The National tribune., 1909-12-23

Altho since Leopold'S death it has beer
said that he ruled his country well, en-
riching it quite considerably by his ex
cellent business ability, and that he wa
not so black as has been painted witt
regard to the Congo matter, enough
remains to make this rulers histor.
anything but an honor to his country
Leopold is succeeded by his nephew
Prince Albert, the only son of his broth
er, the late Count of Flanders. Althc
this Prince looks a good deal like the
late King, it would be difficult to fine
one more unlike him In most respects
The new ruler is a man "a years of age
very happily married to BaVariaT
Princess, and the father of three little
children, two boys and one baby girl o,
three years. Both he and his wife have
always been very popular, the purity
of their home life compelling the ad.
miration, respect and love of the Bel
gians Prince Albert, or King Albert
as he must now be called, has Kept
thoroly abreast of the times, and is III
terested in all the vital questions of the
day. He has made a study of poll
tical economy, and he's frequently lec-
tured on these subjects. Several years
ago he visited America and other coun-
tries for the purpose of looking into
social and political conditions. In short,
knowing that he would be called upon
some day to fill the place occupied by
his royal uncle, he has done everything
in his power to make of himself wise
and able ruler. His tastes seem to be
entirely healthful and normal. He loves
all kinds of clean and vigorous out-of-
doors sports, and is seen much in the
saddle His manner is frank and gra-
cious; in fact, he is most accessible and
democratic. After the humiliation which
the scandalous life of Leopold and his
two daughters, Stephanie and Louise,
los hrn ly6 4
upon them, 1t can well be imagined that
the Belgian people are now lifting up
their hearts in unutterable thankful
ness that they can once more look the
other Nations full in the face, and point
with as much pride as any of us to the
man who occupies the rulers chair.
strike in New York City, are powerfully
championed, sure enough. Miss Anne
Morgan, ]. Pierpont Morgan's daugh-
ter, who has a hand in SO many Of the
present-day reforms, has lately Joined
the Trades Union League, to which
these working girls belong and of which
Mrs. Hartman is President. Mrs. o.
H. P. Belmont is In it up to her very
eyes, SO to speak, and has just handed
over to the League s1,525 which she
had collected to help provide food and
shelter for the girls during the arbitra-
ton of their grievances. The other day
New York's Fashionable Colony Club,
the most magnificent woman's club in
the country, was given over to these
strikers, who mingled with the velvet
dresses, rich furs and feathered hats
of the society members of the club,
converting some 500 of them to their
way of thinking so completely as to
prompt the former to take from their
gold, bejeweled purses about $1,000 for
the relief of the girls. When eight of
the girls told the story of their wrongs
the faces of these women, with every
wish Of their hearts gratified, flushed
in womanly sympathy, and the most
idle among them began to have faint
idea of what life meant to some of her
sisters Our wealthy, fashionable wo-
men are certainly waking UP, along
tries, and when they are thoroly
aroused, why, things are going to hap
pen sure enough. Capital will have to
change its tone very decidedly when its
striking women are backed by such as
Miss Morgan, Mrs. Belmont, Mrs. Har-
riman, Mrs. Mackay and many others
of their wealth and social position.
Eugenie, the once proud Empress of
the French, who set the fashions for
the women Of almost every land, and
whose beauty and grace were the talk
of the world, is probably on her death
bed now. She Is SO years of age, but is
said to be remarkably clear-headed and
thoroly interested in public affairs. Few
women have had greater wrench to
the pride than Eugene, who was lifted
from position of comparative insig-
niicance to that of the highest in the
land. 1t has been said that her un-
quenchable ambition drove Napoleon
III into the war, which caused his ruin
and downfall, and that the proud EN-
no
loved but tickle Paris under the pro-
lection of an American dentist. Then,
later, came the death of her high-spirit-
ed son in Africa, her only child. Alcho
terribly saddened by all this, Eugenie is
said to have kept her sweetness, one of
her principal characteristics always, and
to have spent a great deal of her money
in various philanthropical ways. But
her race is now run, and the name of
Eugene, Empress of the French, will
soon be forgotten.
It looks as If Miss Electra Havemey-
er, daughter of the sugar millionair
and the heiress of large part of his
estate of $20,000,000, We're going TO
make very sensible marriage Her en-
gagement has just been announced to
young Webb, who will probably have
enough money Of his own some day in
all conscience, for his mother was a
to be an unusually fine and leVel-head-
ed young man. He graduated from
yale in 1907, and then started to learn
the railroad business from the very
bottom. Putting on overalls, he went
to worl at z o'clock In the morning,
and KEEP IT it till at night, eating his
luncheon and mingling among the other
worEmen as one of them. No one knew
who he was and he put on no airs, but
was hall fellow well met" with them
al. everybody calling him by his first
name within week. Mr.. Webb says
that for the simon-pure thing, the dia-
mond the rough, these workingmen
cannot beat. Taken simply as men
they have no superiors on earth. Their
word is as good as their bond, and their
hVes are simple and sane, so much
more so than those of most people in
the East Their private, domestic lives
are pure with divorce almost unheard
or. Meter is the workingman lacking
IN prar any means, Mr.. Webb af-
nrms; only thing he lacks is the
opportunity to develop them. All of
which Is encouraging coming from q
scion of the money-spendng, nobility
marrying Vanderbilts. Mr.. Webb has
Just been TO New York, visiting his fam
lily. during which he got in his good
work" with Miss Havemeyer and saws
That altho 1t did seem rather nice to
iive like gentleman again, he liked
the life West best, and should remain
out there for the present at least He
mas an office position with the railroad
company now, and has put off his over
ais. Young Webb is a tremendously
pig, notwithstanding fellow and very
n la to