Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-07-04
A Dinner in Paris Of Representatives
Ofa Bakers Dozen Of Popular
Governments.
PeSsimistic View of Republican Insti
tutiOnS by an English Newspaper
Devoted to Monarchial Ideas.
1t Sees in the Whole American CONT
nent but Five Bright Spots, and
Two of These Are Monarchies.
London Telegraph.


unlucky, and if the old superstition were
true one of them would die within the
course of the year. Perchsnce to evade
this destiny the thirteen hosts called in
the members of the French government
and other distinguished persons as guests
The oldest republic extant, Switzerland,
was also represented at the board. L.
was thus in way gathering of the re-
publics of the world, and the meaning of
the festiyity was the more remarkable
| through the notable absence OF nearly
all the ministers of the monarchies of
the earth. To show that there was no ill
feeling these gentlemen were invited;
but on being hidden they all, as if with
Ole consent, began to make excuse.
Some simply declined; others referred
home for instructions, and were instructed
to stay away; a few were absent on leave.
The Italian ambassador was profuse in
his regrets. The absence of the Span
lsh minister was natural, and considering
that the queen is an Austrian princess.
Russia was not likely to patronize re-
publlcanism on the soil where sovereign
was put to death. 1t may excite some
surprise That America should possess SO
many repablics, while Europe should
have only two-ip Switzerland and in
France. The mystery, however, is ex-
planned when we remember the origin of
all the American states except Brazil.
They are all former colonies emancipated
through war from the control of European
states. The United States are our revolt
ed children; the rest belonged to Spain.
The mother cour tries from which they
broke off were monarchial, hence natur
al aversion to that form of government.
The difficulty, also, of founding a new dy
nasty Is obvious in an age not prone to
reverence. Iturbide failed in Mexico, SO
did Macmillan, his successor, AND the
one man power of Francia in Paraguay
ended with his death. The republic there
fore is the inevitable refuge of peo pies en-
dOwed newly with the powers of self-gov-
eminent. The divinity that doth hedge
king" or the res poet paid to hereditary
peers, can not be manufactured at will
and we see in Canada, Australia, and
South Africa the tendency of practically
independent states toward the essence if
not the forms of republican administra-
tiOns. One can not transplant old trees,
and an institution SO antique as monar-
chy can not be made to grow in new soil
under the force light of modern criti-
cism. Brazil, as we have said, is the one
exception. When Napoleon overran
Portugal the house of Braganzs crossed
the Atlantic and was received with open
arms by loyal oolonists. In 1916 the
colony was made a kingdom, and in 1922
the son of the restored king of Portugal
was elected emperor. His son is the Dom
Pedro of today.
Yet, although America has thirteen re-
publics or more, and although that form
of government is, as we have said, ipev-I
liable i'll new land occupied by revolt9d
subjects estranged from monarchy
through successful Insurrection, it is still
a question whether the republican syetem
has worked well upon the new continen
M exioo was one of the republics repre-
sented Saturday, and it's history has
hitherto been melancholy record of in
solvency, anarchy, and revolution. 1t
has deposed SOM rulers by revolt, others
by assassination; it has elevated general
after general to the supreme
post; it has repudiated its
depths and compelled despairing
creditors to accept 4 or 5 shillings in the
pound; it has wasted magnificent Inheri-
tance of territory and mineral wealth.
OF late years it seems to have turned
over new leaf, and the Mexicaus now
show signs of s'some reverence for the
laws themselves have made" and some
respect for financial obligations. Thus
after sixty or seventy years of republl-
can anarchy Mexico is settling down; but
her history is not proof that liberation
from disorder is panacea for all iIls.
Peru has been a republic for about an
equal period, but her present financial
condition is not proof Of political sue
cess. She owes over thirty million, main
ly to English creditors, to whom she has
paid NO interest since since 1876. Her
history is story of turbulapce and civil
strife, iculminating in a mad war with
Chill ten years ago, when she lost her
feet and her guano islands, the main
security for her creditors. She also had
to cede the province of Tarapaca, the
center of the nitrates which have caused
''boom" on our stock exchange. An
other American people had a different
fate. The provinces that now form the
Argentine republic had up to 1853 many
civil wars; now they form a peaceful,
prosperous and progressive group
of states, with BueDos Ayres as
their capital, their debts punctually
paid, their trade increasing, emf
grants pouring in, and their mag nifcent
territory more and more developed every
year. Colombia is interesting because
it includes the Isthmus of Panama. It
passed through the internal strife, which,
with young republics, seems a kind of
political measles and is now practically
settled down-not, however, to such an
extent as TO suggest an honorable settle |
ment with its foreign creditors. BOLIVIA, |
g smaller state, has had more anarchy
and has shown equal unpunctuali.y in the
payment of her debts. Paraguay has
had a still more melancholy history in q
series of senseless civil broils and insane |
foreign expeditions. Other and smaller |
STAKES are not worth enumeration; but q |
break in the monotonous story of these |
colonies from from Spain is seen in the |
recent progress OF Chill, which punetual |
~ pays It's debfs, has increased It's terri |
tory and trade, and has beaten back
with vigor the wanton aggression of
Peru. The general moral of the history |
of these counties is the futility of repub- |
lican institutions to secure IN themselves |
order, prosperity, or progress. When |
Canning Scaled the new world into exis- |
tence to redress the balances of the old"
the belief of enthusiastic liberals in Eu-
rope was that people might revolt |
against tyrant kings, but would |
never rise ia instruction against |
duly elected presidents of their own |
choice. In Mexico and other American |
republics this growing prophecy has been |
singularIy nulliied. Revolt after revolt |
has followed election after election. |
Revolutions, civil wars, reputation of
debt, insolvency, anarchy, have been the |
melancholy incidents of republicanism |
in the peu coutinent aspecialIv in the /