Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-02-19

divine authority Is recognized py Iit
majority of the 100000 people who
dwell In the Dutch East Indies.
There is only one exception to the
list of what they may have. That one
exception is freedom. The Javanese
ruler is n precious bird in a golden
cage, a squadron of square shouldered
Dutch cavalry never fails TO escort
him when he goes out.
TO make sure that he shall not incur
illness or fatigue by going out too often
the elder brother has so arranged IT
in each residency that his royal nigh
ness shall never venture from his gold
en- palace until that good, elder bro
Their shall have considered the wisdom
of it, Neither may his royal highn ess
be annoyed by improper persons The
elder brother takes care of that. too,
by scanning the names of intended viz
itors before permitting them to call.
To do still further honor TO the jaw
anese princes, the affectionate Dutch.
man has built very pretty forts. so sit-
uated that every Javanese palace Is
commanded neatly and completely
Once the Javanese princes started to
move their palaces. or kratons. which
is the native name of the big groups OF
buildings that are necessary to the ma
jesty of the brilliant life. The princes
declared that it was a religious law
that the kratons must not remain on
the same site for more than a century,
and the century was about up
Whatever the Dutchman may have
thought about the religious part Of
the explanation. he did not wink an
eyelid. but agreed cheerfully. Only,
remarked. of course he would feel ~
incumbent on him to honor the princes
by moving the Dutch forts also, so
that they should still protect the kra-
tons in their new site And, Of course,
said the Dutchman, the expense would,
no doubt, be borne by the princes.
The princes have not changed the
location of their kratons.
The Dutchman is not always in alb
solute control of the situation, how
ever. There is a Javanese Bismarck.
He is so clever that the Dutch have
given him the name.
His right name is more difficult to re-
member. 1t is Raden Adipati Sosro-
diningrat. He is the husband of the
sister of the soesoehoenan, the 'empe-
ror' of Surakrata, and occupies a po-
sition in that grand court that is sim
liar to the post of premier or imperial
chancellor In European courts.
The Importance of his office can be
realized more clearly when it is under
stood that the rule Of the native chiefs
is direct. They govern the people un-
der native laws and the Dutch hide
behind them, so that. altho they
pull the strings of government, the
Europeans, as we'll as the natives, are
judged and ruled by the princes.
AS IT is the policy of the Dutch, In
addition to this, to conciliate the ma
tive population by making it feel that
its interests are protected particularly
the tendency is always to give the ma
tive the best of it insdisputes between
natives and white men. Consequently
the character of the imperial chancel-
lor at Surakarta is of vast Importance.
All leases contracts, and other trans
actions, connected with plantations,
come before him. He must stand be-
tween the princes and the Dutch gov
eminent. and that is no sinecure, for
the Javanese prince is an autocratic
and naughty person, who is spelling for
a scrap with his elder brother and
also the great father at Batavia.