! Besides did not a Magyar procurator announce even from the tribune, that we must perish, if needs be by force.

It is in the same revolting manner that the elections of the mayors and notaries take place.

In the spring of 1891, three Roumanians and three Magyars applied for the post of notary at Zarand.[18] The pretor refused to present any of the Roumanians and a Magyar was forced upon the people.[19] The same year a new notary was to be elected at Halmage, a purely Roumanian circle;— the pretor refused the four Roumanian candidates, and forced on the circle a Magyar.[20] The Roumanian notary of Banesti[21] was obliged to resign, so that in the elections held the 26^th May 1891 they might, by refusing the Roumanian applicants, elect a Magyar. The same thing took place in the notarial circle of Suciul-de-sus,[22] although there were several Roumanian candidates, the pretor only presented his favourite, a Magyar, who was declared to be elected, although he had only obtained one vote! Soon after the post again becoming vacant, by order of the count, another Magyar was nominated by the Supreme Pretor, in September 1800, and that, without any new election taking place; it is easy to be seen then that these elections are a mere irony! At Christior, at Buces, and at Brads[23] also, only Magyars are presented for the post of notary.

It is hardly necessary to repeat that the Roumanian candidates are deprived even of the means of protesting. And if even they did, the only result would be to take away from them all future hope ot obtaining a post no matter how insignificant. Should a Jew open a public house or a Magyar set up as a cobbler in a purely Roumanian commune, it is certain that one of the two will be elected or more properly speaking will be nominated mayor.

If a Roumanian mayor is not liked by the administration, there is always ready at hand a man who will obey the slightest wish of the Magyar governors: an accusation, no matter what is made by such or such a Magyar proprietor of the commune, and the poor mayor wakes up one fine morning to find himself involved in some disciplinary lawsuit, and even when he cannot be convicted of any fault, he is discharged on the pretext that he does not know the Magyar language.[24]

The end is attained.

The Magyar or magyarizing mayors can never arrive at committing such enormities as to be forced to resign. They steal, they alienate the property of the communes and yet it is these same communes that must keep them in their posts.

Against the express letter of the law, these mayors are allowed to open public houses and when the tax payer comes to pay his taxes, the publican mayor begins by first taking what he considers due to him for his adulterated drinks.

A lasting shame which even in the future will be a proof of the fanatic rage of the Magyars, was the order[25] worthy of the Asiatics, of Count Banffy, to hold a disciplinary inquest on all mayors who could not speak or write Magyar.

The result of which was that a number of mayors in the Roumanian communes were dismissed and punished with fines varying from 5o to 100 florins. A short time before this order was given, several of them had been threatened with a fine of 106 florins if they did not accept the post of mayor of the commune.[26] This happened to the mayors of Babeni,[27] Urisor,[28] etc.

On the one side the mayors are punished because they do not know Hungarian and on the other because they refuse to accept the post of mayor!

Now we can judge how much our Magyar fellow-students really love the truth, when they maintain that the Magyars and the Roumanians live as well as the other inhabitants of Hungary under the protection of the same laws. For the Roumanian there are no laws anywhere; he is treated as a pariah in the country of his forefathers.

And may we be allowed to-day when we are excluded by force from the administration, to show what they are who have taken our places.

Here are a few examples:

The Home Secretary places at the head of the administration as Supreme Counts, ignorant men, tyrants full of pretensions, and above all fanatics. Like master, like man. And these men are nominated by their masters, and chosen according to their fancy.

The Magyar students tell us that under the absolutism of Bach, there were no Magyars among the officials, and that consequently no official could understand the wants of the Magyar people who mocked at them, calling them « Bach's hussars». We ask: are the officials among us to-day anything else than a Magyar edition of Bach's hussars?

When honest people complain of the abuses, negligences and caprices of these officials, they only meet with the most profound indifference amongst those whose duty it is to remedy this evil.

To give an example, the supreme pretor of Baia-de-Cris[29] having committed many abuses and unlawful acts, it was demanded that a disciplinary inquest should be held and that he should be suspended. But neither the committee of administration nor the Home Secretary[30] thought proper to take this request into consideration.

On account of the many abuses that the judge of Baia-de-Cris had committed, a request was made to the minister of justice that he should be brought to trial.[31]

Amongst the principal accusations brought against him was that of negligence in his duty and of ignorance of the laws. In this way the judge punished a Roumanian lawyer with a fine of 100 florins, whereas the council of lawyers[32] alone is competent in such cases. Another time, in a trial without appeal he granted to one of the parties concerned 20% of back interest, whereas the law forbids him to allow more than 6%,[33] and the other side was condemned to a years imprisonment and fines amounting to 200 florins;[34] the minister however refused to provoke a disciplinary inquest against the said judge.[35]

In the pretorian circles of Ighiul and of Vintul de jos[36] they admit as supreme pretors individuals who have barely an elementary instruction. Even during the latter years they tenaciously kept in the pretorian circle of Campeni[37] an ex-copyist of the tribunal of Alba-Julia, deprived of his office on account of his incapacity. This individual became in the end quite a scourge to the people whom for so many years he had oppressed. Nemesis however cut short the thread of his life, if not, he would still be occupying his office, so much he was beloved by his superiors for his brutality.

It is not astonishing that such persons in whose hands are confided the life and goods of the citizens, can in 2 or 3 years at the most, amass a large fortune and keep both horses and carriages.

The notaries belong to the same category of individuals. The Roumanian communes are in possession of mayors, who are such vagabonds that every man -who respects himself should avoid their company.

In this manner in the purely Roumanian commune of Suciul-de-Sus, they impose a Magyar, who on account of his excesses, had nowhere been able to create for himself an honorable existence. After many illicit acts, instead of being revoked, he was nominated in the circle of Rogna where he continues his malpractices.

After the transfer of this vagrant, a swindler was appointed to fill the vacant place, who during 8 months of administration robbed the poor Roumanian communes of the sum of 2000 florins. This is not a simple affirmation made by us, but facts proved by his own papers.[38] And it was only after it had been proved that this honorable magistrate had tampered with the public documents that he was brought to trial.

Until then, he could rob the Olahi at pleasure, strong in the protection of the Magyar governors. There, where in consequence of too many abuses the Magyar — Jewish notaries feel the ground slipping from under their feet, they know how to render themselves indispensable to their superiors, — by denouncing. In like manner the notary of Cristior[39] denounces two Roumanian priests, accusing them of having advised the people not to vote at the elections of 1884, for a Jewish deputy. Under pretext of creating disturbances, these priests are loaded with chains and taken at midnight to the town-hall. The next morning they are conducted, under a good escort to the judge of Baia-de-Cris, where they are kept in prison for a fortnight, at the end of which time, not being able to prove anything against them, they are set free. The denunciating notary, who robbed the people in an unheard of manner, is in vain accused before the committee of administration and before the tribunal; and it is only after a severe struggle that the minister consents to hold a disciplinary inquest.

The Magyar pretor himself charged the prisoner with no less than 15 delinquencies qualified as crimes. But instead of making an example of and punish him, the government authorities in consideration of the excellent cortes[40] services rendered by this individual at the elections of the deputies, in 1888, not only did not revoke him, but in accordance with the orders received from the minister, re-established him in his post!

The guardians of orphans (any other title would be much more suitable) are chosen — for it is no case of election here, — according to circumstances, from amongst the nearest relations of the nominating official, who, to give them a more suitable revenue, grants them the communal administration of the whole pretorship.

The election of the mayors offers still less difficulty. In such cases, if the pretor has his favourite, for instance, some Jewish cortes, cobbler, publican or bankrupt grocer, he convokes the council of the commune and in derision of the law, he asks of the people present: « Do you know why I have convoked you? — It is to cry: Long live so and so »! And that is how an election takes place!

In this way we are driven out of the government, beginning with the municipalities of the town and ending with the smallest hamlet.

Our candidates who are all duly qualified, are for the most part replaced by ignorant and brutal men who squander the public money, and who too often have no other title than the privilege of being the sons of ruined nobles.

Even should a Roumanian occupy a post in Hungary, he roust, il he does not wish to give up his nationality, live as a hermit, isolated from his countrymen and he is moreover forbidden to read either a Roumanian book or paper.

We cite at random some of the arbitrary acts which we have to support concerning the administration. We should require ten volumes if we registered all the violent acts which are daily and hourly committed against us ill this country.

In the administration as everywhere else the law on nationality is trodden under foot.

This law in fact established[41] that in the counties, public acts should be written in Magyar or in the language demanded by at least one fifth of the members of the committee or of the council of administration.

This is what the law requires, but the Magyars make light of it, and draw up their public acts exclusively in Magyar. The law is therefore violated just by those persons whose duty it is to see that it is respected! In this way the prime minister, whose memory unhappily we shall not easily forget, M. Coloman Tisza « the represser of the nationalities » gave orders that in the county of Bistrida-Naseud, all public acts should be written in Magyar.[42]

The law secures to each member of the county committee the right of speaking in his mother tongue.[43]

In order that the Roumanian citizen may not enjoy this very natural right, the president enjoins him to use the Magyar language, and if the former, on the strength of the law, will not accede to his demand, then our good patriots begin to make a deafening noise, shouting talking, threatening, using in fact every means to prevent the Roumanian from enjoying his right.

According to the law[44] the counties may correspond with each other in their own national tongue.[45]

But as the public acts are not written in the language of each people the correspondence in carried on in Hungarian.

The law ordains[46] that in official acts, the officials may in exceptional cases, according to the places, make use of an official language non-Magyar, but with this exception, they must employ the Hungarian language.

This is a flagrant injustice. A foreign language is forced upon the counties with non Magyar populations; and as to the exceptions provided for by the law, they are of no value, for all the officials are obliged to employ the Magyar language. The 6^th paragraph provides that:

The officials of the county must, in their communications with the communes committees, societies, institutions, and with private individuals employ as far as possible their respective tongues.

In reality, this is but a lie, for in all official relations with the corporations and public institutions, as well as with private persons, the correspondence is exclusively carried on in Hungarian, without at all taking into consideration whether the person addressed understand that language or not.[47] Whoever protests against this open violation of the law, is treated as a Daco-Roumanian, a traitor to his country, etc.

To attain the same end, this very same law is set at naught in the administration of the commune. Let us give a few examples of this fact.

The law on nationality states[48] that the official language in the non-Magyar communes should be that of the people residing in them. In spite of which, nearly everywhere the language of the different nationalities is banished from the administration of the communes.

The authorities of the state themselves decide this.

The viscount of the county of Arad, for example, gives order[49] that for the future all the communes should draw up their reports of the communal meetings, as well as the accounts and the budget of the commune, in Magyar. The communes protest, for answer they receive a new order[50] which obliges them to introduce at any cost the Magyar language into the communal administration. As to those mayors and communal notaries, who should oppose this brutal violation of the law, the viscount orders a disciplinary inquest[51] to be held, followed by dismissal from office as in the case of the notary of Sepreus.[52]

An appeal being made to the minister against this arbitrary act, he not only sanctions the proceedings of his subordinates but forbids them to protest further. [53]

The oft repeated assertion of the young knights of Buda-Pesth, that the non-Magyars can rise to tlie highest stations in Hungary, is a vile lie as indeed everything else is in their Reply.

He, and he only who denies his race, may with difficulty obtain government employment in Hungary. He who will not consent to conceal his origin and his national sentiments may wait in vain for his appointment

Neither the capacity, nor the industry, nor the integrity of a Roumanian has any weight, on the contrary, these very qualities, often stand in the way of his obtaining employment.

In the first place, in order to obtain employment, one must be a Magyar. Incapacity for office is of little moment compared with the fact of being a non-Magyar, and a Magyar name carries with it more weight than any diploma can do.

The Roumanian officials who have the misfortune to be employed by the Hungarian government, must magyarize their names, it they refuse to do so, they are dismissed from office. The strictest orders have been given both to the directors of the railway[54] and to the forest inspectors.

In a circular addressed by the forest inspector to his functionaries we read the following: [55]

» It is a fact much to be regretted that in no administration in Hungary are so many foreign names (!) to be found as in the staff of forest officials. »

» Desirous of remedying this stale of things on the one hand, and on the other, as your superior, acting in your interest (!) convinced moreover that from the magyarizing of your names certain benefits will accrue to you. I consider it my duty to draw your attention to what concerns your own interest and urge you to act « in a body, »[56]

I enjoin you in short to propagate this sentiment amongst your subordinates.

The way to Magyarize your name has been greatly facilitated; you have only to hand in toi the viscount, a petition with a stamp of 50 kreutzers, together with the certificate of your baptism, an account of your services, stating at the same time your birthplace, profession, and honorability. »

Cluj, December 16^th 1881.

Girsik m. p.

In presence of such a pressure being put upon them, one can understand that most of the Roumanian officials have preferred to leave the country of their own free-will and settle in Roumania, rather than support the measures taken against them by the chivalrous and liberal Magyars.

In the same manner the judicial officials are appointed. As for example, when the organization of the judicial authorities took place in 1873, a host of non-Magyar officials, although possessing the necessary qualifications were either dismissed from office or offered employments inferior to those which they had held previously. Whereas all those with Magyar names, whatever their capacity or qualifications obtained higher positions. The same thing goes on in the present day. If a Roumanian attain a high post in the magistrature, he must wait 10, 15 or 20 years for it, whereas the Magyars arrive at the same post at the end of 3 or 5 years at most.

And if in a Roumanian district a Roumanian judge is nominated, then not to endanger the Magyar state, his Magyar colleagues themselves petition the minister not to appoint him. This is what happened in 1886 in the commune of Boros-Ineu.

The government transfers the few Roumanian judges we still possess to purely Magyar districts, whilst in the countries inhabited by the Roumanians they appoint persons who do not know a word of Roumanian. By this means our masters hope the more promptly to realize the idea of a Magyar state; it is the red line which they stretch above all the branches of public life.[57]

All the institutions, all the provisions of the law which might serve the interests of the nationalities, are looked upon as a danger to the state, if they cannot turn them into a privilege for the Magyars.

The aim of our fellow students can now be understood when they affirm that every man who conscientiously fulfils his duty towards the Hungarian State, no matter to what nationality he may belong, enjoys a noble respect and a peaceful liberty.

We say the same thing when we add that he who would enjoy all these advantages must become a warm partisan of the Magyar state, in other words, he must persecute his own people, deny his national sentiments, and above all persecute the Roumanians, for then only will he pass for being a «good patriot».

The degree of patriotism or the absence of patriotism is reckoned by the Magyars according to the amount of discredit thrown upon those citizens who have not the happiness of being Magyars. The greater the discredit and contempt thrown by a man upon his own people, the greater his patriotism according to them, for in their narrow mindedness only the Magyars themselves have a right to exist in the Hungarian empire.

With them the name Magyar is synonymous with that of good patriot and that of non-Magyar with that of Daco-Roumanian, Panslavist or traitor.

Not less revolting is the lie by which the Magyar students would make the world believe that n both amongst the officials elected in the counties as well as amongst those appointed in the ministry, the Roumanians are represented in a very considerable proportion. »

Taking as a ground-work positive facts, we shall easily show how false the statements of the Magyar students are.

To dissimulate the injustice done to us, it is continually asserted, that we Roumanians have not a large enough contingent of men having studied sufficiently to enable them to occupy these public posts which we claim, in right of our three million Roumanians, and the large sacrifices of men and money that we make to the state. This is a mere excuse, as may be seen from the great number of Roumanians who follow the independent career of lawyer. Although it is very difficult to obtain this title and only at the price of great sacrifices, nevertheless the Roumanians are five times more numerous in the body of lawyers than in any of the official posts. To these considerations we must add, that a large number of intelligent Roumanians emigrate yearly, almost daily to the kingdom of Roumania, to seek there the means of existence denied them in their own country. This is what a a foreigner, M. Rodolphe Bergner[58] says in speaking of these emigrants in Roumania:

« Amongst the emigrants the Roumanians of Transylvania play an important part. Their number in the whole country may be estimated at 15,000 men at the very least; their working power is well known; but their capacity is far from being esteemed at its Hue value. From amongst them are recruited deputies, hundreds of doctors, professors, clerks and editors — All of them are people who have been forced to quit their country on account of the Magyar fanaticism, which rendered it impossible for them to live there. Their activity found no outlet beyond the Carpathians, whereas in this young kingdom their strength can be well employed. The emigration of these intelligent and valuable men becomes greater and greater, and will continue until that Magyar fanaticism, which had rendered their lives impossible arrives at a fatal abyss and loses the power of oppressing the Roumanians of Transylvania. »

From the following statistics, taken expressly and exclusively from Magyar sources,[59] it will be seen how true it is that we are represented in public life by a considerable number of officials, as those who overwhelm us with their benefits say we are.

This is what the statistics show:

LIST

showing how much the Magyars are favoured and how much the Roumanians are discredited so far as public functions are concerned.

A. Functionaries of the different counties.

B. Functionaries of the Ministers' Offices.

C. Functionaries of the Supreme Court of Justice.

From this list every one can see in what an unheard of manner the Roumanian people are taken advantage of.

They are obliged to pay heavy taxes in order that whole tribes of Magyar functionaries may live at their ease in the Roumanian districts.

Let it be here remarked that the law on nationalities states that « not only in the offices of government but also in those of the law courts and more especially to fill the office of supreme count, the government must choose from amongst the different nationalities, persons thoroughly acquainted with the tongue currently spoken by the population.»[61]

But instead of having 15 supreme counts of Roumanian nationality, we have not even one, and in the whole country there does not exist a single Roumanian viscount!

And yet the Magyar students have the audacity to quote this paragraph and to underline it!! ...