The enterprise-recorder. (Madison, Fla.) 1908-1933, 1909-07-01
Abdul Hamid II, DeSpotiC Ruler.
SingIe-Handed, He Has Swayed
3 the Ottoman Empire--A Man
Of InVlncibIe VIII. =: =, .:

men and whisky"
And thus trlcked. the caller was
dismissed with an amused smile. He
told the story himself
An occasional impulslve action OF
the Sultau's has been known to 20
counter to his regular policy of ruth
less self-maintenance and make II
impossible to tell what course he
would Dursue-that OF kindness or Of
crafty prudence-in any given case.
once when he was driving back to
his palace from the mosque peasant
broke through the guards on the
route before they could bayonet him.
The Sultan was driving an open
rig with a team Of small Arabians.
The man, with rough gesture, ran
for the horses heads. The Sultan
could have whipped up his feet team
and left the peasant behind to be
despatched by the soldiers running
up. Instead he halted. He asked
the man what he wanted. The man
had written petition, which the Sui
tan took with his own hand, then let
the peasant go in peace.
A few days later, the story is told,
the Sultan killed a girl in his sleep
ing apartment, shooting her three
times with the revolver that was al
ways by him, waking or sleeping.
The girl was a favorlte Of his harem.
Waking suddenly, so It is said. the
Sultan saw her standing close to his
bed and toying with a revolver.
Scores Of stories OF Abdul Hamid s
cold-blooded cruelty are told. Many
Of them are evidently, from their way
Of telling things, imaginative. There
can be little doubt, however, that
Abdul Hamid maintained his throne
and his place among the living with a
Arm, and oftentlmes an iron hand.
The tales Of his way OF proceeding
against plotters, rebels and reform
ers-all classed by him as one-show
a peculiarly gentle and feline method
in his punishments Of murders.
One Young Turk Of prominent
family made much trouble for the
Sultan some years ago, 1t is related
In the days before the Young TURK
party gained the upper hand. He
went about Constantinople talking re-
| form with an unusual recklessness
that stirred up a good deal OF senti-
ment. The Sultan's spies brought
him news Of It.
The Sultan summoned the young
mans father and told him to stop
the boy. This the elder failed to do
4 few weeks later the young re-
former, still active, received a sum-
mons to call upon the Sultan. He
did so, feeling at last some tardy
misglvlngs. The Sultan received him
with marked favor, so the story goes
assuring him of his secret sympathy
with reform, and making him a rich
gift. Two nights later, the young
mans body was found in a distant
part Of the city in the water under
bridge.
Whether or not a particular case
Is authentic. there can be no doubt
that the Sultan Abdul Hamid has
maintained himself by ruthless force
and ceaseless craft and care. His
very existence on the throne for thir
ty-two years, unsupported by any &C
tive party, and unseconded by a single
soul, proves It.
While no Sultan has perhaps seer
the Ottoman dominion pass through
a time of greater misfortune, 1t is
monument to Abdul Hands ability
that he has kept Turkey intact FOL
some thirty years. When he came tC
the throne in 1876 war with Russia
was impending, utter defeat certain
the disappearance of the Turkish EN-
pire as a consequence imminent
Abdul Hamid fought a creditabl'
though a losing fight. He obtained
Unexpectedly good terms OF peace
which two years later were amended
vet more in his favor. With grea
obstinacy in the last stages of TIT
war and the first negotiations To-
peace. the Sultan refused to leav'
Constantinople or to surrender tn
Turkish fleet. The Ottoman Empir'
had then at the start Of its reign Il
thank him for its very existence.
Abdul Hamid abolished the can
stitution gained by the Young Turk
ish party in 1876, just before his &C
cession. In this he acted as half tn
sovereigns OF Europe had acted Of
similar occasions. He took his stan'
| definitely at the start of his reign a
a conservative autocrat and an or
tbodox Mussulman. To maintain hi
position he built up a system o
sries said to number tens OF thou
| .F-I -.-h....- n hnh unnarh I'm