The morning journal-courier., 1908-08-07
THE HELPLESS SULTAN.

One cannot read the intimate history of the present goings-on in Turkey without feeling grateful that one Is not the Sultan. With all his power and station, he is little to be envied con stitution or no constitution. The re- port of the unsuccessful attempt to stab him on Monday only justlfies that feeling the more. The whole story of the affair sounds like a chapter from a fairy tale. When we read that the sultan's life was saved by coat of mail he wears and that the would be assassin was impeded in his flight by the weight of bag of gold which he was carrying and which he Is supposed to have received in payment for kill ing the ruler to such an extent that he was easily captured, 1t reade exactly like the books of adventure of our childhood.
 The Sultan Is much safer on the street, mingllng with his country-men who so seldom have an opportunity to see him that they do not know how he looks, than in his own palace, where they know they can find him when he is wanted for an assassination. Ills daily life in the palace, even in these days when he is trying his best to meet the demands of his people with all sorts of elf-government reforms, only goes to prove the eternal truth of the old eaying: Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown" Two gem erals keep in constant attendance upon him, wherever he goes, The Sultan himself Is heavily armed and often in- dulges in revolver practice, at which he is said to be somewhat of an ex- pert, in spite of his many Ills But that IS not all The Sultan ie in constant fear of being poisoned by the food he eats Like the rulers of the middle ages, he insists upon every dish he touches being tasted in his presence and he has had armor-plated doors at the entrances to his kitchen, 'tis said that no plotters against him can there gain access to him or to what he eats.
 Yet, in spite of all this apparent helpleseenss of the Sultan and in spite of the fact that his army seems to be in revolt on every side against him, refusing to carry out his orders, still there are many writers In this country who openly are saying they suspect the Sultans objects. They believe his invitation to all political exiles abroad to return to Turkey s simply trap to get them In his power again and that his granting of constitution Is only sop to his people Even talk | ing 1t for granted that the world pow ere would allow the SultNn to get these refugees back to Turkey ther~ :" take advantage of them again, 1t would not seem that he had the prestige or the hold on his discontented people to be able to carry out such sinister plans. True the Sultan has been known to deceive his and other peoples many a
 time in the past, but never has he been so disadvantageously placed as he is today. Even he must realize 1t. If
 there is danger in the present Turkish
 situation, 1t may be expected at the hands of the Young Turks overshooting their mark. Abdul Hamid stood de-
 fenseless when his army demanded a
 constitution and 1t demanded 1t unan- imously Now that the Turkish peo- pie have been granted their constitu- tion, theirs is the responsibility. Self government is d dangerous toy to play
 with.