The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-01
narocter Study of Prince Ferdinand of Busarie>

of attempting to lead his people he
permitted himself to be led by Them
fearing that conscientious action on
his part might interfere with that ev-
erlasting hobby of his. 1t is therefore
possible that, as many of her enemies
assert, Bulgaria is not exactly fitted.
for strict self government Certainly
with Ferdinand as king she would not
be model for other nations to follow.
But, the Bulgarians argue, nothing
can be worse than the present condi-
lions, under which they are Obliged ac-
tually to pay for the privilege of SUBJ
hitting to misrule, and it is therefore
not surprising that any demagogue
who pitches his song to the tune of
Separation From Turkey finds thou
sands of noisily enthusiastic listeners
who really imagine themselves to be in
earnest. Still it must be admitted that
the worst these demagogues can say
and your true Bulgarian politician is
nearly always a demagogue-does not
go beyond the facts. Turkeys misrule
in Bulgaria has been more irritating
than III Macedonia, for there is a feel
ing of resentment toward Bulgaria be-
cause of her semiautonomous condition,
and the indignities are therefore rubbed
into them a little deeper than into the
people of Macedonia, whose helpless
condition is accepted as a matter of
course.
In spite of his unwillingness to do
anything to prejudice his people
against him, Ferdinand is forever
making a mess of things It has al
ways been to his interest to cultivate
the friendship of Russia, but the more
he tried to do this the further he found
himself away from the friendship zone
of the Winter palace. AT last he hit
upon a brilliant scheme. His son and
heir, Boris, was about two years old
when Ferdinand caused the announce
ment to be made that the youngster
had accepted the tenets'' of the Greek
Catholic church, the official church of
Russia. All of the little fellows rela-
tives are Roman Catholics, and from
Them including his mother, and large
section of the Bulgarian public arose a
hue and cry which caused Ferdinand to
realize that he was not such a great
diplomat as he had imagined. But the
farce was gone through with to the
bitter end, and the princelet was form
ally received into the Greek Catholic
church, the car sending a prominent
representative and a handsome present.
He also wrote a letter of congratula-
tion but letters do not bear arms, and
while since then there has been a noni-
nal friendship between Ferdinand and
the car the latter has never done any
thing to forward the plans of the for
mer. Indeed, in the present trouble
with Turkey he has appeared to be to-
| tally against Ferdinand. At any rate
no act of the cars has warranted Fer
dinand in assuming that in the event of
serious trouble he will interpose in be-
half of Bulgaria. So that, while Ferdi-
nand by his absurd act concerning the
/ changing of the religion of little Boris
has really got nothing from the czar
in return, he has unquestionably sue
ceeded in alternating the sympathies of
hundreds of thousands of his subjects.
who would rather enjoy their mon
arch's discontinue SO long as no dan
| ger threatened from the outside. That
is why the pretensions of Sarafoff
would be more than an empty sound in
the event of Bulgaria's securing COM
plete severance from Turkish domina-
| ton. Sarafoff is popular with the peo-
pie, and, though in the opinion of keen
| observers he is as thorough a dema-
gogue as ever lived, circumstances have
never afforded him the opportunity to
| show the cloven foot.