The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-03-22
QUEEN VICTORIA.

From the point Of view Of IN Amer
can republican it has long been u myS-
terry that modern England should find
anything to grow enthusiastic over in
the personality of the harmless old lady
who charges il something like SlO, ,OOO, =
900 year for the privilege OF having
herself and relatives occupy its royal
palaces, and sit in productive.
power-shorn idlsnesS. upon an obsolss'
cent throne Just why. upon the merits
of the case. the 200 pounds Of common
humanity whom we call Queen Vic
toria, and who is surpassed III intellect,
kindness, achievements and personal
beauty by uncountsd thousands Of her
own so-called subjects should com.
mand the absurd reverence with which
her name is invested in the greatest
nation of modern times, our own posi-.
bly, excepted, the average democrat is
utterly at loss to imagine; unless, in
deed, il be due TO the mere momentum
Of long -practiced habit and to the ira
ditious Of a monarchy that was iudi'
putsbly glorious in its Gay and gensr-
alton.
The exquisite ludicrousness Of this
whole serio-comic royalistic farce in
which a queen, robbed of power, pre-.
tends yet to exercise God-grantel su-
thority; and in which q woman is rep.
resented as the elimination of femi-
nine grsces who, 10 real fact, Is about
as awkward, puffy and shambling q
specimen Of good-uatured feminine
humanity as one could anywhere find,
mas been latsly heightened by the di
vrrtiug snachrolism with which the
queen, by the grace Of God, of Great
Britain and Ireland and empress Of
l1diS' sought TO convey a suub to
William Ewart Gladstons. Since tas
dav when the CAD fly trisd TO annihil-
ate tie OK by glance. there has been
witnessed no more curious distortion
Of prsrogative, no more touching mis-
comprehension of proportions, than
was shown in Nictoria's stuffed neg
lect to express regret for the resigua-
ton Of the commoner who sor sixty
continuous years had shed upon Eng.
lish politics, English scholarship, Eng
lish bellies lettres and English theology
a lustrs beside which the combined ef-
fulgencs of all the Guelphs from fat
faced old George Of Hanover down to
the PRESENT ruler and the worthless
heir presumptive, would be less than
rush light beside blazing planet
This querulous simper Of queenly
dislike has been very properly treated
with entire indifference by both Mr..
Gladstone and his friends. The good
will of monarch who could fairly
slobber praises over such a peer as Lord
Salisbury, than whom England has
never had more thoroughly disliked
premier, would be too clearly davoid Of
discrimination to add one iota to Mr.
Gladstone's renown, Just as her ill will
is of too infinite unimportance to de-
tract from it in the slightest. But the
incident suffiCss to remind Americans
anew Of the supreme disproportions that
exist under form of government il
which the greaJest statesman. scholar
and sage in the English speaking world
is nominally under subsection to. and
must take sights from, stout-faced
old woman who has never, during all
her life, done so much as the hint Of a
real service to the public, thought so
much as the suggestion Of a great
thought for the benefit Of posterity OF
achieved, in any direction, anything
more consequential than the drawing
of a phenomenal list Of salaries, pen
sions and emolumsnts with unhlsg!ng z
punctuality and dispatch