The Washington herald., 1908-08-02
TEMPERED BY GALLOWS
TURKISH AND OTHER ORIENTAL IDEAS OF
PARLIAMENTARY FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
By EN-ATTACuE.

4e-.LlINtA Dl Laa- EtIr- ~ .laNaAl
~dzspotism tempered by assassination-
In the same way parliamentary methods
in the Orient may be designated as
democracy tempered by the galiows- We
have recently had q striking Illustration
thereof at Teheran. where the Shah. fnd-
ing the rev-Iy created Parliament trouble
some and unwilling 10 defer TO his views
sEelled the palace in which 1t held IT'S
sessions. looted and destroyed the houses
o. the members Of the opposition. and
finally hanged the latter. after submitting
them 20 those frightsuI tortures which
only AsIatic ingenuity can invent Hav-
ing accomplished this. the Shah has is
sued a proclamation 10 the effect that he
will call a new Parliament together ia
three months. and concludes the edict
with the words We trust that our
faithful subjects viii show more judg-
ment in choosing their representative in
future"
The shah can lay no claim TO originality
IN thus crushing legislative opposition,
which in the East Is construed as re-
belling against The throne and iu the
EgEt Of treason II has always been
thus. and there may De some Of my read
ers who. like myself were IN Egypt
thirty years ago and more. and who
recall in this connection the amusing
episode which took place when the first
Egyptian Parliament was summoned by
Ehedlve IsmaiL When the newly chosen
delegates assz zmhieG the minister Of the
interior attempted = give them some
rough notions Of parliamentary duties
and organization. and explained that -hcy
would be expected frankly 90 approve or
dlsapprove OF the measures that should
De laid before them With that view be
invited such Of them as were disposed 70
c-i-icise the government programme 90
range themselves on one side of the
chamber while those who were prepared
90 give Il their fun confidence IL advance
would sit opposite God forbid" was
the general answer that any one Of Us
should think OF questioning anything thar
the EGeuLiua 1.-THE ELedireJ proposed %
And they all crowded 90 she minis
rerial side. leaving the opposition repre-
sel-ed by empty benches. which no per
suasiou in the world could induce thesa
10 occupy
Just before Christmas. I'm 1876 Abdul
Hamid, who only four months previously
had been raised % the Ottoman throne
in the place of his uItra-u5eraI brother
Nurad. granted a constitution % the
Turkish people. fucIUEiug freedom OF the
press. and OF education, equal taxation.
irremOvabls Judges. and a senate and
lower chamber both elected TIE object
which he had iu view was 20 avert the
crisis with which the sublime porte was
threatened. both from within and from
without. and which eliminated shortly
afterward IN the war with Russia Bu,
as soon as the Sultan realized that the
concession had failed 70 accomplish his
object, lie took steps 10 prevent be5ug
given the constitution. and inflicted con-
dlgu punishment on those VINO had com
uitted him 90 granting IT. AIEhar Pasra
I'D particular. one Of the most progressive
Oriental Statesmen OF the nineteenth cen
tury- being not only 6iSErired and inn
VrisOrad. bflr Elzewlse bauishel TO BaE-
dad. and dubbed TO death with the butt
eEGs Of the rifles Of ms guards before
reaching his destination. on the prgtex'
that be- was plotting 10 escape from tEgir
custody
Even iu Russia. which. though in many
respects Asia-ic. claims 20 belong 90 Ell.
rope. We find most Of the members Of the
opposition Of the first DoUmz- ileludiue
Us president. still la1Euisliug IN Jail.
not as criminals. but as political offend.
eTs-
EllEs L.lt- N..- news
ConstantinopI= 70 the effect that the Sui
tan has granted anew the constitution O.
1s-5. which had remained until now
dead letter. VIII have been received b5
al thoughtful students of Oriental af
fairs with considerable reserve. Il doe
not mean thar Abdul ETamid has become
any more enlightened. liberal or assured
Of the qualihca-l1.s OF his subjects f0
parliamentary Eover1ne1t-ULich neithe
they nor any Orlentsls possess u mus
be construed as indicating that he is one
again in q particularly tight place. th7
The crisis by which Ee IS confronted q
more serious than any with which he Ia.
been called upon 10 deal IN thirty years
and that he wishes 10 propidate. al am
rate for q time. public opinion, both E
his own dominion and abroad
THe crisis fu question is or a var.-.
character. and according 10 those vl.
are IT a position 10 know. may cuIuila-
at any moment in one of those pGl6r
tragedies which have marked the clos
Of the reiEu OF weII-1igh every Turks
ruler who has reiE1ed since the fourd2
ton Of the present Ottoman dynasty b
12sc by Gilman Nearly UwO-sc0re sui
laus have occupied the throne duriu.
those COO years. and not more than f0-
Of them are on record as having died
natural death. al The others having beel
strangled or stabbed or poisoned. Thes
palace dramas are usually brought abol
through the overthrow Of some favorits
who. realizing that IN the Orient GeaJ
follows quickly on disgrace. is driven b.
desperation go murder and blOoGS teG. 81
the hope Of saving himself and his friend
and Of winning the good viii OF the ney
Sultan. who owes 10 MIN his accession
IL is not the troubles iu Macedonia 70
yet the endeav0rs made by England. Rus
sia. and France 20 compel the iuauEuTd
ton Of the long promised reforms in tn
administration OF that province whic
have Sc greatly perrUrbed Abdul Haue
within the last few weeks Differences %
this kind with one OF more foreign poV
e-s have been part and parcel Of the dau
routine of his long reign
Tney do not disturb him. for. keeuI
alive % the iealo1sies and rfvaIrfes De
tween the various foreign powers. D
knows that be can always play Of or
group against another. and that Just q
present be can rely upon the moral back
Ing Of the Kaiser. and possibly. too. q
Austria and italy. in resisting the pres
sure Of England Russia. and Franc
about Macedonia
The true reason for his concern Is frs
Of an the revolt Of his AIbanians. upo
whose loyalty. To which he had sacrid-e
So much. he relied bIludly. but above al
the discovery Of treason within the wal
of the YILiz Eiosiz- II is stated tha
Izzet Pashs, sGrnanled -'EI Arab by rea