The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-11-02

--HE worlds rulers, be they
kings, queens or presidents,
old, young or middle aged,
have their fads and hobbies.
Perhaps they find it neces-
sary in order to divert their
minds from weighty questions
of state to indulge in recreation OF the
sort afforded by a well developed fad
Perhaps it is merely owing to the fact
that they have more time hanging
heavily on their hands than other peo-
pie; or, again, that they are much like
other people, after ALL AT all events
most of the great rulers are found 10
have some absorbing passion for some
thing not in the nature of their duties
and which affords them an avocatlon
or side occupation generally harmless
in itself, if not particularly benenclal
to them or to their subjects
In an enumeration of these rulers,
and taking their domains Alphabetical
ly, in order that there shall be no heart
burnings or accusations OF inVldlouS
distinction, we find Abyssinia IN the
forefront. with it's valiant Menelek,
king of kings and emperor. As an
exponent of high civilization he is not
far in advance of his ancestors, and 1t
is only among the most civilized peo-
pie, the authorities say, that fads or
specific diversions voluntarily taken up
development However, Menelek has
passion, if it may not be called fad,
for travelling about his kingdom, every
portion of which he aims to visit II
pOssibl but he has not yet made so
long a journey as his renowned ances-
tress, the queen of Sheba, when she
paid her famous visit to King Solomon
Menelek has also a fad for gorgeous
umbrellas and war drums, possessing,
perhaps, larger collections of both than
any other monarch.
Austria can boast of a ruler who has
occupied the throne for more than fifty
years and yet has not shown any in
sane prOclivity to indulge in fads of an
extreme sort. OF course, where the fad
runs into an inclination or tendency
owing to inherent, prenatal influences,
it becomes a trait. But with the fad
proper Emperor Francis Joseph seems
to have had nothing to do. Several
members of his family having met with
violent deaths, it is natural that the
aged emperor should feel too serious
and sad for frivolous fads. and, besides,
the weighty cares of his dual empire
consume all his time
Belgium has a ruler almost as old as
Austria's, one who works hard, rises
with the lark and retires with the fowl.
But here the parallel seems to end for
King Leopold, though frequently smit-
ten sore by evil fortune, still maintains
his love for wild and dissolute life,
which he gratifies on occasions to the
limit of his means The announcement
of his prospective visit to the United
States may excite a transitory interest
in Leopold even if he himself were not
interesting. He is a broad gauge man
of affairs and a man of ability in
finance, Notwithstanding his kingship.
Aside from his ambition for colonizing
his Kongo territory in Africa, Leopold
has several fads- One of these is ar
chitecture, another flowers and still
another automobiling. 1t has been de-
clared that his ruling passion is build
ing. and he has erected several palaces
for himself. besides laying out many
parks for the benefit of his subjects.
AS to flowers. he has miles and miles
of greenhouses and Conservatives and