Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-01-17
WOES OF TIE IIApSBURGS.
The News Comes that Charles Louis
Is Stricken Down.


The news that Archduke Charles
Louis of Austria has been stricken
down with Il fit of apopleXy, and that
his days are numbered, again calls
attention to that most luckleSs of
European royal families that of Ilaps-
burg. 1t would seem that so good a
man as Franz Josef, whom the people
of the various nations which make up
his empire love, deserves a better fate
than to have his last days end in
sorrow as his earlier days were
shrouded in disaster on the field of
battle and disgrace at home. His
last thoughts when he lies on his death
bed will probably be that his empire,
in the hands of his shameless, weak
and irresponsible kindred and sur
rounded on all sides by enemies, must
disintegrate and the proud house of
Hapsburg must soon be only a memory
among the rulers of Europe.
OF Ausria's disastrous wars with
France and Prussia during Franz
Josef's reign the pages of history tell
Magenta, Solferino and later KONG
gratz were terrible blows to the ruler
and to the empire. Then there came
that awful wrench to the heart Of
Franz Josef when las favorite brother
the Archduke Macmillan, the high
admiral of Austria'S fleets, met death
in the effort to establish Il monarchy
on Mexican soil. The sad story Of
Carlotta. Maximilian's consort, is well
known. Stricken with insanity while
in Rome pleading for aid to sustain
her husbands tottering throne, she
still lives to babble about that short
turbulent reign in Mexico, and to be-
seech her attendants TO save Maxim
ilian.
But the browning blow to "Unser
Franz came when the crown prince,
Rudolph, his only son, heir to the
throne, his hope and the hope of his
empire. killed his mistress, the Baro-
ness Marie Necsera in the little lodge
of Meyerling, and then, reused from
his drunken fit to a knowledge of the
horror Of the deed. shot himself dead.
This left the Emperor without a direct
heir, and the ruler of many nations
and mighty empire was compelled
to beg the Pope for permission to inter
the princely murderer and suicide In
consecratcd ground. The full story OF
what occurred In that shooting lodge
has never become public property, but
there were doubtless in it many in
cidents which added to the agony OF
so upright a man as the Emperor.
Archduke Charles Louis Is brother
of the Emperor and father Of Arch
duke Francis Ferdinand, the present
heir apparent to the throne. Neither
father nor son has any qualities which
recommend him to good men, and
Charles Louis has been credited for
years with an overweening desire to
step into his brothers shoes. He re-
nounced the succession in favor Of his
son, but his wife. the ambitious Maria
of Braganza, prefers to be an empress
to being the mother of an emperor.
Archduke Francis Ferdinand Is notori-
GUS in every capital of Europe.
Not the least of Franz Josef's sor-
rows is the fact that his wife. the
Empress Elizabeth. Is afflicted as are
many descendants Of the royal house
of Bavaria-she is subject to tits OF
insanity. This compels her to wander
all over Europe. and she visits Eng
land frequently. calling sometimes on
her partner in sorrow. the ex-Empress
Eugene In truth. the old saying Is
full of wisdom: Uneasy lies the head
that wears crown"