Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-11-30

son and nephews of the emperor have
participated in. For instance, it is
hardly a year since one OF the arch
dukes, a nephew of the emperor, was, in
the presence Of family council, repri-
1nanded, and even received box on the
ear by the emperor, as the head of the
family, for disgracing himself and all of his
relatives by an act of astonishing brutality.
But to return to the empress. She is also
q very passionate equestrienne and huntress,
and sometimes darts Like lightning from one
part of the country to another, or spends her
time in similar pastime in England, which is
favorite retreat of hers The empress is
quite liberal with her money and, unlike her
husband, who Is q jealous Catholic, inclines
toward liberal and even free thinking opin-
ions. When some months ago the idea was
preached to erect in Germany monument
to the poet Heine, she volunteered a contribu-
ton Of, If l mistake not, $4,000 FORMS but as
Heine in his time wrote some rather remark
able things, not at all hattering to the Hohen-
zollern family, the Emperor Francis now the
ally of the German emperor, felt himself
compelled to demonstrate with the empress
for devoting her money to such u purpose
and she Withdrew her offer.
If it be asked in what regard the empress
is held by her subjects we must first remark
that to those who have not been brought up
or lived long time in nonarchical countries,
it is utterly impossible to understand the
feeling that these people have for their SOW
ereigns Their early education, prejudice,
Unborn awe before royalty, and inability to
ascertain the truth of things happening in
their own country with which their rulers
are connected, all combine to give them an
untrue conception of their rulers, which
is in almost every case in favor
of the latter. We must distinguish between
the different classes of subjects. The most
ignorant and bigoted are nearly always the
most loyal. Then there are the higher and
better educated classes who for various rea-
SONS, find it to their profit to think, or affect
to think, well Of their sovereignS Besides, it
is very dangerous thing to express in a
public place, or even before witnesses,
derogatory opinion of them, for in these
bureaucratic countries it requires very
little to construe the crime of lese-
majesty, which is one very severely
punished Thus we see that for stranger
unacquairted with the character of the peo-
PIE it is impossible to arrive at q correct
view of their regards for their rulers There
of course exists also q large class who openly,
or by insinuation, cast their reflections upon
the shady sides Of the character Of their SOW
ereigns, but they either do it only when they
are in the society Of like minded or their in
dignation or hatred gets the better Of them,
and they utter their aspersious feeling con-
scious that the state will board and clothe
them for some years to come Taken
all in ell, the average Austrian citi-
zen does not think that the Empress
Elizabeth has very arduous life, since, as be-
fore remarked, his training and education
have given him the idea that it is the natural
and divine prerogative Of sovereigns TO live
on the best Of the land and to be amenable
only to God They will excuse in their
emperor or empress things for which they
would think several years of penitentiary too
slight for an ordinary mortal
HENRY MAYER