The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-11-24
/ STRANGE IMBROGLIO.
Premier Estrup's Contempt for the
VIII Of the Danish People.


denmark
The late resignation OF Jacob Estrup,
prime minister of Denmark, brings to
a close one of the longest and most
| curious political struggles OF the pres
ent century says the San Francisco
Call To understand it it is necessary
to go back nearly thirty years. In 1866 |
the present constitution of Denmark |
was approved by the monarch. Under
it the executive power was lodged IN
the hands of the king and the iegis,
lative power in those OF the diet, con-
sisting Of the landsthing and the
folkesthing. Under this constitution,
in 1875, Jacob Estrup became prime |
minister Five years afterward the |
king and his ministry resolved to un-
} dertake system of Notifications which
were to cost large sum OF money and
to involve heavy taxation. The folkes-
thing-which corresponds to our house
of esentatives-refused to assent
: to the project, and took that oppor-
J tunity of insisting on its right to initi-
) ate financial measures and to require
Z the resignation of ministry which
: could not command it's support. Both
demands were negatived by the king.
t He claimed the right of choosing his
= ministers without regard to the wishes
e of the folkesthing, and he insisted on
;, framing budget to suit himself.
e Estrup haughtily refused to resign
IL office.
ID The dispute ended in a compromise
IS by which the king yielded everything
Id except the right to choose his minis
he try. But in 1881 the quarrel broke out
in afresh with increased virulenee. -Four
g. times the monarch dissolved the folkes-
in thing, but at each election the lib
Sc erals gained strength. In 1883 vote
or of want of confidence in Estrup was
ut passed by large majority, and the
er supplies were reduced to minimum
it before they were voted. Estrup wen'
in on administering the government al
tt though there was no such body as ths
he follesthing in existence. The king ut
at terly repudiated the idea that the peo
er pie could dictate his choice of a minis
ar try, and in retaliation the popular as
or sembly threw out every measure whicl
OF Estrup proposed.
IL The agitation gained strength until
1t in 1885, the follSesthing absolutely re
ac- fused to vote the budget, and left th
ld- obnoxious Estrup ministry withou
nix means to carry on the government
,he The king retorted by dissolving tn
: is diet. Thus freed from popular intel
yer ference he and his ministers prolnu
ur- gated a royal law embodying list {
aDpropriations and empow ering th
ministry to collect taxes and make a
necessary expenditures for the condue
of government. In other words tn
ted constitution was suspended. This al
normal condition of affairs has gone O
ace ever since. The king and his minister
ind frame a provisional budget. which
her approved by the landsthing, or houi
the of lords, and is rejected by the follSe
: in thing. 1t is nevertheless put in
red force, the taxes are collected and u
ED government is carried on The po
om- ular house protests, but it has new
sex, seen its way to enforce its protests
ON an appeal to arms. Whenever COZ
ner promise has been proposed the XII
is has insisted that it should embrace
the bill of indemnity for the unconstit
is tional acts of the past eight years, al
1t is the leaders of the popular party ha
,uld always refused to surrender th'
,nes right of impeaching the usurping mi
1uld listers.
ONE The protracted existence of this GU
fea- GUS anomaly has been due to varie
IS it, causes. In the first place there is
ut one in Denmark who can compare
e Ell energy and persistency with Jae
they Estrup He is like a rock agall
very which popular clamor dashes its
ated with idle spray. He is not to be NOV
hree by threats or argument. What he
ctic- resolved upon has got to be. And he
lum- backed up by a house of lords
year. landsthing-which merely exists
S fe- register his desires. King Christian
hem well-meaning, honest man of
,hese Bourbon type. He believes he kno
omas what is wisest for Denmark far bet
d at than the people do. In political
these fairs he is like Charles III. of E
man land and Charles X. of France rol
,elief into one. Personally he is deligh,
fetal man, genial, kindly, familiar with
omen ters and art and admired by all '
1 as come into contact with him. He Is
r, far father of large family; one OF
dents sons is king of Greece, one OF
sdical daughters is empress of Russia,
another princess of Wales. 1t l
safely be assumed that the leaders
the follSesthing were notified W
TOOK they fell out with his majesty that
iro.i fore proceeding to extremitles t
at his ~ ,,at+ar consider whether Enrl
gov and Russia might not feel impelle'
: has family ties to take hand in the
J years troversy. Now at last Estrup ha
ich is s;or,d ava a rev minister viii 2
his by at,,, ~, d;snosed 70 seek his own
us ~ fort by composing his differences
II tor the people of Denmark.
ar he ----
5 also A valuable Manuscript.
e time A hitherto unknown work of Mai