The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-18
KAISER AND HIS MOTHER
NOT IN ACCORD OVER THE BE-
TROTHAL OF MARIA DOROTHEA.
The Dowager Empress Thinks the
Fate than Marriage with a ROue.


witted Dowager Empress Frederick. The
Socialist may be more heretical in politics
than the Empress Frederick, but he is not
so persistent and unrestrained, and more
over, he can be ignored, while the Empress
Frederick cannot.
The Empress Frederick has busted her
self with the betrothal of Duke Ernest
Guenther, the Emperors brother-in-law,
and the Princess Maria Dorothea. As
Queen Victorias daughter she always has
arrogated to herself special privileges in
royal match making. AS German En-
peror, her son has always regarded him
self as special protector of all German
dynasties and guardian of all German mat
rimonial affairs Il was a triumph of his
art, he thought, when he induced Ernest
Guenther to forsake his rakish ways and
engage himself TO the siXteen-year-old
princess. To tie down his dissipated and
troublesome relative to the prettiest royal
girl in Europe seemed to him doubtless Il
fine piece of family diplomacy.
Now the Empress Frederick is something
of a moralist She is also especially at
tached to Maria Dorothea whose wide blue
eyes, exuberant girlish form, abundant
blonde hair, still worn down her back, and
pink and white cheeks have made her for
the last two years the pet of every royal
gathering in Coburg. The Princess Fred
erick had picked out this fresh young rose
of royal beauty and innocence for a love
match, and in England, Denmark and
South Germany had been pulling wires for
a year to procure for her a worthy hus-
band of suitable youth and habits. She had
interested Queen Victoria in the child, and
one plan was to celebrate Maria Dorothea's
prince in London during the Jubilee 1t
was one of those romantic little plans of
Queen Victoria'S household which the Ger
man Emperor has seemed to take delight
in crossing, thereby calling down on him.
self the bitter denunciations of the whole
British court He and his brother-in-law
We're together at the opera one evening
last winter when Maria DOrothea was
present incognito, with her father Prince
Ferdinand Philippe, who married the eldest
daughter of the King of the Beigians. The
duke remarked her great beauty. The En-
peror, who did not recognize the prince in
his civilian attire, sent his adjutant to
learn who the young girl was.
No sooner did he get an answer than
some scheme must have taken form in his
mind, for ne sent back an invitation to
father and daughter to dine with him the
next evening. The duke was at the dinner.
He still admired the beauty of the young
princess; moreover, he was captivated by
her open innocence of manner and CONVEX
satlon. The emperor,s scheme developed
and before Empress Frederick knew what
was happening her little protege was
of thirty-four and the innocent of
sixteen were betrothed The news
was was not not welcome We come even in the
sciences even at this court, and the moral
turpitude of such match was too great
to be ignored by any conscientious person
Ernest Guenther has touched about every
note in the gamut of dissipation. He is
an lnyeterate gambler Every big game
in Berlin, whether at the track, the wheel
or the card table, knows him only too WELL
Many have souvenirs of his play, in the
form of unpaid and uncollectible notes
the lawyer, gambler and note-shaVer who
empezZied and blackmailed and then fled
from Berlin almost two years ago. He has
broken up families in Paris and dozen
other cities in the last twelve years.
y Ihere is strong proof that he melted the
kotze scandal. When the beautiful Coun-
tess Hohenan repulsed his advances, he is
SAD TO have procured the courtier who
overwhelmed her with the anonymous let
ters that eventually drove her and her hus-
band from the capital and led up to the
bloody kotze duels. Both Herr Won Tausch
and Emperor Wilnam were placed in
possession of the facts at the time by
Count Hohenan; hence the sudden release
or kotze, who had been arrested on a
charge of writing the letters; hence the
present discreet delay in the prosecution of
Tausch for his many offenses, and hence
too, the pressing desire of Emperor Will
cost in the safe haven of marriage with
a charming girl. If anybody could reform
the scalawag he doubtless thought clear
eyed. handsome pure-minded girl could do
IT,. TO be sure, the scalawag might be past
reforming; he might merely ruin the Prin-
cess Maria Dorothea's life but at all
events, the duke could not get into any
worse scrapes than those of the last two
years, and the experiment was worth MAX
The princess as the granddaughter of the
mlllona1re Princess Clementine, would
bring her husband several hundred thou
Sand cold cash and several millions in pros
pect Such circumstance was worth con-
sldering, as the duke had still 250000O
marks worth of debts, and the imperial
purse had been taxed to its limit in clear
ing up his last million marks worth. What
Maria Dorothea said to all this specula-
Llon on her person and property is not
recorded. Perhaps, with the peculiar fancy
OF most young women, she was captivated
by the dukes reputation of being a finished
bad man; perhaps she was enamored of
the idea of reforming him. in accordance
with the emperor's programmed perhaps
she was dazzled by the prospect of being
the empress SiSter-in-law and playing a
brilliant part at the Berlin court. Anyhow
she Joined Emperor Williams match-mak-
ing conspiracy and spoke her little yes"
at the proper moment, and the solemn be-
trothal of the libertine and the innocent
was celebrated at Castle Ebenthal with
pomp and ceremony. But the game is not
out yet. Empress Frederick has some cards
in her hand that cannot be turned down
with ,, easemc s. which en- dowager empress
mere count of Hohenau.
Through Baron Schrader and Baron Kei-
schach, who shed their blood in clearing
up the Kotze scandal. she obtained in
dubitable proofs of Duke Ernst Guenther's
partial completely in the anonymous letter
conspiracy. She has three letters received
by the Countess Hohenau, and she has the
strongest ctrcumStantial evidence that they
were written at Duke Ernst Guenthers in
stance These letters are filled with the
commonest abuse-bilingsgate such as any
nShWlfe would hesitate to throw at even q
rival in trade. She has also evidence of
Duke Ernst GuentherS indiScretionS regard
ing German military affairs during his re-
lations with a Franco-Italian adventures
IN Berlin, Frankfort and Paris. She has
sent these papers to the emperor and next
week is expected to come here. incognito,
TO press on the emperor her views of the
lniquity of the marriage.
She is not the kind of woman to be
turned back by imperial rehuffs. The
peror cannot Danish her as he did the Ho-
henaus when their proofs against the duke
became inconveniently strong He has got
TO IlSten. tie VIII have to read also an
autograph letter from Queen Virtoria on
the morals of match making. Similar in
huenees will be brought to bear on Maria
Dorotheas father. The world then may be
surprised some day to learn sem-Officially
was unauthorized" or premature.
Emperor William is determined man
and a pretty good family autocrat but in
the matchmaking field he is hardly equal
They have stiff necks, and, worst OF all,
are willing to go to extremes which. in his
fear of exposing royal peccadilloes to
plebian eyes. Emperor William snuns with
held un to general denunciation. the en-
peror might forego almost any pet scheme.
Bayard and the MayhOwer Log
WILMINGTON. Del May II. - Hon.
Thomas +. Bayard, former ambassador to