The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1901-01-30

The incidents of Queen Victoria's
reign and of her private life present ali
cdiiying contrast to the most conspicu-
Gus traits in the characters OF the SOW
ereigns who rcigned before her. The
image OF Victoria will long be held up
for imitation as that OF a model wife
and mother
No former monarch has so thoroughly
comprehendcd the great truth that the
powers of the British crown are held
in trust for the people and are thc
means, not the end OF government.
This enlightened policy has entitled her
to the distinction Of having been .he
most constitutional and most democratic
sovereign any nation has ever had.
Not less important and beneficial was
the example set by her majesty and the
prince consort in the practice OF every
domestic virtue. Their stainless lives,
their unobstrusive piety and their care
ful education OF the royal children con-
tributcd much to the stability OF the
throne and obtained for England's rul-
er the respect and esteem OF the civiliz-
cd world
During the % years of Victoria's rule
the people OF England have advanced
more toward democracy than in all the
years before. Yet there has been no
: notable upheaval OF social or political
disorder. no historic concession OF popu-
lar rights such as in King Johns day,
or transfer OF power, as embodied in the
act OF settlement by which William #
Orange became king of England IN
stead, there has been the gradual, re-
sistless change OF time, scarcely no.
ticeablc to those most interested, yet
having the most far-rcaching results and
the most stupenduous consequences. A
comparison OF the condition of the peo-
pie OF England, politically, when the
queen asccnded the throne with that Of
to-day is the only measure of what has
been accomplished.
During Victoria's reign she has had
4 remarkable list of statesmen to assist
her in the government of the empire
statesmen of an unusually high order
| and in that time has seen many changes
OF party government. Wings and Tories
have been followed by liberals and con
servatives, each with about equal share
in the honors OF Office. Beginning un-
der Melbourne's tutelage the queen was
inclined to the liberal and whig policy.
OF late years Gladstone's democratic
program alarmed her and drove her ov-
er to the reactionary or conservative
party. but so skillfully did she hold the
balance between the two great parties
of the state that none could say she had
given the other any undue advantage,
On June 20 next the queen. had she
lived. would have completed a reign OF
sixty-iour years, the longest and in
many senses the most glorious reign in
English history. five years longer than
that OF her grandfather, George Ill,
! who previously held the record as the
longest reigning English sovereign.
| After George. the next longest reigns
were those of Henry Ill. who ruled
| fifty-six years. and Edward Ill, who
occupied the throne for fifty years.
Victoria has outlived all the sover-
! eigns who were her contemporaries
when she ascended the throne, and all
who began to reign between that year
and ISA8. OF sovereiRns whose reigns
began later she has outlived seventeen.
She has been contemporary with five
sovereigns OF Prussia. four each OF RnS-
sia, Denmark Spain and Portugal, three
each OF Sweden and Holland, and tw1
each OF Austria. Belgium and Italy.
Martin Van Buren was President oi
the United States when Victoria be-
came queen, She has outlived Van
Burcn some thirty-nine years. and has
maintained relations with sixteen OF his
successors.
| Scarcely in ancient or modern history
will any monarch be found who has pre-
sided with the full intelligence of the
adult mind over such course OF ad-
vancing national prosperity; and GER
tainly the world never before experience
ed sixty-four years of such progress, oI
OF such growth and extension, as wei