The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-03-19


the New York Trib-
that leads many people to expect Sc
ricus trouble. The radicals, n of
whose leaders is the famous poet,
Bjornstjerne Pjornson, whose ardent
desire is &c make a republic OF the
western part Of Scandinavia, have used
the explorer, in truth, as a means tC
their end, and Nansen apparently has
cast his lot willingly with them. Leav-
ing out of consideration the merits of
the political question, it is a pity that
he should lend himself at the moment
of his scientific triumph to political in
trigue.
But this evidently he has determined
to do before his return to civilization,
for OF the mast of the Fran as she
sailed from the frozen north home
ward bound was the single flag of Nor
way, and not the Swedish-Norwegian
ensign. Nansen's fellow-republicans
in Christiania, therefore, were not sur
prlsed when. at the great festival in
his honor, he poured out his soul in a
plea for an Independent Norway. But
there was one man from whom every
word drew blood-King Oscar, the
scholarly occupant Of the double
throne. Although the sympathies of
all Americans are naturally with Nor.
way in its longing to become a repub-
lie, King Oscar. it must be admitted,
had reason to expect a less re%actionary
course from Nansen. His majesty has
not forgotten that it was his financial
AID Whitewater the refusal of the Nor
"eSlans to appropriate a sufficient
amount-enabled the explorer to I'M
dertake his hazardous expedition.
Ihe king has been obliged to submit
to sights on many occasions in Nor
way IN the last ten years and has
a hard time in preventing the Norwe-
glan s%torthing from refusing to appro-
pirate its part of the royal salary. or
appanage. But nothing that has hap
pened heretofore has so excited him or
LED him to express himself SO openly
as have the incidents subsequent to
the return of his 'protege.
The reception in honor Of Nansen in
Christiania, in fact, was at the same
time almost a demonstration against
the king. Although the explorer was
received as a returning victor, the
king, upon his arrival at the station
to tax part in the welcome, was hard
ly noticed. But he did not let this pre-
vent him from giving a gala dinner at
the castle in honor of the returning
traveller. He used the occasion, how
ever, to express in no uncertain way
his opinion of the course things. had
taken. Only one toast was given and
this was by the king himself for Nan
sen. But the toast became a speech of
unexpected bitterness. After referring
to he fact that it had often. been said
that he was. no Norwegian, hut a
stranger, the king turned ~defiantly to
the radical leader, ex-Minister Steen
who sat as his side. and shaking his
finger significantly, he continued: 81
look upon it not only as my holy duty
but also consider it my irreVocable
right, to be here rs the interpreter .o1
the; feelings of my Norwegian: subs
jectsi"; 81; ~sr:. /; .... u:
- No one replied 'to.theH king, of. course
and the guests: 81 .gglsa when the
time, Gang. Il. laayethe tasfle:: BIZ
!: his Observation-Disclosures ~asseEsion wa:
soon under discussion from one end o.
Scandinavia to the other. He haG
thrown down the gauntlet to Norway
TIL Indignation Of the king grew al