Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-05-30


his sister, the late princess Of the
Asturias, who died last year. This
would necessitate another long re-
gency, and trouble certainly would en-
sue concerning the disposal Of the lat
ter. For whereas II might appear nat
ural that the principal guardian Of the
infant king should be his father, yet
the latter owing to his foreign birth
and to his membership Of the most
reactionary branch of the Bourbons
Of Naples, is so unpopular In Spain
that his appointment as regent would
be out of the question, and II the
strict letter OF the law and Of the
constitution were compiled with the
reins of power would be vested In the
hands Of the only surviving sister Of
the present king. the unmarried, %
years old Infanta Maria Therese.
That the present Spanish dynasty
survived the sixteen years Of the mi
nority of Don Alfonso XIII. was en-
tirely due to the sagacity Of Queen
Christina, to the patriotic forbearance
of Canovas, and to the devotion and
political skill Of Sagasta. That 1t
would live through another regency Of
twelve years is extremely doubtful.
indeed. well nigh improbable. For
Canovas and Sagasta are both dead
and Queen Christina would be debar-
red by the constitution from resuming
her former position at the tiller Of the
Spanish ship of state, even were the
people willing to confide to her the
task. Menaced by Carlism and even
still more by republicanism, the growth
of which is making enormous strides
In the Iberian peninsula, the present
dynasty would be doomed in the event
Of the death Of King Alfonso.
Hollands Fate In Queens Life.
1t was but the other day the Dutch
premier, DR.. Kuyper, was publicly
charged in the states general at The
Hague with having initiated negotia-
tions with the object Of bringing the
Netherlands within the sphere Of the
L -
the sovereign states forming the con-
federation known by that name. There
are number Of people In Holland who
are convinced that this is the only
way Of protecting their colonies In
the orient and also on this side Of the
Atlantic from seizure by foreign pow
ers. This absorption Of the Neither
lands and Of the Dutch colonial empire
by Germany would be hastened-indeed
would become an accomplished fact
were anything untoward to happen to
the young queen Of Holland, who has
never recovered her health since her
serious illness two years ago. and who
Is still childless.
The next heir to the Netherlands
throne is the grandduke of SAKE
Weimer, a German sovereign prince
brought up as a Prussian officer, and
failing him the throne Of the Meth
erlands would go to his fathers Sis
ter, Princess Henry Of Reuss, formerly
German ambassadress at Vienna, and
/
Of Reuss, a lieutenant In the German
navy, stationed at Kiel. Whether
Great Britain and France would be
willing to consent to the incorporation
of Holland into the German empire Is
a matter which has already given rise
to much discussion. For there Is nc
doubt that were Germany to secure
possession Of the principal seaports Of
Holland she would be placed within
easy striking distance Of the coasts OF
England and France, and therefore a
standing menace to these two coun-
tries To America the inclusion Of the
Netherlands in the customs union OF
Germany, which Is hostile to the trade
and industry of this country, would
prove a serious economic injury.
Danger In Italy.
King Victor Emmanueps death just
now would bring to the throne his 10
months old boy, with the duke OF
Aosta as regent. Italy is honeycombed
with socialism. The republican ele-
ment is strong throughout the penin-
sula, and the duke of Aosta Is nothing
like as popular as either the present
king or either Of his two predecessors
A regency long enough to admit of the
Infant prince of Piedmont attaining
his majority would be, all things con-
sidered, risky to the crown, and the
life, therefore. of the present king Is
Of supreme Importance, not only to his
dynasty but also to Italy, and. indeed
to the peace Of Europe.
Just what would happen to Constan-
tinople were the sultan to share the
fate of so many Of his predecessors
and succumb to violence, no one can tell
For his brother and heir, Prince Re-
chad, is an elderly man Of 60, who,
owing to the padishah's jealousy and
suspicious has been kept in such pris-
onlike seclusion that no foreign diplo-
mat and but few Turkish statesmen
have ever been permitted to have ac-
cess to him. He Is reported to be both
fanatic and reactionary. But no reli-
ance can be placed upon these rumors,
which probably originate in the sui
tan's encourage. In one word, Rechad's 8
advent to the throne might mean a
Moslem uprising against the Christians
and the revival of the so-called east
ern question In all its intensity; or 1t
may spell the Inauguration Of a new,
more enlightened and happier era for
the Ottoman empire.
| In Russia 1t Is a grand duke, the
brother Of the czar, who Is entitled to
the regency Of the empire In the event
of the death Of Nicholas and the ac-
cession to the crown Of his 11-months
old boy. Grand Duke Michael has been
so frequently described In these letters
that 1t is unnecessary to say any more
about the subject, save that he is
credited with a strong and more de-
termined character and less inclination
towards liberalism than Emperor
Nicholas.
Kings Edwards Death Calamity.
The conciliatory role played by King
Edward since his accession to the
throne, both in domestic and foreign
politics, would render his disappear