Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-05-23
TAV0LARA, THE TINY.
Election in the Smallest Republic in
the World COincIdent
With Ours.
the New York Press.

From the New York Press.
BY a strange coincidence, the largest
and smallest republics in tho world were
passing through the same throes of ex-
citement. America was about to elect her
president; so was Tavolara. Do you know
anything about avolara? Probably not; for
every soul in Tavolara there are a million
and a half in the United States, but, new
ertheless, the enthusiasm has risen to quite
as high a fever pitch in the tiniest repub-
lie as in the biggest. and the fight promises
to be equally exciting. In one way TaVO-
lara'S presidential election promises 10 be
more interesting.
Only ffty-ive persons are concerned, in
GLIDING women, who will have a voice and
to vote in the matter, for woman suffrage
is one of the foundation stones of the gov
eminent OF this little state. Indeed, it
would not be impossible for a woman 10
be elected president, but, as the males out
number the females by some five. this Is
hardly likely.
Tavolara lies on the northeast coast of
Sardinia, an island a dozen miles or so
from the mainland. On the italian maps
it is shown as IsOla di TavOiara, and the
only time the outside world ever regards il
is when the lookout on some little trad
ing vessel sees at night the CLEAN of the
lighthouse on its eastern end. And this
is seldom, for this corner of the Mediter-
ranean is at all times deserted. Sardinia's
days of glory and active are
long since past, and whatever trade comes
TO her now collects at Cagliari and Al
6htl's III ne tNlF SlAt u lie l0ldllAs
Away from these towns. and up TO her
northeast corner especially, Sardinia IS
still wild and uncultivated, n region OF
forests and primitiV people. The best
hunting in all Europe is to be found there
to-day. and what villages there are have
not changed a whit in the past 800 years.
The old customs of the inhabitants-the
Sardes, as they are called-continue to be
preserved, and. cut of from the world Of
travel and trade, these people still keep up
modes of life closely resembling those of
tho ancient GrnakG As Soma stray Tourist
has said: They are like the people in
Homer and the Bible in all their ways"
If this is the case with the Sardes on
the northeastern end of the mainland of
Sardinia, it is much more so with the
men and women of TavOlara, whom no
traveller ever visits, and who are as far
away from the world as II they were some
savage nation on a desOlate island of the
South sea. They are a republic of Usher
men and farmers, ishing being the main
industry, and little of the land being cul-
tivated. Not kuch OF IL Is fit for cultiva-
ton, I'm fact, as IL Is, for the most part.
high, rocky. table land. rising steeply from
the sea, the wild goats for which the ISL
and was famous a century ago continuing
TO browse and disport themselves as free
ly as ever and without restraint.
Romantic in the extreme is the history OF
the republic. No war or revolution has
ever touched 1t; no foreign power has ever
laid its hand uDon IL; yet 1t has passed
through the stages OF monarchy into those
Of free government. Sixty years ago II was
part Of the kingdom of Sardinia, then an in
dependent nation under the rule of Charles
Albert. That monarch ave the island out
right TO the Bartoleoni family I'm the thir-
ties, and that Sandman house setupat once
a miniature kingdom. with thirty or forty
subjects, and Sardinia never disturbed this
pocket edition of a nation. Years went by,
Sardinia was merged into the kingdom Of
Italy. but little Tavolara, under the Barto-
leCni kings, remained as free as air.
Il would be a kingdom to-day had not one
of the most curious events in the annals of
history taken place. In 1852 king Paul L.
was on the little throne. and, much 10 the
horror of the people, he was found one day
late in that year dead in his armchair. on
a table before him, spread out, the ink of
the signature hardly yet dry, and the pen
fingers, lay his last will and testament.
This will was a UNIQUE document. 1t took
NJ heed of legacies or requests, but simply
| stated that he, the king, head and last OF
the Bartoleoni family. rave the island 70
the people, to be made a republic forever.
1t was not until two years later, however,
thaL the republic was actually formed. IL
took that time for the fishermen, unac-
quGinted with government and law, 10
draw up a constitution and statutes. But
once made. these have been so satisfactory
that they have never been altered IN the
slightest degree.
This is the miniature republics third
presidential contest, and It bids fair 20 be
more exciting that either of its prede-
cGSSors. because, contrary TO precedent.
there are two candidates in the field. What
10 do with two candidates is an embarraSs-
ing problem when the nation only numbers
ffty-fiVe souls.