The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-03-30

King Alphonso XII. will be, in the ordi- nary course of events. the most inter- two months. He comes of age on May 17, and takes the oath, climbs into hIs throne and succeeds his mother as the first person in Spain. Thereafter, If his health permit. he is going to make his first tour Of the continent and inspect the available supply of nariageabie prln- cesses. He Is only l5-in spain royalty comes of age" at 16-but affairs Of state ranged at once. It would be hard to i'm agine a more pathetic figure than this gallant little King being led about through the courts of Europe that pros goods. Afterward 1t will be the Spanish Premier who concludes the arrange ments. How much money and how much political influence" he will say of Queen of one of the proudest nations on earth?"
 Then the royal guardians of some three Austrian archduchesses, one or two or the Bourbon princesses will point out how depreciated in value the goods are After due dickering the little King and some presumably indifferent princes sS >,l become engaged without having any selves. It was hoped in Spain that this bit of business could be arranged before the coronation festivities in May. but the mutterings of revolution became too
  from the country. It was planned at one time to make the coronation festivities rival in splendor those of Alphonso brother monarch, King Edward Vll., at Westminster Abbey a month later, put the serious condition of the country has apparently caused a.sonsiderable change in those plans.
 In Spain, as in the Netherlands. the coronation isn't really coronation at all. In Holland the polite fiction s that the reigning monarch Is so lofty in dig nifty that no subject could assume the moral stature necessary to place the crown on the monarch's head. and thus for the moment have a position Of su- per:C rity The real reason Is that the doughty Netherlanders are too indepeho. ent to relish the idea of having any ol their number wear a crown. the supreme symbol of sovereignty. For a similar reason the kings and queens of Spain have never been actually crowned since the days of the Visigoths All that Al- phonso will have to do to become kins in fact as well as in name will he 10 go to the Senado or Senate and take the oath uo support the Constitution. There will be gorgeous robes, state carriages. nriestIy annointings and a company oi all the most distinguished of spanish erandees, with the ambassadors and rep resSntatiVes of the other royal families of Europe; but crowned heads VIII be conspicuous by their absence. l saw Tn an Americsn paper the other day page full of pictures of most or the kings And, queens of all Europe, with tue explaining that they were among the folk who would make the English coro- nation glorious by their presence But not one of them all. except. perhaps, the old King of Denmark, father Of queen Alexandra. will be present at either cor onation because through some queer bit of etiquette. for which no reason except tradition can he given, it is not consld- cred good form for one wearer or a crown to see a fello ow-monarch crowned.
 Beyond the general facts given above. no program for the coming festivities has been given out yet in Madrid, ana 1t is thought quite possible that the cer> emonies will be kept under cover almos. entirely great display of pomps and vanities gauds and gew-gsws before a public over-burdened with taxation ana infested with anarchy would seem nke tempting Providence, so say the moro experienced of Spanish statesmen It IS possible that Alphonso. the unlucky 18th may survive long enough to make ms influence felt in Spain. His father, all ways a rather weakly man, died or con sumption at the age of 2l. six months before his only son was born Little Al phonso, who had therefore the rare dis tinction of being born a King. has had a battle from the first start with the inherited seeds of disease. At he was seized with an illness from which no one expected him to recover, but his experience was another instance or the queer fact that the sickly can pull through sickness better than the strong
 Today he is about as we'll as he ever has been. You will ind scarcely any one in Madrid who does not take 1t fof granted that he Is consumptive, but he has not so far given any sign of serious indispositon. After he so narrowly es- caped death in infancy hls mother real ized that the only hope was to Keep nm out of doors as much as possible. He has managed somehow to get as firm a grip of manly sports as if he were ro- bust ntte English Niscount. They gay
 
 an Arizona cowboy. and that he would have fair chance of winding tree-lor' all swimming match in which the other bows wouldn't let him come in ahead head is too high and narrow. his eyes are too bright and his nerves respono tco quickly 70 the stimuli or ordlhars experiences, The rich man who has losl his wealth suffers far more than the poor man who has always been poor and thus it is that little Alphonso ol the unlucky XIII. is more than un commonly tragic figure. His hle hangs together by a thread; his throne hangs together by a nall; his proud old countr\ hangs togetter only by tr r4dlHon. Iht very grandeur and vast extent of the bows various palaces only emphasize thf contrast between the impoverished Spair of today and the magnificence of the em plre that once dominated all Europe into whose coffers gold kept tumbline from every point of the compass. anc a that held the western continents III lAt hollow of her hand. ~ ,.
 Today Spain. shorn of her colonies II a second rate power with dlsorgahlzee army-some of which 1t would hKe tt disband if it were not that the dis charged troops, bitter because of the loss of the only employment they nh derstood would he sure to become Re publicans forthwith with navy tha has not existed since the overWheimhs disaster of Manila Bay and Santiago with a naval department which has cos the country just as much since the navy ceased to exist as it did before; with | great swarm of priests exempt from tax ation and from punishments Tor crime with corruption in government depart ments d custom of such long standlns that the public takes it for granted; VIII a political system by which the result of national elections can be foretold tn day before the election is held; Wit the great manufacturing city, or Barce Iona seething with revolt and bloodshe, and anxious to join itself to France: wit. the whole country grumbling and growl ing with discomfort and yet having Il idea of how the situation can be re lieved. .-. .,-- ,,,,, ;,
 sad little figure of a man and that a the hack of the coronation festivitie Sanes a black curtain? So far as I cal ratber Alphonso is really popular an Beloved in Spain, in spite of tn" fac that the Republican Party 9 b tna,,ing steadily loni a. the little King eh' s fairIv safe. But al ige Ii Is an odd fact Il lei was his nominal p. tn