Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-06-14
A SINGULAR SITUATION IN A KING.
DOM.

the REcoRD-UNIoN touching Danish
politics, we are asked why it is that SC
| good King as Christian is not popular
and why in monarchy SO peaceful, and
generally successful, there is manifest a
| democratic spirit?
So far as the latter question is concerned
it may be said that there is no better
reason to be advanced for the development
of the democratic spirit anywhere, or in
any time, than that man by nature is free,
| and seeks sooner of later to be his own
master The aspiration is Unborn, and
circumstances only serve to repress or to
stimulate it to manifestation. In Den
mark the King has been at issue with his
parliament from the hour OF his accession
to- the throne If any one has an idea
that the Danish people are so mild tenn
pered and easy going that government Of
them is a mere pasttime, a grievous error
is entertained, and no one is better quail
fed than King Christian to disabuse one
of the idea. In fact, the spirit of dem
ocracy has had some resting place in the
Danish character from time immemorial
The present King, good man is he is, how
ever, is of the most ultra purple. He has
no faith in or respect for republican insti.
tutions, and he submits to representative
forms simply because he cannot help him.
self. 1t is not surprising, therefore, that
he does not let slip any opportunity to
snub the representative branch of the Gov
eminent.
For many years the King has had as his
premier and confidential adviser man af.
ter his own heart, but one far wiser, and
who is an accomplished statesman, Herr
Estrup. He is a fearless man, and snaps
his fingers at those who threaten him. He
has more than once been doomed, if we are
to believe the stories of enmity against
him, but he laughs at plots and pursues
his aristocratic course. His energy,
evolved from diminutive and sickly
frame, is something wonderful, but his big
brain is absolutely tireless; his enemies
are allowed no sleep, they must be con.
stantly alert, to match Estrnp.
In Denmark the Crown would enlarge
the military equipment, augment royal
privileges, and thus indirectly narrow
popular rights and belittle representation;
but the Crown must have the consent OF
the legislative body to increase the budget,
and when the lower house, or Folkething,
refuses its consent, and the houses cannot
agree, the King has the power to dissolve
the Parliament, or Rigsdag. In that event
he can, by edict, accomplish that for which
the Folkething refused its consent. This
governmental popularity enables the
King and the Folkething to keep up a
running duel, and as that body has in it
sufficient courage and democratic senti.
ment to act upon measures negatively to
annoy the crown it is easy to understand
why the two parties keep each other in
not water continually.
But outside of the political discord in
which he is involved King Christian is
beloved. His personal life is pure, his in
tegrity is unimpeachable, he is devoted
father and an irreproachable husband
His wife is brilliant woman, far-seeing,
and model queen. She is his elder, but
retains much of the vigor of youth and the
grace Of young womanhood. She is a
noble mother, and her household is a
model for the royalty of all Europe. She
abhors idleness, and all her daughters
know how to discharge all housewifely
duties and to do well and thoroughly all
housewifely labor. The Princess Of Wales
is, perhaps, the most accomplished of the
daughters. The King and Queen have
thirty-three grandchildren and it is said
that with not one of them have they ever
had cross word. 1t is stated that at
Fredensborg, not far from Elsinore, the
King and Queen sometimes have about
them the Crown Prince Frederick, their
son, and his family; the King of Greece,
their son, and his household the Duchess
OF Cumberland, their daughter, and her
household; the Empress of Russia, their
daughter, with the Emperor, also the
Princess of Wales and her husband and
their children, and that the entire group,
with a host of small children besides, can
be seen about the village shopping, or rid
ing, or wandering through the parks and
lanes, for the families are believers in
plenty of vigorous exercise, and delight to
throw aside care and enjoy themselves in
rural fashion.
While, therefore, the Danes quarrel
with their King, they esteem him highly
as man, and as for his wife, the Queen,
they fairly worship her. As for the
Kings Cabinet, it is heartily hated by the
liberal or free-thinking element. which is
forever eonspiring to cause it trouble. On
its part, the Cabinet represents the Kings
dislike for republican sentiment, and the
enlargement of the power Of the people,