Original scientific paper
Political Association for Croats and Slovenians in Istria and Oppositional Activities of Younger Public Workers in 1903 and 1904
Željko Klaić
orcid.org/0000-0001-8976-4434
; Varaždin School of Economics, Varaždin, Croatia
Abstract
During the period of formation of political and economic organization, in September 1903, representatives of younger public workers with remarkably critical social and national consciousness sent a memorial to the national leadership. In the background of their critique was the National movement in Banal Croatia, and they were influenced by newspapers Novi list issued by Frano Susilo. These public workers were dissatisfied with the work and activities of the Political Association since they considered that the Association was not sufficiently active regarding national strivings. Moreover, they thought that the representatives of the Association do not interact with people sufficiently and consequently objected that Association does not organize public meetings. Critics proposed that Vjekoslav Spinčić, president of the Political Association, should move to Pazin and that the chief herald of Narodna stranka [Popular party] entitled Naša sloga [Our accord] should be moved to Trieste, which was tightly connected with their criticism of the editorial policy. Critics also emphasized the necessity that the leadership should overview and control municipalities and municipal chiefs, maintaining that municipal chiefs and their secretaries act arbitrarily and voluntarily towards their subjects. Moreover, they actualized questions regarding the formation and activities of the political organization of Narodna stranka, as well as the economic situation, maintaining that the Political association should support activities in the economic field. Furthermore, critics actualized questions regarding the usage of national language in liturgy, and they stressed the unjust attitude of the Church regarding these questions, assuming that the Political association was passive in this respect. One can always raise questions about the efficiency and successfulness of political, economic or cultural activities of those who had legitimacy to act within the Austrian legal system, and who during a long period, due to vigorous and long-term effort, managed to achieve certain results. Istrian national representatives, experiencing decades of national repression and negation of their lawful autonomous rights, established a modus operandi of continuous complaints to the authorities, and opposed Italian liberals who did not recognize Croatian national rights in Istria. Unfortunately, such modus sometimes did not bring results. Namely, appellations to their legitimacy within a curial system that secured prevail of rich gentry and bourgeoisie, with the Italian majority in these social strata, was an obstacle that often could not be avoided.
Keywords
Vjekoslav Spinčić; Matko Mandić; Matko Laginja; Dinko Trinajstić; ViktorCar Emin; Gian Battista Flapp; Franz Xaver Nagl; Political association for Croats and Slovenians in Istria
Hrčak ID:
219531
URI
Publication date:
23.12.2018.
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