Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-17

horseback riding and frequently rides alone.
You may sometimes see him in the parks
in the suburbs of Brussels going a+Ssg at
a good trot through the woods, with as
little ostentation as I saw him out walking
this morning.
King Leopold's Income.
Indeed, Leopold has many things to COM
mend him. He lives simply. He has
palace or so in the upper part of Brus-
sells, but his home is not extravagant
as far as its exterior is concerned, and 1t
costs as little, perhaps, as that of any
great monarch of Europe. He has civil
list fourteen times as big as the salary OF
President Roosevelt. He has $!Oo,ooo a
year to keep up his establishment, and In
addition he has a large private fortune
He owns lands in Belgium, hotels at o.
tend and has been interested in the gam
bling houses there For long time ne Hen was
the vast territory which he acquired
through Stanley, but Of late this has been
turned into an Independent state. with MN
as the ruler, and I can't tell you just what
he gets out of it. I only know that Its
government revenues now amount to not
quite 100000 a year, and that the ex-
penditures are greater than that. Whether
Leopold has any private property there or
not do not know.
His majesty has been accused Of not be-
ing a very good guardian of the wealth of
his own family. and especially of that of
his sister, who was the wife OF the unfor-
tunate Macmillan of Mexico. Her name
was Carlotta, and, as the story goes, when
vast estate, Of which King Leopold was
trustee. Then Carlotta became insane and
her estate was almost absolutely in the
power of her brother. 1t is gossiped that
the most of this property has been squan-
dered in various speculations, and that
large part of 1t has gone into certain en-
terprises along the Congo river. In the
meantime the enemies of Leopold say Car
lotta has recovered her reason, but that his
majesty does not dare to take her out OF
the asylum for fear of being held to an
accounting. :
The Royal Family.
King Leopold has no son to succeed him.
He has had three children, but they are
all girls. The Princess Louise, VINO is now
forty-four, was born before he assembled
the throne, as was also the Princess Ste
phanie, who is now thirtyeight. Both of
these princesses are married. The third
daughter is the Princess Clementine, who
was born July 80, 1872, and who is conse-
stitution, however, the succession can only
go In the direct male line of the family,
and the girls have no chance. If the king
should die today 4lis brother, who is two
years his Junior, would take his place, and
in case of his death the succession would
go to his son Prince Albert, who Is now
twenty-seven. and who has baby boy
named Leopold about two years old ready
to succeed him in case he dies.
How Belgium is Governed.
The government of Belgium is somewhat
different from those of the other European
monarchies. The king has little more power
than the King of England, the most of the
governing being carried on through the
congress and ministers. All the royal acts
must be countersigned by one of the minis
tiers, who thus becomes responsible for
them The congress consists of a senate
and house of representatives, elected by the
people, and 1t Is a curious thing that some
men have as much as three votes. Every
citizen over twenty-five years of age has
one vote, and those over thirty-five who
pay at least 81 a year in house tax and
have had children have each an additional
vote, as, has also every citizen of over
twenty-five who owns property to the
amount of $460 or who for two years has
| received $40 annually from his government
bonds or funds in the savings banks. Grad
yates Of high colleges have two extra votes
| but no man can have more than three votes.
| Another regulation provides that every man
must vote, and that II he does not he may
| be arrested and punished. Thus you see
| the government enforces voting and gives
premiums of extra votes to such who have
children. property and higher education.
| Government Ownership.
| In Belgium, In most of the countries
of Europe the government owns the tele-
| graphs and telephones, and to large ex-
tent the railroads. Each of these branches
| Is worked at a profit, and they add ma
| terially to the government revenues The
| revenue from the railways last year was
! about $5600000O, and that from the tele-
graph $2,000.O00. The railroads are man.
aged in the interests of the people, and
more especially for the lower classes. The
| different roads have workingmen's tickets,
| by which a laborer may go to his f>ctory
| and back If it Is within fifteen miles for
| 81 cents week every day by train. There
| are also reduced tickets for school children
the children are taAen away under the