The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-12-01
THE CAR.

Much of the anxiety about the Car
is traceable to the threat made by the
anarchist groups at the time of the
murder Of King Humbert to deal in a
similar way with the sovereigns Of
Russia and Germany. Some of il is
also due to the fact that more than
one-half the rulers of Russia since the
time of Peter the Great have died un-
der suspicious circumstances. 1t is OF
course probable that the present all
ment of the Car, assuming him to be
still alive. is the effect OF natural
causes; yet there is always room for
doubt when the ruler of the half-bar-
harlan empire of the North lies help
less on bed Of pain.
Speculation as to the political results
of the Cars death is affected. of
course. by the slight knowledge extant
of the opinions of the heir apparent,
the Grand Duke Michael. Nicholas II. is
a reactiOnary: whether his brother is
or not remains to be seen. Should 1t
be true that the Car Nicholas was
poisoned, it would be natural in his
successor to put new irons on the peo-
pie and confront them with more bay
onets. The late Car Alexander LII
was inclined to be liberal when he
came to the throne but stirring
speech of Pobedonitzieff. Procurator OF
the Holy Synod, pointing out that il
was the Emperor who freed the serfs
and widened the path of liberty who
was torn to fragments by the Mill
list bomb, led Alexander to take 9
drastic attitude. 1t was the influence
of the Procurator which decided the
course of Nicholas III. and led him or
the very day he mounted the throne
to tell his ministers and the deputa
tions Of the people that they need no
expect political reforms The temper
In which the young sovereign addressed
himself to his work was quickly seer
in the usurpation of those rights which
the Firms had enjoyed for a hundred
years. Nicholas. to be sure. urged tn,
Peace Conference at The Hague, but h,
ordered. meanwhile. 5000 new cannon
and forty ships of war; convincing tn,
shrewd observers of Europe that h,
merely wanted peace that he Nigh
prepare for bloodshed.
In the present disturbed state of Eu
rope the character of a new Car woul,
become an absorbing theme of discus
sion In every Cabinet. More than an,
other crowned head the Car decide
the Issues Of peace and war 1t is tn
Russo French alliance which holds tn
war dogs of central Europe in check
IL Is the advance of Russia in Man
churia which threatens a bloody breac1
of the international peace. Whateve
Is done the Gar does it. His is the on
controlling Will; he, more than an.
other white sovereign, is a despo
whose lightest word is law to all blu
the assassin. The chances of a grea
political overturn, a complete shifting
OF the scenes whenever a new Car ap
pears, lends a dramatic interest to tn
mere chance of his appearance. Sup
pose a new Car should drop tn,
French alliance and go in with Ger
many? Suppose he should bait Japar
or challenge England? Suppose tn,
Cossacks should go galloping toward
the Khyber pass? What IL the bea1
should show his teeth on the frontier,
OF the Turks? Any of these fancies may
have the germinative force OF trutf
whenever the day dawns for the en-
thronement of a new Gear. And that /:
why, as every rumor of death come:
from the Imperial bedside at Livadia
that the eyes Of diplomatic Europe Fl,
themselves with sleepless vigilance up
on the looming figure of the Crane