The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-08-02
THE CASE or HopEToUN.

| If there was need in Australia of
! great vice-regal establishment, Lor
| Hopetoun was right In. asking Parlia
| ment for a grant in excess Of G1o,o0
per year. A private gentleman o
large means finds 10000 ($50,o0o) bu
| a fraction of what it costs him to kee
| his footing in the society of socia
capital. There are probably four thou
sand persons in the city of New Yorl
! who annually spend more than s1eo,oo
| in their private establishments. Il
| monarchical lands a public man in 80
ciaI authority must do more. A BrN
| ish colonial viceroy ordinarily carrie
things on princely scale. He feed
that he must keep up several establish
ments, he must entertain all society
not forgetting something especiaii,
magnificent for strangers Of equal o.
higher rank than his own, and mus
put down dignified sums for charity
To meet such obligations, 10000 arr
but a pittance. As much as f5o,0o(
could be used to advantage.
But Australia has passed the vice
regal stage and is now a democratic
federation trying hard. in the midst OF
drouth and business depression, to
make both ends meet. It's political
spirit Is derived. in the main. from or
king In a far more definite sense to
Australia, than Is the sovereign whom
the Earl of Hopetoun came there to
1t does not please the idle
as they gnaw their crusts.
to think that the resources of their
government are being squandered upon
the medieval frippery of vice-regal
courts or upon the cultured extrava-
garces Of modern fashionable life. In
this attitude they are not unlike the
Jacobins who. in the end, pulled down
the royalty of France; indeed they are
fering for the necessaries of life them
selves, are forced to view the prodigal
feasts of mobiles paid for with money
wrung from their own hard hands. It
8 human nature to resent such 4 spec
tacle: and it is folly to provide the
spectacle to meet such resentment.
Lord Hopetouns mistake was IN not
adapting himself to the spirit and needs
If the ruling classes in the Australian
Had he entered upon
lis task with the dignified simplicity
If an American President he might
nave become the most popular of all
he Kings subjects in civil authority
rcf 10 HIT
throughout the length and breadth of,
he British Empire. The men most
owed by the British people, apart from
heir successful soldiers, are all COM |
noners. The British are prouder of the |
of Cromwell than they are of |
he story of any of the Kings and no |
lemen of his age. They admired the |
;arl of Beaconsfeld, but they yenerat- |
d Gladstone and John Bright. It does |
OF raise a commoHer in their esteem
-hen he becomes q noble; but it raises
noble in their respect when he adapts
imself to the ways and tries to further
he interests of the commoner. Lord
Iopetoun had his chance and lost it.
lie might have taken the hard-w orking
by the hand. without the
Intervention OF a turnkey and a card.
nd Joined him In simple, undecorat-
d pledge to give Australia a business
lan's administration. The two to-
ether could have done it; but the
arl was not able to get away from
is environment of rank and his defer
nee to the canons of the aristocracy. i
nd by that sign he failed