The Savannah morning news., 1901-07-18

degree of deformity, giving an average
of 29.S per cent. Among the effete
monarchies of the old world there is
a stream Of tendency to fat, which may
account for the slowness and sleepiness
with which we are constantly reproach-
ed by our go-ahead cousins on the
other side of the Atlantic. Perhaps it
is on the principle who drives fat
oxen should himself be fat that so
many European rulers are men of
weight as well as authority. From some
interesting statistics on this subject
that have recently been published it
appears that the King of Portugal is,
in one sense, the greatest sovereign in
Europe, for. though he is short of stat
ure, he turns the scale at 13 stone
pounds. 1t would be indicate, If not
indiscreet to give particulars of the
weight of some other exalted person
ages. 1t may, however, be noted as
an interesting fact that the REESE Kais-
err, whose meteoric appearances in diff
ferent parts of the globe in rapid sue
cession, with his winged words and i'm
pulsive kilograms on all manner of
subjects, used to keep the world in
state of what Lord Salisbury Cor an
ingenious reporter) called animated
expectancy" has for some time past
become almost heavy father in the
comedy of politics. 1t is a tempting
subject of speculation how far this
comparatively reposeful attitude may
be dependent on increasing bulk.
If Louis XVI, had been less protuber-
ant in the paunch he might have kept
his head on his shoulders. The leaders
of the Revolution were, as may be seen
from their portraits, mostly of the Cas-
sius type; it is impossible to conceive
RobeSpierre or a Marat as fat. Ma
poleon, in his later years, became fat,
and, according to Lord Wolseley, this
contributed in no small degree to his
defeat at Waterloo. Our own sover-
eigns have for a century and a half
been what the love-sick maidens in
Patience" style fleshy men of full ha-
bit. and Beau Brummell called, less aes-
thetically fat" and it is not unrea-
sonable to believe that this fact has
had some influence in preserving our
glorious constitution in vigorous vital
ity amid the crash of falling thrones
and crumbling empires. Bismarck, at
the hight of his power, had like Cardi-
nal WolSey, an "unbounded stomach"
which could scarce be kept within rea-
sonable compass by the severe macera-
ton of the flesh enjoned by Prof.
Schweninger. Had he been fat in his
youth. it is more than doubted whether
he would have welded Germany togeth-
er with blood and iron.
w no can tell now Tar the maSSlVeneSS
of the Prime Minister'S bodily frame
may have helped to keep the peace of
Europe by weighing the pushfulness of
leaner politicians? The role of fat in
political physiology cannot be summed
up in simple formula, but for prac-
teal purposes it will be found tolera-
bly, safe to assume that thinness makes
for revolution and f1eshiness for re-
pose which, expressed in terms of pol
itics, means conservatism. The ideal
demagogue is lean-tourmente par son
caractere, as M. de Stael said Napo-
leon ought to have been. man who
has full round belly, with good capon
lined, is by the law of his physical
being a conservative, whose principle
is quieta non movere, though he may
delude himself and others with the
fancy that he is radical. Those of
our American friends who think that
the well-being of the United States de-
Ponds on the maintenance of a Repub-
lican form of government will do well
to take steps at once to repress the
tendency to abdominal expansion
among their citizens, or they may live
to see the President transformed into
an Emperor. ;"