New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-17
CONCLAVE AND POWERS
Notices for TIE Veto-An Inten,s,,.
Human Pope.
Rome, Augus, Z

or smoke rising above the Sistine Chanel ;.
I delivered the conclave from prolonged da,s
lock. Cardinal Rampolla's followers vver. -.
organized and determined TO stand nv ~
With the Spanish and French cardinals -
porting their colleagues from the old kinsa0-
OF Naples and Sicily, they constituted the mo-.
compact and homogeneous group in the
clave. They could not have elected their ca,s.
date, but they might have held the Sacred 81
lege together for weeks. and have created aa.-
gerous impasse fraught with discord The ~
ace of the veto from the Emperor OF Aus,.~
Hungary at once cleared the air and hassa,..
a concentration Of votes upon q compron,.
candidate The Patriarch Of Venice would mr.
ably have been elected without the interno.,
ton of the veto from Vienna; but this sal,
tary and necessary conclusion could onIv b.r.
been reached after a protraeted and bitter ztrr-
GLE There are now rancorous expressions :,
discomfort among Cardinal Rampolla,s dIs..
pointed followers. and the Italian Governms..
is disposed to resent the exercise OF the w.
privilege. with which it is not itself armed. ~.
when sufficient time has elapsed to sunD1~
proper conditions of perspective the devout ana
consistent Catholic monarch viii be cr.at,as
with having rendered great service to n.
Church
The Rampollists, not wishing TO attack ~.
aged monarch who has contributed n,os+ o..
erously year after year to the maintenance !,
the Vatican since 1t has been deprived Of ~.
estates of the Church, have held the German
Emperor responsible for this interference a,
a Papal election. He is reported to have actss
as mentor and to have instigated this urotss,
against the election Of Cardinal RamnolI.
There is no proof either that the Protaztsr+
German Emperor undertook to advise his Cath
Ollie colleague or that the latter was raIueta,,
TO exercise a privilege which he has alwav,
claimed as an inalienabIe right OF the Austrian
Hungarian monarchy. The private communal
cations passing between European monarcb,
are not revealed to the embassies at Roma
much less to the newspaper Offices. The German
Emperor. by virtue of his intellectual cauacitv
and tireless activities. has acquired both IN
France and in England an unrivaIIed reputation
for energy. and no complication OF any impor-
lance can occur in the world without suspicion
being excited that he has taken hand IN If
With millions of Catholics in the FatnerIand
he would naturally have been interested in tn,
Papal election. and as the virtual head ana
commanding genius of the Triple Alliance h.
had a strong preference for candidates Ike Car
dinals GOtti and Serafno VannutelH who mighr
prove tolerant and flexible in their relations
with the allied powers and helpful especially
in regulating the political policies Of the Cen
tralists in the Reichstag. The German Emperor
also has strong religious convictions ard may
be credited with sincere desire to have re-
forms carried out in Vatican administration
The contention of the RampoIlists that he en-
couraged. if he did not inspire the veto BY the
Emperor of Austria Hungary does not lack
plausibiity: yet IL is probable that his influence
in the crisis OF the PapaI election is largely
rated at this time in Rome.
The Intervention OF the traditional veto priv
ilege-and the denials so faint that it can
be assumed to have occurred-can be explained
on practical grounds without reference to the
German Emperor's talent for supervising TIA
affairs OF the universe. The Austrian monarch
has been one of the strongest financial support
ers OF the Vatican since the occupation OF Rome
by the Italian Government. He has contributed
heavily and regularly to the expenses OF the
central administration OF the church, and
during the last Papal reign the diplomats pcli-
ces OF the Vatican have been directed against
the governments closely associated in the Triple
Alliance. and in favor of France and Spain. Ths
candidature Of CARDINAL Rampolla, Il successful
would have involved the continuance OF these
hostile policies. and also of the general admins
eration of the Vatican. and especially OF rs
finances. The Austrian Emperor would hardly
have been human il he had not desired a change
of rule at the Vatican. with opportunities for
close revision Of expense accounts and TIE
He might reasonably have said that the poll
cies with which Cardinal RampoIla had been
identified had brought about a reduction Of
Peters Pence from France, and that Austris-
Hungary, South Germany and other portions OF
the Catholic world which were Loyalty supports
ing the Vatican were fairly entitled to more
consideration than had been accorded 70 them
He might also have reinforced his argument By
referring to the fortune left by Leo XIII to the
Church as practical evidence OF the accumulated
financial resources of the Vatican. and OF the
necessity for close scrutiny OF accounts BY the
representatives OF so loyal a Catholic power as
Austria Hungary. Whatever may have been me
motives and the diplomatic byplay. the action
was decisive. Two-thirds Of Cardinal Rampo.las
adherents deserted him. Cardinal satoh and
other peacemakers met with little resistance,
and the Patriarch of Venice, as the naIurai
compromise candidate. was elected without pro
longed struggle 1t was an open question for
few hours whether he could be induced 70 accept
the tiara after the Austrian veto had disarrnso
the most conspicuous candidate; but when hs
assent was secured the conclave was at an emu
The world seems 10 be moved by financial con-
siderations- Dynastic motives certainly ha~
nothing to do with this Austrian protest ms
point of view had changed from the eoneiaSss
OF the last and the previous centuries. Tnen
days were spent combining votes on aeef
dental or fictitious candidates until 1t eouio .
ascertained against whom the veto privilege was
directed. and which cardinal was armed WIN l.
That was done not later than 1900 when Flus
VII was elected. and again in 1881, when Tres
DRY XVI. the last Venetian before Plus y Na'
chosen after a prOtracted contest. In 1910 car
dinal Gaysbruck was armed with slIIial
veto against Cardinal Gizzi. but there was ~.
much heart in the protest. for he fingered a
Milan and did not arrive as home until Plus u
ba5 rvha then