Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1901-02-10
KING EDWARD SEVENTH
IS WELL ONTO HIS JOB.
FROM AN AFFABLE. DEMOCRATIC
G00DFELLOw, HE HAS SUD-
DENLY BECOME
COLD DIGNITY PERsoNIrIED.
SOUBRETTES, STAGE BACK NUM-
BERs. STABLE BOYS. JOCKEYS
AND PUGs MUST KEEP PLACES.

AND PUGS MUST KEEP PLACES.
LONDON. February s.-Behold most
! remarkable thing. King Edward VII Is
not at all the man whom the prophets
and soothsayers said would reign over
Great Britain ana Ireland. In effect 1t
is new Edward who now occup.es tho
throne of England. 1t was common talk
that Albert Edward as the personineation
of affability and good humor, so demo-
cratic SO hail-fellow- wen-met with pie
bians and nonentities OF every grade and
class. 1t was not necessary to be the
owner of a ducal coronet to have the
| friendship of the heir apparent He was
hand and glove with stable boys with
| jockeys. prize-fighters, actors soubrettes
and footlight favorites and green-room
backnumbers.
/ But very different parsonage has
arisen in the place of the heir apparent
| The King is not the man 1T was thought
| he would be. The actor who presume5
on former acquaintance to address Hit
| Majesty in familiar tones will wish that
he had never been born, for the new
/ ruler VIII freeze him with look and
| cast him into the outer darkness where
is wailing and gnashing of teeth; the
/ soubrette who. in these changed days.
/ speaks fiippantly to the man who once.
! mayhap, chuckled her under the chin
and called her endearing names, win re-
\ tire discounted, for Edward VII knows
| his stage favorites no longer and the
! footlight beauties who We're wont to bask
in the sunshine of the prineely presence
in other days win get but an icy welcome
! in these times of pageantry and ceremon-
/ les galore.
| In plain words the King has made up
his mind to keep up the dignity OF his
new position to the very fullest extent
and brook no undue familiarity from
anyone. 1t is an easy transition. for
everyone knows that the King OF Eng
! land is the greatest Monarch in the
world and the new-found dignity rests
/ gracefully upon one who has had tho
long period of training for the regal post
ton that Edward VII has.
| Withal 1t Is a matter OF wondermeut 70
his friends that the King IS able to main
tain the calmly dignlfed delneanor thar
cheracterizes all his actions since the
! death al the Queen mother Never onca
has lie been seen 70 smile since that sal
| event, he who was the most joyial Of men.
| His manner is uniformly grave even to
the point of severity. and yet there is a
graciousness about it that becomes his
| position well.
1t is not likely that Edward VII viii
change this attitude He is OF an age
where the habits Of life are formed. Il Is
| true. But ne has tasted to safety OF the
pleasures of the fashionable world. he has
drunk his fill Of every kind OF attraction
that the flesh and the devil have to ofrcr
and he is openly and candidly sick OF IL
and content to devote the remainder OF
his days to self-sacrihcing effort to better
the condition of his people.
There is no doubt that Edward VII win
rise to the Importance of the work ex.
pected of him. He finds the onerous ma
ture of that work all that one man need
wish TO tackle. He ascends the throne al
time when the British army Is the
laughing stock OF tho world He can.
by strongly setting his face against tho
system OF fayoritism that rules here.
weed out incompetents and make tho
| army as potent a factor and as much 10
be feared as the navy. He can correct
the mistakes Of the military system by tho
sheer weight Of his influence, even as tho
German Kaiser has done in the case Of
the German army; he can refuse to be
influenced by the fopplsh retlnue that has
already too much 10 do with the forma-
ton Of the British military machine ana
Instead select hard-headed men who have
won their way from the ranks as the
leaders and shapers Of the destiny OF
Tommy Atkins. 1t all DEPENDS on ths
King Say no more that the position he
occupies is a sinecure and his influence
nil The King is an ail-powerfuI factor
! la 49, -
was different. A woman f. not an arsres-
sive being. King Is different He must
WELD powerful sceptre or weak one
There can be no half measures with him
The only question IS. will Edward VII
be the ruler that Is expected and hoped
that he wlll?"
All indications are that he win ana
England has before her a greater and
more glorious future under hts reign than
even the most optimistic Br!tou has dared
to hope possible