The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-02-24
Secret Of the Great Respect,
Held for Her Universally
JUDGEMENT AND TACT
Contributed Largely to Max
ing Her Loved by All.

England, ana indeed all over Europe, by
the death Of the queen. they may not,
perhaps have fully explained exactly
what il was in her character and career
that won for her so much respect and
affection from ali classes, ard fade the
grief al her loss so absolutely genuine.
An outburst OF regret naturally produces
an outburst of praise; but the praise is
so general and highhown that the true
and peculiar elements Of excellence
which deserved it are in danger, 1 wiz
not say Of being forgotten but Of being
imperlecty realized Two of these ele-
ments are worth dwelling on, for they
give to the Queens reign unique signi-
ricance which historians viii note ia days
10 come.
one is the part she has played in the
DEVELOPMENT of the British constitution.
When she mounted the throne in 1897,
only i've years had elapsed since the
great reform act 1t was nothing less
than a bIoodless revolution. carried
through by the regular forms Of law. 1T
shifted power from the landed aristocracy
10 the middle classes relesaled the house
of lords to a position Of Acknowledged
inferioritv, and materially changed the
Fositfon Of the crown-n0t, of course, by
changing its legal position, but by MAX
ing the whole nation 50 unmis takably
sovereign as to render it impossible for
any future king to resume the policy Of
George the Third. Nevertheless it was
still quite uncertain what the position
p III
nifty and its tiular authority would be
reooncue6 and made to harmonic with
The actual control which the people.
though the house OF commons had now
begun to exercise under William the
Fourth. an honest sailor, little versed ia
history or politics. The requisite adj
Justment had not been made. 1t was
left for Queen Victoria to make it. Tn
her reign Of nearly sixty-four years. she
had ample opportunity and she used that
opportunity with extraordinary Judgment,
tact and self restraint The British con-
stitution, as everybody knows, consists
very largely I'm usaeos which are not.
and hardly could be, embodied in law,
5ut which are observed because they
have been observed and because they are
felt to be wholesome for the conduct Of
government When the queen began her
reign. these usages had not yet settled
down into that altered corm which the
new conditions introduced by the reform
act rendered ncCe sary. tt s. she and her
ministers who have formed them: ana.
as she was porn-nent quantity. while
they came and went. her share has been
the greatest in this work. So essential to
the proper play OF the organs of govern
Yeut
Thus. st hos become recognized that the
crown has the right to De informed of an
the decisions taken to her minister's be-
fore they are made pubBc. and to sen
important dispatches before thev are sent
10 be communicated to foreisn MOWERS
The crown is entitled to express fts onin-
SON To the ministry upon these deei IONS
or communcauon. and 10 remonstrate
s. 1t conceiVes that thcv are inezu0a.ent
on the other hand. II the ministry adj
here to their view. it is the duty OF tho
crown % acczp- that view au6 To follow,
All such advice rs they may tender. the
responsibility Of course lgne with thern
alone. So the crown must abstain from
t1ing To influence parliament. as George
the Third tried 60 DO and unforcluateIv
s1ce aed n doing. and must even c-n-
ceal lis oNn private sentiments rarard-
ing current mft-ers " political c0n-ro-
versy NoIuue could have oeeu more
wise and more conducive to tho public
interest than t1s Queens action n .his
matter She often entertained decided
views regarding questions az issue he
tween the two political parties but she
never allowed these views 10 bec7me