Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-09
THE LAST KING

berry. drew famous picture of
- Louis, lie Roi" He divided it
into three parts. In the first he ex-
hibited Louisa pitlable, weazened,
silly old man. In the second he showed
"Ie Roi," the crown, the scepter, the
royal robes, the official wig, the trap
pings of state. In the third he united
Louis to lie Roi." The Thackerayan
tri-picture is a most effective sermon
on fiummery worship. Most of the
newspapers and periodical publica-
tions of the world are now in an acute
stage of sloppy snobbery over the late
King Edward and his successor. Many
accounts of King Edward are being
written that would convey the i'm
preston he was a real force in inter-
national politics. He was hail-fel-
low and a good jollier, but that was
the extent of his power. His influ-
ence was merely moral, like that of
many other public men; but his power
in the government was really less
than that of any other public man.
1t does not seem to be we'll under
stood in the United States that the
monarchical veto ended with the exc
cution of King Charles for using it in
defiance of the representatives of the
people; and the royal prerogative was
ended when the insane meddlesome-
ness of George III provoked a revolu-
tion in America.
Furthermore. to lessen anv possibil-
ity of political intrigue the monarch
was disfranchised; and even the privi-
lege of writing his speeches from the
throne" was taken from him and COM
mitted to the prime minister, who now
prepares the address in which royalty
talks of my" army, my" navy and
my" colonies.
Whatever shadow of excuse there
may be politically for the maintenance
of the royal family, economically there
is none. It's members are a burden
on the people. and the salaries paid
them represent nothing but extrava-
gantly woeful and somewhat ludicrous
waste Of the national resources.
One of the best known Of our cos
mopolitan Americans-a man of world
wide influence and great wealth-was
in Los Angeles recently. In the course
of private conversation with two
friends he said the anomalous and OBJ
structiVe position of the British crown
had been the subject of a conference
in London attended by representatives
G
Kingdom. At that conference an
American made the suggestion that
King Edward should be pensioned.
The Britons present reminded the
Americans the real obstacle to "tri-
umphant democracy" in the British
empire was not the crown, which was
only an expensive fiction, shorn of
power, but was the house of lords.
Then and there (America, as we
have said. being represented at the
conference) campaign was planned
to attack the real seat of privilege and
prerogative in the United Kingdom,
and the real and only owner of an
arbitrary and anti-popular veto power,
namely the house of lords; and the
systematic campaign against the lords
was begun, whereof the end is not yet.
We cannot believe Edwards health
was affected by the constitutional
crisis. His promise to resign, upon
demand and should occasion arise, ex-
lists in writing. Several times he Of
fered to abdicate in favor of George,
believing the young mans descent
from the throne would not be such a
shock to the conservatives of the
world as would his own. With the
abolition of an hereditary and eccles-
iastical upper house the last faint
shadow of the royal prerogative will
be eXtinguished, and even the pomp
and circumstance which remain to the
alien, non-British royalty" of Britain,
will pass like a dream.
Between the time of Henry VIII, the
last king of England, and George V,
who in all probability will be the last
king of the United Kingdom and coll
onies and emperor of India, the democ-
racy has grown in power and prestige
Ever since the American Revolution
the history of the English-speaking
peoples has been one of steady prog
ress toward a common basis of action
in democracy, unhindered by the her
editary privilege of the lords and the
in the American senate.