Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-02-02


Wo hays divers stories about the sud.
- Aoaah cf tbe Archdukc Rudolph. Tho
nsk stassmsnt that he died Of apoplexy
~ admitted to have been made out Of the
Whols cloth. The second story, that he
oo0nitted suicide, b probably equally
f1a1A The third tax, that he was shot By an
1aiure1 husband, ,hss about II the greatest
'oae & probability, and We may belisve IL
- - about the truth. II is not likely
80 ~ heir 70 the Austrian throne
uouM slay himself, to accommodate an In
o1rUn husband, who gave him his choice
botWesn suicide and . duel. 1t is not q
1ikely choice for the heir to An empire to
have presented for his consideration and
3 would have been in order for Rudolph to
have any such troublesome fellow locked
up for his impotence.
or course IL the crown prince had been
] ot unsound mind he might have been
oilly enough to shoot himself with
out any reason at all; but then
e would not bs necessary to In
troducs . woman into the case to &C.
count for the tragedy. We have always
understood that Rudolph was q particu-
lArly bright and dashing prince. There
doubtless is insanity in his family, and
I epilepsy that leads to It; but he was
neither Insane nor epileptic. He was very
gay Lothario and only thirty years old.
Most men have not reached years OF dis.
crstion and wisdom at that age and
Rudolph was busily sowing his wild oats.
After . while he would possibly have be-
come Q good man and would have died
IN the fullness Of years, pillar Of the
church. Men are apt to become
pious with age; perhaps because they be.
como sensible, or perhaps because they
get scared. Rudolph at thirty was not
thinking Of futurity, but Of his friends
wife and his friends wife doubtless sh d
him and thereby IL he was an Austrian
Was hardly patriot; because Rudolph's
!. Life seems to have been necessary for thu
preservation Of the empire. 1t fall
apart at the death Of the emperor, who's
remaining child, q daughter cannot ascend
1ts throne, but will take that Of Hungary
away from Austria. There does no
. seem to be any promising successor to thu
Austrian throne TO be found amoni
the royal family. Epilepsy sorel!
afalcts the nephew who is the proba
BE successor Of the emperor;
disease long prevalent In the Hapsbur
house.
The public is being reminded jus
now BY the newspapers of the physica
and mental weakness Of the Euro
! pean royal houses, which is charge
20 their long inter.marriage. Doubt
leU the inter. marriage OF relative
afflicted with constitutional diseas
5 u very destructive to their families
but 20 would be the inter marriage o
families afflicted with like diseases
whether related or not. 1t does nc
seem to be the relation that is Injurious
but the intensifying of inherited weak
I nesses. Whatever the cause, 1t seems t
I be the fact that the royal familie
Of Europe are not in good phys
cial condition. They will proba
bly, last as long as they al
wanted, which perhaps will not be YER
y long the tendency Of the age being towar
democracy. England's government
really democratic, and Its royal. hou'
but an expensive ornament, whic
the nation will hardly pay for much loI
ger. France is out Of the royalty bus
ness, and seems bound to always hove
between democracy and a popular dicts
tor. Germany, after Bismarck, may be an
thing; aud the Russia czarship will 500
60 begging, il the place does not gro
pleasanter to fill, as the years pass on.