Daily public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1892-191?, 1896-06-20
rnE 1890 ASSASSINATION.
CAaoes That Brought About the Murder
of the Persian Sovereign.


Cnaoes That Brought About the Murder
OF the Persian Sovereign.
The assassination OF Nasr-ed-Din,
shah of Persia, although doubtless caus-
ing feeling of unpleasant surprise to
Englishmen generally, was not entirely
unexpected by those who knew the
country and its people intimately.
While writing have before me letter
from a well-known resident of Teheran
in which n forecast of possible political
trouble Is given; 1.-THE price Of corn is
going up by leaps and bounds, and much
misery prevails among the poor. In the
bazars complaints are loud against the
governments; and, bearing in view the
fanaticism of the people, l should not be
surprised If religious disturbance re-
suited, aimed both against the palace
and the hated 'ferenghi.'" The assas-
sination of Nasr-ed-Din is doubtless the
outcome of the misery prevailing among
the populace; the head of the state be-
ing, in the eyes of Mohammedan peo-
pie, the fitting object of attack when
general misery prevails. 1t is unlikely,
however, that any movement against
the foreign population will result, since
nowhere is there that bitterness of feel
ing that prevails on the occasion of the
famous tobacco riots, and even on that
occasion the military remained uncor-
rupted.
For a long time past the shah had
been taking liberties with the dangers
10 lwNyax
ficult to gauge a sovereign's popularity
in a country where the mention of the
royal name suffices to produce awe
among a superstitious peasantry. But
in Teheran and some of the larger town
it is certain that the actions of the"De-
fender of the Faith had given cause
for chagrin. The visits of the monarch
TO Europe, the reforms instituted at
home, especially the Europanizing of
the capital and the introduction of inn
provements, have one and all been
causes of deep resentment to the more
powerful "mollahs," and consequently
to the populace. The riots that have
resulted, such as the outbreak on the
Shah Abdul-Azim railway, the tramway
lmbroglio, and the tobacco riots, have
all been expressions of this resentment;
and to-day the ''mollahs" are as active
as ever in their denunciation of the
Europeanizing of the native dress and
the introduction of western fashions.
On every occasion. largely through the
influence of Russia, the shah has been
on the side of reform and against the
religious teachings, and the result UNI
doubtedly has been general feeling Of
dissatisfaction.
But the immediate cause of this out
break of fanaticism--in which assured
~ others are implicated besides the
Said ReZa, whose fate one shudders to
contemplate was undoubtedly the
scarcity of provisions. Two causes of
this scarcity are the legal exports of
corn and the great increase of the cop
per coinage. 1t is very serious Offense
against the laws of Persia to export
grain; yet annually large amounts sur
reptitiously cross the Russian frontiers,
and, in fact, the Russian dealers, pro-
tected by their government, practically
buy up the corn of the eastern and
northwestern provinces before IL is
grown.
The second cause of the disaster Is
the large increase of the copper coinage.
Unless one has lived in Persia this, does
not at first sight appeal TO us very
strongly. In the capital, however,. it is
avery serious matter. The silver "kran"
is there of good quality and weight.
The copper metal is very cheap, and the
mint makes huge profit by coming
copper for use in the bazsrs, when its
real value is much below the nominal.
The result is that the poor are paid in
copper of nominal value, and discover
that its purchasing powers are consid-
erably below nominal. Bread has been
rising in price for months past, and the
populace have found it increasingly
difficult to exist. The general discon-
tent has afforded a splendid field for
patriotic" agitatOrs, and the result is
that the reforming shah" has paid the
penalty.-Cor. st. James Gazette.