The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-13
HE is WEARY OF HIS CROWN
We're Grecian Republic Possible King George Would Abb
dicate Only Too Willingly in Its Favor.

Poor old King George of Greece;
Weary and disheartened, so runs the
report. he processes himself willing,
and more than willing. to yield to the
restless discomfort of his people, lay
down his thankless office, and give way
to the republic for which so many are
clamoring.
1t is not likely that anything of the
sort will be permitted: but that the
Iuckless though well-intentioned sover-
eign is thoroughly tired of his job is
little to be wondered at. From the days
of Agamemnon until now, the rulers
of Hellas have found their task try
ing one Yet abdication is never easy.
and rarely expedient or safe.
But quite apart from the attitude of
the powers-who certainly would not
sanction any such radical change in
the form of government at PRESENT.
is sufficiently obvious to any unpreju-
diced observer that stable and success
full lf-government in Greece is still
a long way off. 1t is something that
the world has never yet seen-popular
impressions TO the contrary notwith-
standing-and the world is not likely
TO see 1t for many years to come. The
laws of nature are mightier even than
the powers" and their manifesto is
distinctly against republic in Greece.
1t is not that the modern Greek is
degenerate-though corruption of blood
and ages of stultifying oppression have
assuredly not increased his capacity in
this direction. The Greek of to-day,
nevertheless, is quite as truly Greek as
the Englishman of to-day is Anglo
Saxon--if anything. rather more So
and in temperament he is as like his
ancestor of the time of Pericles as one
magpie is like another. Right there is
the rub. He is too much like his re-
nowned progenitors; for the inability of
the ancient Greeks to maintain a re-
public-or democracy, which here
amounts to the same thing-was as
marked as was the zeal for the expert
ment.
That Greece was never united under
any form of government except virtual
despotism, usually foreign, may be
passed by-though the fact is signifi-
cant. On a more limited scale, how
ever the pet experiment was tried
again and again. with undated enthu-
siasm but with invariabe collapse.
Even Athens, the case usually cited
only succeeded in convincing nearly all
political philosophers for period of
about 1000 years that democracy was
not a feasible form of government;
that it was false in theory and self
destructive in practice. 1t was left to
America, indeed, to prove the contrary
1t has been customary to attribute
the failure of free institutions in
Greeee-for failure it was. despite
seemingly favorable conditions and
brilliant beginnings-to rampant dema-
gogues and INSCRIPTIONS usurpers;
but this is fallacious. Where the soil is
fit weeds are sure to spring up. the
seed is everywhere. 1t is also pointed
out by eager apologists that Greece
finally succumbed to a foreign power
and superior force; but a united Greek
republic organized as the English. for
instance. might have organized it,
would easily have anticipated the con-
quests of Alexander and dominated
the known world. Peric1es really
planned no less, but even he was una
BILE to carry out the project. The fault
was in the people themselves: and the
same fault lies in the way of their sue
cess to-day
What, then, is this persistent and
apparently incurable national defect?
What was 1t that prevented the most
intelligent and spirited people of an
tiQuity. with line of battle at sight
of which most of their enemies simply
turned and ran, from reaping the nat
ural fruits of their unquestioned Prov
ess-and that has made their descend
ants slaves of the Turk and a plaything
of the powers? Without doubt it was
the result OF temperament peculiarly
unstable. factious and emotionLl: but
this only leads to another question.
How did II come about that they were
cursed with such a temperament? For
remember. they were of the same es-
sential stock as the Romans of old and
the English of to-day-both remarka-
bile for logged perseverance and organ
5zing power The problem Is an inter-
estfng one. and the writer has a the
DRY.
1t will be observed that nearly all
the Inhabitants of the peninsulas and
islands of Southern Europe exhibit
much the same temperament-viva-
cious, volatile, with a marked inapti-
tude for stable government. The Ro-