The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1902-09-04
WILL HAVE A MODEL RULER.
Prince Ferdinand, of Austria, and the
Onerous Task Which Awaits
Him as Emperor.


who assembled here for the corona
ton, one of the most interesting-per-
sonally the least known, too, perhaps
lis the Austrian emperor's represen-
tative, Franz Ferdinand d'Este. For
he is at once the future sovereign of a
great empire and the hero of IA ro-
nance, the hope of an important polit-
teal party, and willing tool in the
hands of n clever woman, says the
London World. Sooner or later he will
be called upon-unless the fates with
their shears intervene-to play u role
of almost Incompatible difficulty.
AS emperor of Austria, king of Hun
gary, and ruler of Bohemia, Galizia,
Dalmatia, Croatia, and any number Of
other states, he will have to hold the
balance even among some dozen rival
nationalities, each one with n taste for
flying at the throat of its ne.ghbors.
He must spend his life-he has no
choice in the matter If he be emperor
trying to do the impossible, trying to
reconcile interests that clash, and in
duce people who hate one another to
throw in their lot together Loyalty.
Among his subjects he will have Pan
Germans and Pan-Slavs, evangelicals
of the narrowest type, and ultramon-
tanes Of the most exalte-men to
whom the pope is the abomination of
denominations, and men to whom he
stands as the emblem of all that is
holy. He will have among them, too,
republicans and absolutists, progress
sives and reactionaries, constitutional
lists, anarchists and socialists; and on
him will fall the duty of keeping peace
among the lot. With such work be-
fore him, little wonder he looks de
pressed some times, and is more prone
to sigh than to laugh.
Franz Ferdinand is the eldest son of
the Austrian emperor's brother, the
late Archduke Karl Ludwig, a man of
great talents and great virtues, whose
life was wasted completely because he
was out Of touch with his times. Had
he lived In the fifteenth century he
would, no doubt, have been "A shining
| AiB iAlC hC w 40 hh
achronism. Even in Austria he was
looked on askance owing to the way
he used to rail against all things mod
ern. And he brought up his son to
walk in his own footsteps; from his
earliest days Franz Ferdinand was
taught-his tutors were always Jesuits
to look on constitutionalism as the
curse Of Austria, and on religious toll
Grafton as something akin to BIAS
phemy.
From the day the archduke became
crown prince In fact, although not in
name, he fell, Of course, under the di-
rect personal influence Of the emperor,
who, with that rare patriotism which
has always distingui he'd him, PROMPT
ly set to work, overwhelmed with grief
though he were, to try to undo the
pcrnicious effects of the education his
heir had received, and fit him for his
work as sovereign. Instead of priests,
soldiers and statesmen took up their
place by the princes side as mentors
and guides, and did their best to bring
him into touch with the realities of
life, and make him understand how
heavy are the responsibilities he will
have to bear. The good effects of this
change were soon apparent for before
many months had passed the arch
duke had developed into model
prince, so far at least as ceremonies
and functions are concerned. For po.
litical work, it Is true, he continued to
manifest marked dislike, refusing To
take any interest whatever in the do
ings of ministers or reichstag debates.
But of this characteristic his future
subjects could hardly complain, see
ing that they share it to the full. BE.
tween them and him, indeed, it was
the one point Of sympathy; for popu
lar among them he was not, being
much too cold in manner, too inditfer
ent and reserved, to appeal to Austrian
| taste.