The silver state news. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1907-1909, 1909-02-09
WEEKLY LONDON
NEWS LETTER

LONDON. FEB. l.-Agaln is seflous
concern felt over the health of King
Edward. His Majesty is still able to
attend to his onerous duties, but it is
noted by his intimates that he is much
more easily fatigued than a year ago
and that he seems to have lost interest
in many of the things which intensely
interested him formerly. But what is
regarded as an even more alarming
symptom is that the king is growing
irascible in temper. He is not always
the "good fellow which popular i'm
~agination pictures him, and during the
past year he has often been "grouchy'
in the extreme.
In this respect it is remarked by old
courtiers that the king IS growing
more and more to resemble his mother.
The late Queen Victoria, despite her
great kindness of heart and continual
good deeds, had a temper which was
not always kept in restraint and a
tongue that was OFTEN caustic. And
when the queen was in an Ill humor,
whoever was nearest at hand had to
suffer, perhaps one of the royal
princes, perhaps the prime minister Or
perhaps a servant. The queen was no
respecter of persons. There is an old
story of an occasion when Gladstone
carried to the queen a bill for her sig
nature. The measure did not meet
with the queens approval and she de-
clared with great heat that she never
would sign it.
"But Your 4Majesty,' expostulated
the great premier, 1.-The bill has been
passed by parliament, and you must
sign it,
Then the queens wrath blazed to a
white heat. "Sir," she declared, am
the queen of England, and no man can
say must to me-
Madame responded Gladstone
quietly, ''the parliament represents the
people of England, and you must sign
this bill.'
The queen signed the bill-her throne
would have have been the price of re-
tusal-but it is declared that never
afterward did she make any attempt
to conceal her dislike of Gladstone.
We started, however, to discuss the
health of King Edward. Statesmen
recognize that the death of His
Majesty at this time would be nothing
short of a calamity to the British en-
pre-, which is being held together by
an exceedingly slender thread. The
kings personal popularity, both at
home and abroad, has accomplished
more for the empire during the last
half decade than all the statecraft and
diplomacy of the several ministries. 1T
remains one of the chief assets IN
home, colonial and foreign policy.
To speak with perfect candor, the
Prince of Wales, who would succeed 10
the throne in the event of King Ed
ward s death, enjoys no great popular
ity either at home or abroad. He
ism I popular even with his own suite.
Yet the Prince of Wales means well
is of amiable disposition and high
ideals, lacking entirely in those weak
nesses which gave his father SO much
notoriety before he assembled the
throne. He is wholly lacking in per
sonal magnetism and makes no appeal
to the imaginations of his future
subjects.
1t must not be forgotten that tn,
people of England are as much self
governing as are those of the United
States. The monarchial form of gov
is maintained because of a
sentimental attachment to the crown
Ask any British statesman what would
be the result should that crown be worn
by an unpopular sovereign. and he viii
only shake his head.
Englishmen today are at little pains
to hide the conviction that at least
partial disintegration of the empire j:
a certainty of the not distant future
A man high in the councils of the gov
said to the writer not Ions
ago that he expected TO see Australis
and Canada set up for themselves with
in the life of the present generation
When it was suggested that the destiny
of Canada might be annexation to thu
United States, he ADMITTED that sucf
was a possibility, but was inclined t.
the belief that in the beginning, a
least. it would be an Independent re