The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-08-07


rice that is astonishing--has called up
on parliament time after time to find
money for her family. She is reputed
to have saved S3O.l00,O1O during her
reign, and yet she must needs to main
tain her family, burden the nation with
more taxes wrung from the toiling
masses. The latest public outrage upon
public decency has come to light in the
law courts. The Prince of Wales-a
man of fifty years of age--a father ana
a grandfather-th heir to the throne
of this Christian nation-the prospec-
tive head of the established church Of
this realnl--the highest social example
in the land-is now positively known
to the nation to be a proiligaie fellow
and choosing his boon companions from
the least wholesome part of society.
He goes from betting at the races to
country house, carrying with him
baccarat counters, and only by the eX-
c1tement of this gambling will he COLI
sent to be amused. BaccaraG was for
hidden by the master OF the house be-
cause of the peril to his sons, bnt in
spite of that, this royal reprobate
would persist in corrnpting the morals
of the children of his host. He forced
the vice upon the company, and himself
presided over the gambling hell This
is bad, but it is not the worst News
comes that the brother of the hostess
is dead or dying, but even then the
callous criminal must be amused, and in
the very shadow of death the gambling
goes on. 1t is a sickening story.
And we have made the monarch the
head Of the English church and the
appointer of it's highest Offices. And
the parliamentary church prays every
Sunday for royalty. And the nation
provides chapels and chaplains for
the monarch. And now even the
president of the Wesleyan confer
ence draws near the august pres
ence and devoutly beslobbe:s the royal
fist. And yet-in spite Of all this the
morals of the nation are corrupted
by royal example. Judged by its fruits,
monarchy is essentially an immoral in
stitution. Who is to blame-prirces or
people? We bring up our princes in
luxury and laziness, we practically
place them above law, surround them
with courtiers, who withhold from them
unpalatable truths, but who fawn upon
them and fiatter them continuously, and
after doing our best to debauch them
we expect them to be models for oul::
sons to copy.
"No wonder that they are bad lot.
No wonder we dare not trust our chill
dren in their company. The system is
bad-bad for princes as we'll as peo-
pie. Our social life is poisoned at it's
fountain-head and our sons are in dan
ger of infection from the highest 10 the
lowest. Royalty has been tried and
found wanting There is but one rem
edy. Abolish the monarchy and you
remove the chief hindrance to swecter
manners, simpler lives, loftier morals,
fairer social order and Christian
commonwealth. am a republican ali3
have been for a quarter of century,
am a republican because am Chris
tian. God, by his providence and grace,
has given me very different concep-
tion of dignity and manhood from that
which is held by courtiers. 1 have a
very poor idea of thrones and of those
who sit on them.
Get rid of the superstition of royalty.
| Why be enamored with it? 1t is de-
grading. 1t fosters respect for despicable
persons. 1t is a worn-out fraud. It
is hindering the progress of the world.
1t is de;-Jtng the coming of the king
dom of heaven. Think of the welfare
| of your children. Let them not be la-
moralized by evil example enthroned
| Put not your trust in princes Wor-
| ship what is worthy. Be loyal to .hat
which is good and noble and not to
what is base and ignoble. Remember
that monarchy is humanity's scourge--
the punishment Of God. I give thee a
| king In mine anger
God said, am tired of kings,
| suffer them no more;
| Up to mine ear the morning
Brings the outrage of the poor.
My angel, his name is freedom,
Choose him to be your king;
IIe shall cut pathways east and west
| And fend you with his wing