Arizona silver belt., 1894-11-17
A STRANGE IMBRO6LIO.
Premier Estrups Contempt for the
 Win of the Danish People.
The Close Of Long and Most Curious Political ie--Characteristics of tho Bismarck of
 henmnrk

of tho Bisniarek of
 aenmnrk.
 The late resignation of Jacob Estrup, prime minister of Denmark, brings to close one of the longest and most 1rious political struggles of the pres
 f century says the san Francisco Ill To understand it it is necessary tn Ro back nearly thirty years. In 1866 thc present constitution of Denmark was approved by the monarch. Under tt Che executive power was lodged in ',e hands of the king and the legis. ,tiyc power ill those of the diet, con ,Jting of the landsthing and the ,3ll<esthing. Under this constitution, in 1865, Jacob Estrup became prime sinister Five years afterward the
 ug and his ministry resolved to un-
 take system of Qualifications which
 ere Co cost a large sun of money and
 involve heavy taxation. The follSes. thing which corresponds to our house of representatives to assent to the project and took that oppor tunitr of insisting on it's right to iuiti- ate financial measures and to require the resignation of a ministry which could not command its support Both demands were negatived by the king. tie claimed the right of choosing his ministers without regard to the wishes of the folkesthing, and he insisted on framing budget to suit himself. Estrup haughtily refused to resign office
 The dispute ended in a compromise by which the king yielded everything except the right to choose his minis try But in 1881 the quarrel broke out atresh with increased virulence, Four times the monarch dissolved the folkes- thing, but at each election the lib- erals gained strength, h lsS3 vote of want of confidence in Estrnp was passed by large majority, and the supplies were reduced to Q minimum before they were voted, Estrup went on administering the government as though there was no such body as the tolkesthiug in existence. The king ut terly repu,nated the idea that the peo- pie ccald dictate his choice of n minis ,ry, and in retaliation the popular as sembly threw out evety measure which Estrup proposed.
 The agitation gained strength until, in 1885, the folkesthing absolutely re- fused to vote the budget. and left the obnoxious Estrup ministry without means to carry on the government. The king retortcd by dissolviug the dict. Thus freed from, popular Inter F.tr,v,., b, and bf. yy,;,,s.t,.g ,s{i,,,,,,l gated a royal law embodying list of l appropriations and empowering the ministry to collect taxes and make all necessary expenditures for the conduct of government In othef words the constitution was suspended, This ab- normal condition of affairs has gone on ever since The king and his ministers frame proviAonal shugetJ witch is approved by the landsthing, or house of lords, and is rejected by the folkes- thing, t is nevertheless but into force the taxes ate collected and the goyernmeut Is cdrried on. The pop ular house protests, but 1t has never seen it's way to enforce it's protests by an appeal to arms. Whenever com promise has been proposed the king has insisted that it should embrace a bill of indemnity for the unconstitu- tional acts of tho past eight years, and the leaders of the popular party have always refused to surrender their right of impeaching the usurping miul isters.
 The protracted existence of this curi- ous anomaly has been due to various causes. In the first place there is no ono in Denmark who can compare in energy and persistency with Jacob Estrup. lie is like a rock against which popular elamor dashes itself with idle spray, He is not to be moved by threats or alignment What he has l resolved upon has got to be. And he is backed up by house of lords the landsthing- merely exists to register his desires. King Christian is well-mcaning, honest man of the Bourbon type. He believes he knows what is wisest for Denmark far better than the people do, In political af. fairs he is like Charles II. of Eng land and Charles x. of France rolled into one. Personally he is Q delightful man, genial, kindly, familiar with let. tcrs and art, aud admired by all wlio come into contact with him. He is the father of large family; one of his sons is king of Greece, one of his daughters is empress of Russia, and another princess of Wales It may safely be assumed that the leaders oi the folkesthing were notified when they fell out with his majesty that be- fore proceeding to sStrenities shey had better consider whether England and Russia might not feel impelled by | family ties to take hand in the con troversy, Now at last Estrup has re' | signed and a new minister will prob ably be disposed to seek his own com fort by composing his differences with | the people of Denmark