New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-31
KEEPING HANDS OFF.
THE PRINCE or WALES'S INVARlABiE
RULE OF NEUTRALITY.
u. Ir,HNFD 1T FROM HIS PARENTS AND THE
QUEEN STILL EfGiDLY ADHEREs
TO IT -PAHTfSANSHIP OF
OTHER MONARCHS.
OTHER MONARCHS.

sc,pn Of the Prince OF wales III ueCi'ii''' ~ ~
teryene in the great labor war when mas "e'"
raging for some time past between 'he e"t''''
and the trades associated herewith on the one
hand and a federation composed OF 'heir en-
Movers on tho other yet there is no doupt th''
T.. r,,,irc- =, orsuule tie role either Of arbi,er
- e mediator i'm the matter he has manifested
hath s,pocity and tact. 1t is perfectly true that
am. ,,,. v.,,o could bring about settlement OF
,b .,,nic, in question would he conierring
,,s,ir,, boroft UPON his fellow -countrymen anu
unon tho nation at large. For the hsht mas
,,oralvzad not merely one branch OF ihuuS'r''
but n large number. forcing the c""su'' ~
seek forcign sources Of supply. to "'hcn 'e WIN
probably in future adhere. thus decreasing '"'''
markets for British manufactures 'ha' "',
annually becoming more and more 'eS'' -
by American and German competition "'''"'
This the strike which has lasted already Se'e'"'
months has reduced to want ana uh'"iu n'iHVi'
,, ,,.,.r, the moro than half L million men
vino are out" but hat Is far worse ther
wives and their Little ones that is 10 say 'S"'"s
il all I'm ALL a community OF people nufnDe''hs
considerably over a million. The Prince cri'icS
draw attention to these circumstances anu point
on, thai If ever there was an instance where
his ACKNOWLEDGED pre-eminence as peace
maker ,ni.ht be turned to profitable account 1t
Is in the present case
The reasons which have prompted the Prince
IN decline are due in the first place. TO the fact
that no matter what the award OF the arbitrator
or tho character Of the compromise effected by
the mediator it is certain to be equally unwel-
come To both parties of the dispute. since neither
ono nor the other obtains the full measure OF
~ demands and will consequently be disposed
10 bear = arudge against the individual VINO
has bv his rcasonings induced it to recode
from the stand which II had made the I'M
populariiy thus RAPED by the Prince would have
reflected not only upon himself personally. but
likewise upon that throne which In these moo
ern times must look 10 the goodwin OF inc
masses as the principal source OF It's Strength
and foundation. Secondly. the Prince has maze
a practice throughout his public fe-that Is 20
say. since he came of age. almost forty years
ago-to steer clear Of every public controversy
or DISPUTE where h. would be required 10 take
sides
LEAENED FROM FRINGE ALBERT
or All :hc lessons taught % him hy his wise
and clear-sighted father. the late Prince Con
sort there il none that has more firmly I'm
pressed itself upon his mind than that OF the
necessity Of absolute impartial!ty on the part
not only Of - constitutional sovereign but also
on that II the lattcr's heir apparent. The
Crown to-day is not the Gcspot but merely The
ovecutive tho servant 50 to speak. Of the will Of
the nation and In order that the latter should |
have absolute confidence in the occupant of the |
throne f. r. necessary that the people should |
fcel assured Of the soycrcigns readiness 10 con
form 10 their wishes These are sometimes
voiced by one political party and sometimes by |
the other. only If the people can fee! that their
monarch is absolutely impartial. that there Is .
ft.f.. 4raF4r q
one pIatform more than for TIE other can they
ropose that blind trust IN their ruler which is
Indispensable to sentiments Of Loyalty and af-
lection.
Prior t. Queen Nictora's marriage she showed
a tendency 10 follow the example Of her unclcs.
King George " and King William ". who had
Identified themselves with one or the other of
the political parties of the day to such an extent
that a mere Ministerial defeat either In Parlia-
ncnt or at the general elections developed into
the proportions of popular slap in the face to
the sovereign. to the dctrlment of the dignity
and influence of the Crown. Indeed at no time
in English history had the prestige Of the
throne reached 50 low an ebb AS at the time Of
Queen Victorias accession. \ girl at the
time she at first placed herself too unreservedly
In the hands Of the earliest Of her Premicrs,
Lord Melbourne whom she grew to look upon
as her political mentor. and for time IT seemed
as il the errors Of the previous reigns were
about to be continued. But her marriage
brought about Il beneficial change in this
spect For Prince Albert. in spite Of his youth
was. perhaps just because he happened to be a
foreigner able to take clearer and more indie
pendent view Of the situation than any English
man and TO perceive that the true source Of the
strength influence and prestige Of constitutional
in Great Britain lay in its absolute
lmnariialit, as far as the political parties were