The sun., 1891-06-11
Tho Prince OF Wales.

According to the Evening Post, and hence
Of course. according to the Ne,r York Tines
the Prince OF WALES will suffer dangerously
In English public opinion because 1t has now
been proved legally that he plays baccarat.
"The conservative portion Of the English
public, and especially the Monochrome
ists." said the Evening Post OH Tuesday
evening, "havo long been pained by the
rumors which have been afloat about the
Princes ways Of passing his leisure hours. "
and now they are shamcd" by yincontestable
evidence that 1.-The heir to the English
throne" gambles. "The serious middle
classes In England" remarked the Times on
Wednesday morning, "have doubtless heard
Of and privately deplored for years the
Mght-mindedness Of the heir to tho throne.
but now that it has been exhibited In court
they feel bound to deplore 1t publicly"
1t will be seen that the agreement between
the two Mugwump journals Is complete and
remarkable. extending even to tho form of
its literary expression. They both think
that the gambling Of the Prince OF WALES.
which before was privately deplored." will
now be deplored publicly. and that this pub
lie lamentation will hurt him badly. Yet
everybody has known all along that
he gambled. Englishmen generally gamble
including even many OF the I" serious middle
classes" They bet on horse races, and
they play whist for stakes in pious middle
class households. The Prince Of WALEs's
horse won victory at the Doncaster races
during tho very time the baccarat party
joiced over his triumph. II, therefore, the
conservative portion OF the English public"
"deplore publicly" the continuance Of his
gambling at Mr.. WILSON'S house. they will
only exhibit their hypocrisy publicly.
Tho Prince himself does not seem to have
been "pained and shamed" by what he did.
He made no secret OF 1t. as Sir WILLIAM Cor
DON CUNNING probably supposed he would
insist upon doing, by preventing the legal
proceedings. He stood up like man and ac-
knowledged his share In the game. II he had
tried to get out OF the scrape by the sacrifice
oftruth and the obligations OF friendship he
would have deserved to suffer in public es-
timation. He would have had good reason
to be ashamed OF himself. But as he did not
dodge his duty. he must command the pub
lie respect, and he has preserved his self.
respect.
Hence there is nothing to justify this shall
low and hypocritical talk about the Princes
having suffered irreparabie damage from the
baccarat case. He has rather commended
himself to the public as square and plucky
man. and that Is the sort of man the peo-
pie like. He Is ready to bear the conse-
quences OF his acts and he does not pre-
tend to be Puritan when really he
likes to gamble as much as the run OF
Englishmen. He has shown that his detes-
tation OF cheating at cards Is greater than
his anxiety to escape public criticism; and
thereby he disarms the criticism, and even
turns 1t into deserved laudatlon OF his man.
illness. We doubt not that to-day the Prince
OF WALES ia more popular man in Eng
land than he was before the trial. The
lamentations OF few Baptists OF Car
narvon and Methodlsts OF Swansea do
not express the general sentiment. Prob
ably they do not even express the hon
est sentiment Of those who uttered them.
Deep down in their hearts they Join with
the rest OF Englishmen In admring him the
more for having braved the ordeal. Even
Sir WILLIAM GORDON CUNNING was cheered
by the crowd for the cool audacity with which
he faced his accusers and for the nerve with
which he went down to social death.
The Prince of WALES has come out OF tho
baccarat trial unsoathed and stronger than
ever, for he showed himself a brave,
straightforward. and an honorable man.