New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-10
SYSTEMS AND DMINISTR4 TONS.

Talk about the perpctuity of republican insti-
tutions abounds on patriotic holidays. Lincons
words about governments Of the people. for
the people, by the people," are repeated again
and again. with every intonatiOn Of hope and
high resolve. That it Is so is we'll The people
of republic cannot too often or too earnestly
be reminded Of their form of government, OF
their participation in It, and. above ALL of their
individual and collective responsibility for 1t.
For nothing is more sure thar that lis future is
in their hands Republics do not fall through
betrayal by false leaders but only through I'M
faithfulness or unwOrthiness Of the people
themselves Now and then some atrabilarious
pessimist prognOsticatcs the ruin Of the United
States because the President or the Senate or
the Supreme Court does not behave exactly to
his liking Such forebodings are ill-based. The
security of this Republic is intrus;ed not to
President, nor 10 Senate, nor 10 Court, but TO
seventy million citizens and if II fall the blame
will rest not upon one of the former, hut upon
the whole mass of the latter There is no fact
more desirable for the citizen TO keep In mind
shan that.
The application of The same principle to mon
arches was strknGly made the other day by
Herr Eugcn Richter in the German Keichstag.
This great Liberal leader expressly declared
himself to be no Republican. but ,Monarchist.
But he added that In" capital stock Of the scnti-
mcnt of MonarchiSm had recently been con-
sumed away in n manner he would not have
deemed possible ten years ago In other words.
the strength Of the mOnarchical system had
wancd. Why? Not because Of the attacks
made by the Social Democracy. but because Of
unsatisfactory administration Of the system
itself: because in his own significant phrase
''of occurrences which cannot be mentioned in
Parliamentary debate" That Is To say. that
just as the future Of popular governments de-
ponds upon the people. so the future Of mon
archical governments depends upon the mon
archs If those who occupy thrones administer
their trusts with wisdom and Justice. their ten
will be secure against all revolutions. That
Is the lesson of history and 1t is the teaching of
reason.
Even the most earnest of Republicans may
properly concedc that for some countries for
some time monarchy is better than democracy
However much one may desire the ultimate
prevalence Of republican institutions in all the
world. he Is Il poor counsellor who is expecting
all things In an hour" In Great Britain, for
example, the monarchcal system Is best If for
no other reason than this all-sunicient one: that
the people prefer II to all others. There can
he no doubt that If a plcblscite were taken TO-
day the overwhelming majority would vote for
the maintenance Of tho present system. That
Is largely because the present exponent of that
system has so administered II as TO retain for IT,
ana even strengthen. the confidence and affec-
ton of the people. 1t is easy 10 believe that
with all the progress Of democracy in the world.
the monarchica! prnciplc-in It's liberal and
constitutional FORMS actually more firmly cs-
tabllshed In Great Britain to-day than II was
sixty years ago On the other hand, II Is equally
certain that the evil administration of the mon
archcal system by Louis Napoleon was by far
the most potent cause of Frances population
Of IL and adoption OF what bids fair TO be per-
pctual repubcanism.
Herr Rlchcr's words, which, by-the-way were
warmly applauded by all but Il meagre fraction