The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-06-08
THE PRETgNcE OF THAT DIVINE RIGHT.


whole world of intelligent men and women
laughing to scorn the coming coronation of King
Edward VII with its medieval pomp and hypocriti-
cal sanctity. Kings and queens, archbishops,
princes and royalty Of every conceivable degree,
participating in a theatrical really spectacular
ceremony for the purpose of impressng subjects
and of foolng the world. Well the world is not
fooled a little bit Magnify feudal pomp and ritual
as they may it is all and only of piece Of the her
edity thinness which makes the eldest son of Mr..
and Mrs Witten and his lords and ladies and other
entaed ignobilty of high and low degrees, greater
than Joe Chamberlain or better than any English
man or woman who is really such. Stolid as Johnny
Bull is he must be- in this age of common sense,
struck with a sense of the ridiculous. Just note
how the peers and all the ofshoots of high breeds.
insisting on their inherited privileges of carry
ing the royal spurs of holding up the royal coat
tails of handling this that thing to his august
majesty and all the solemn allotment of places, in
connection with the fact that each fat peeress and
each paunchifed peer is to be allowed only IS inches
square of Westminster space upon which to stand
BY the holy and sacred parsonage of Queen Vic
It.
And TO think of the entire line of victora's pro-
geny waiting for exhibition of like devotion Vic
toria unQuestionably a good woman but her
progeny are no better than the average. while some
Of her ancestors are only remembered for their dis
tinetiye unworthiness. Then why all this childish
and pompous parade over a man who has led a pro-
hgate life, and who as a hereditary head of the
executive powers exercised by President Roosevelt
nor even of his own colonial secretary the pedoubt
able wirepulling Boer-killing Joe Chamberlain. But
back to the days and dongs of the old Roman Emper
ors, and for the same purpose Of commanding the
homage and awe Of the masses go the ruling person
ages Of England in 1902 Shades of George the III
it is not wonder there does not ensue British
Republic
Speaking Of the fundamental absurdity of the
whole theory of hereditary monarchies writer in
the Pilgrim cites the present situation in Holland
The people Of that brave little state have as PAS
sionate sense Of nationality. as strenuous deter
minaton upon self government as any nation in the
world From the days Of the Duke of Alva until now
they have resisted all efforts at foreign DONNA
tNAeAA-ANtNN9l9
croachments Of the sea. They have now Queen
TO whom they are devotedy attached. but who is
the last Of her line the oniy-natve born Holander
upon whom, by the basphemous doctrine of ~d
vine right" the succession of the throne is con.
ferred. Mark the result First Of it Of prime i'm
portanoe to the state that the Queen should have
an heir OF this fate and seemingly frail physique
have twice disappointed her and the nation. A
clause in the Dutch constitution. shocking in lis
glaring ofense to the most fundamental sense Of
propriety and morals. provides that il the Queen
shall not bear heir within I'VE years Of her
marriage the Parliament shall have power to
divorce her present husband and select for her
new one Divine right in making wiihelnipa
queen. at the same time put her on the plane Of a
brood mare in the stables of some fancier Of
fine stock. So much for the hapless Queen bur how
about her people? Should she die ehildless the sue
cessiOn passes to the Grand Duke of saxe,weimar
"a vassal Of the German Emperor who has long
coveted Holland ardeutiy as the Dutch people