Arizona republican., 1899-04-21
DESpOTlSM IN
 BrNEFlCENT FORM


 Emperor William $ tendency toward despotism occasionally takes "a practi- cal and beneicent form. For in
 stance, the other day when a wealthy
 brewer of Ststtin left his whole for tune to his native city for use in founding a museum and for the en- dowment of certain charitable institu tions, primarily with the object Of
 spiting number of poor relatives, hfs majesty forbade the municipal author
 ities of Stettin to accept the bequest.
 The emperor at the same time issued notification to the effect that he
 thoroughly disapproved of legacies b
 public institutions and undertakings Of one kind and another in all cases
 where the interests or the surviving
 relatives of the testator were injured
 thereby, especially when these kins- folk happen to be in poor circum- stances. Whether the kaiser's action is altogether legal is open to question. But, while doubts may be entertained as to his authority to order municipal itieS and public institutions to uecline
 bequests of this kind, his etf.ct is cer- tainly characterized by common sense and by humanity, since, in nine in stances out of ten, the motives of the testator of legacies to public inst.tu- lions are due more to spite or to snob- b.6hness than to bona fde phiIan- thropy
 It remains 50 be seen whether the emperor will adhere to tho same rule in cases where his subjects give ex- pression to their loyalty by bequeath- ing to him their estates, often at the expense of their indig.nt relatives It was but the other day that an old gen. tleman, who had no personal acluain- tance with the emperor whatever. deeded to his majesty an expensive es- state renowned for the sport which 1t afforded. The emperor graciously 1n- t.mated his acceptance of the g!ft, and nothing was heard about the donors relatives, In the same way h..s moth CT. the Empress Frederick owes much of her great wealth, as well as the most magnificent of her superb jewels, to la fit of piqUe on the part of the eccentric widowed duchess of Calliera. The old woman, who had quarreled with all her relatives, and who, like so many people of humble b:: h, was de- lighted to be Cl terms oi intimacy with royalty, for long time acted the part of the fairy godmother to the lase count of Paris, and to his chill dren, even going to the length of plac- ing the greater part of he, superb Par isian palace in the Faubourg St. Ger main, at his disposal free of cost, re- serving for her use merely one wing. She likewise announced to everybody that she had made the counts children her chief legatee. Unfortunately for the Orleans family she suddenly took oHense at some u1intentional sliguL on the part of the count and the countess. and not only turned them bag and baggage out of her house but lfk5w,se altered her will, keqUeat hing her art collections to the city of Paris. her Parisi1n mansion to the emperor of Austria, who now uses it as his em- bassy, and her money and jewels to the widowed empress Of Germany, who had just at that time become widow under the pathetic circu.n- stances that are familiar to everybody. Neither the emperor of Austria nor Empress Frederick was personally ac- quainted with the duchess, whose son has declined to use k's fathers title of duke, and is noted as one of the lead ing stamp collectors of the world, as well as for his socialistic Ylews
 The widow of Queen Victoria's youngest sen, namely. the duchess of owes the possession of the lovely villa and grounds which she owns at Cannes, in the south of France, to either the gift or the be- quest of a Miss Perceval. while among the many legacies wiIled to the queen by people on whom she had never set eyes in her life there is the fortune Of some S4 000,000 bequeathed to her by an eccentric old man of the name of Neale. From this 1t will be seen that the anointed of the Lord in the old world are not above accepting legacies from strangers, and considerable ! speculation will prevail as to the ex- tent to which the Kaiser's new rule 1 will be enforced n instances where | bequests, either to his own family or 10 himself, are concerned
 While on the subject of the kaiser it nay be Of interest to draw attention to | the fact that he has recently set him | self up 'ss supreme arbii-er of singing | Il Germany We all know how he has | )n several occasions set aside the yer lict of the leading painters in Ger many, notably tn connection with | same manner authorized the produc- ion Of plays previously forbidden by | he regularly constituted authorities, md how he is forever setting up his
  )wn opinion against that of the rec )gnizad experts and authorities on his or on that question. His latest appearance !n this role of "Dr. Allwis- end" fDr. Know-AlD is in connec- ion with the national competition of :hoirs and singing societies which is 0 be held very shortly at Clssel. The committee had selected the udges, and likewise the designs for he programme. At the last minute he emperor has stepped in, has de- Jared that he disapproves of the de- igns, and that they must be intrusted 0 his protege, Herr DOepler of Berlin, nd has IikewiseI cancelled ths choice which has been made of judges, nomi- lating in their stead men whom he ons.ders are better qualified to decide ipon the question of good singing.
 Of course the singing societies might