Evening journal., 1896-11-16
ANCIENT SALIC LAW.
IT PREVENTS WOMEN FROM BEING
QUEENS IN SOME COUNTRIES.
80 other Law Has Caused So Much BioOd
shed-Through This Code the Kingdom
of Hanover Lost Its Independence and
Was Absorbed by Prussia.

shed-Through This Code the Kingdom
OF Hanover Lost Its Independence and
Was Absorbed by Prussia.
A relic OF prehistoric barbarism, OF
times when women were regarded as
soulless beings but one remove superior /
to the brute creation, is that Salic law
which debars the fair sex from all rights
Of succession to most Of the thrones Of
Europe Nc one knows with any degree
Of certainty the origin of this law, al.
though many theories and arguments
have been advanced regarding it, YET
there is no law that has been the cause
Of so much bloodshed and desolation
throughout the Last 500 years
Nearly all the historic wars that have
taken place in Europe since the days Of
the hrst crusade may be attributed to
the existence Of this law, and even in
the present century sanguinnry struggles
have taken place on its account. Great
Britain and Russia are the only two
countries where it has never secured any
foothold
Spain, Portugal and Holland have
within the last 100 years erased the
law from their statute books, and have
benefited by the change, while since the
reign OF Maria Theresa and the seven
years war it exists only in a modified
form in Austria and, perhaps, not at
all in the kingdom of Hungary.
But 1t is still in force in Denmark, in
Sweden, in Prussia and all the other
federal states Of the German empire, as
well as in Belgium, Italy, Roumania,
Servia, Bulgaria and Greece, the ma
tional constitution OF which, being Of a
moro mushroom character and drawn
up by enlightened statesmen Of the pres
ent century, night reasonably be ex-
pected to be more up to date and free
from such narrow medieval prejudices
and doctrines
Il is precisely in the three countries
which are now ruled by women-Eng-
land, Holland and Spain - that the
greatest degree Of peace and prosperity
prevails the three royal widows dis
playing far moro common sense, en-
lightened statesmanship and political
sagacity than any Of their brother mon-
arcbs.
Under the circumstances it must be a
matter Of regret that the Snlio law
should debar = number Of beautiful,
charming and clever pEinceases from
succeeding TO thrones Thus there is
the pretty Princess Pauline Of Wurttem-
berg, the only child Of the present king
and a young girl whom il is no erag-
gerntion to describe - tho national idol
Yet, Notwithstanding the fAot that all
the affection OF the people il oentered In
her, she is compelled by the Salic Law
to stand aside and to permit her fathers
crown TO descend to q distant cousin,
born and bred not in Wurttemberg, bat
in Austria, and who, in addition TO be-
ing regarded as a foreigner, has the su-
premc disadvantage, in the eyes OF the
Lutherans and Protestants, constitute
ing the vast majority Of the nation. oi
being Catholic.
Although King Oscar OF Norway il
enc OK tho most enlightened and accom-
plished Of man. endowed with a char
acter that can only be described as un-
blemished, he has not proved a success
ful ruler
The fact is that the king, in spite Of
all his talents and his perfections. moral
and otherwise. is entirely wanting IN
that personal magnetism. and, if may
be permitted 10 coin the expression, that
public tact which distinguished his
homely, genial and by no means 80 in.
teilectual brother, King Charles XIV.
The latter had only one daughter,
Princess Louisa. who inherited bis qnal-
titles. and who. in spite Of her plainness,
was just ~ much the idol Of both the
Norwegians aud Svedes ~ Princess
Pauline OF Vurttembera is at Stuttgart.
Over six feet high, and far from being
endowed with intellect above the aver.
age, she possesses the best temper in the
world and an inerhaustible fund oi
merriment and good humor, and heart
as big az her laugh, which has been
compared to that OF a horse.
Had she been permitted to succeed
her father az queen regent Of Sweden
and Norway it is doubtful wheth the
present conflict In the sister kingdom
would ever have arrived at the acute
stage. and certainly the 10y yalty to the
throne on both sides Of the border would
not have reached its present low Obj.
But. being debarred from her fathers
throne by the Salic law, she married the
crown prince Of Denmark, carrying oui
Of the country of her birth all the vast
wealth which she had inherited. partly
from her father. and partly. too. from
her Dutch granduncle. which is esti-
mated at Go, 600, 900.
1t ia to tho Salic law that the king.
dom of Hanover is indebted for the losl
Of its independence aud for its absorp.
ton by Prussia, with all tho disad.
vantages which that entails, economic,
political and social. Had Queen Vic.
toria not been barred by this statute
from succeeding TO the throne Of Han.
over at the time when she assembled that
Of Great Britain thero is no doubt that
Hanover would have been enjoying al
the present moment the same CONNER.
cial prosperity and manifold advantages