Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-06-17

The conditions of royalty are assumed to be
provocative of life as long as nature will per-
init. Especially Is this true OF career like
that OF Louis Of Bavaria, whose thoughts were
wholly occupied with devices OF self-indul-
gsnee, and upon whom the cares of govern.
ment rested without appreciable weight. The
news of the suicide OF such q man, therefore,
brings with il q shock, for it reverses all the
popular notions Of the pleasure of wearing Q
crown.
A noteworthy circumstance in connection
with the few royal suicides noted in history Is
the fact that the world has no positive means
OF determining whether they were really
suicides or whether the theory of suicide was
advanced TO cover another crime. Cleopatra Is
represented as dying with her women about
her, but they also died, so that the testimony
on this point is weak. Marc Anthony had
only bis faithful servant with him when the
fatal blow was struck. The story goes that the
servant killed himself first, and the master
sftsrward plunged the same dagger into his own
bowels; but how we to know what
faith TO place in this tradition? The fact
that he died in his mistress arms would
justify the inference that the great Triumvir
revealed the truth in his last moments; but,
AFTER all, IL Is a mere inference. The death Of
Sardanspalus on a funeral pyre constructed by
himself Is accepted as history; but so Is the
OI
ars-apd for about as solid reasons. A very
recent instance in point is the death Of the
dsposed Sultan Abdul Aziz, who was popu-
larry supposed TO have made away with him.
self with pair Of scissors, until q political
rsvulsion at the Ottoman court put several
eminent councillors of state upon trial, and
evidence sufficient to procure conviction was
produced that they had been parties to his
taking off,
IT,. fo%<~ Al
like mystery. AS far as can be learned no one
was with him except his medical attendant,
Dr.. Gudden, who also was dead when the
bodies were found in the lake. Whether the
doctor was drowned in an effort to save the
king from suicide, or whether they Quarreled
shore and struggled into the water, or
whether the king first murdered his compan-
ion and then took his own lite, will probably
remain an open question forever.
The contest about to be begun for the pos
session OF the twenty-five thousand dollars
given by two New Jersey corporations to the
late Culver Barcalow, the legislative lobbyist,
just before his death, is likely to discover some
interesting facts concerning the uses to which
money Is put among the statesmen gathered at
Trenton. The case differs in one essential
feature from the question which vexed Albany
i've years ago, when two thousand dollars be-
longing TO somebody and ostensibly designed
to influence the vote in the Conkling-Platt
struggle tor reelection to the United States
Senate, were held by the speaker of the assem-
bly, as bailee for the claimant, If any appeared.
In that instance there was a sum of money
whose purpose was defined, but which nobody
was willing to demand. In the present Ia
stance there is a sum which Is demanded Wig
orously enough, but whose purpose nobody Is
willing to reveal. 1t may not be good policy to
encourage lobbying by securing to the heirs of
the lobbyist even his unearned receipts; but, on
the other hand, q corporation which seeks TO
buy legislation that cannot be obtained as q
matter fiustce, deserves to lose every dollar It
devotes to such an end.