The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1911-11-09
Why Alphonso IS
Hard to Dust.
From the Literary Digest.


mentions of a revolution. but SO many
uprisings have come to
observers are growing a little skept1cal.
Alfonso seems to stick to his throne
with a persistent and noncbalance that
BATTLE the insurgents, or progressives.
or whatever they call them in Spain.
Why is this? In Portugal one king was
assassinated and the next one sent out
OF his realm on the run, but rney We're
both unpopular. Alfonso is thinner
than the Portuguese rulers, and lacks
that look OF we'll fed indifference that
rouses the rage of the hungry poor.
That may seem a slim reason. but it
appeals to Vance Thomson, who writes
in Golfers on Spain as the Next Re
public We read:
Had a fat boy sat on the throne of
Spain, there would ave been long ago
o republic in hat Iberian land. But
the Spanish king is not like Don Car
los. He is the hardest king to over
throw in Europe, for he has all the |
qualities that appeal to the ordinary
m2n and woman-especially if they are
Spanish.
Before his marriage he used to go
often of a morning to. the law school
In Madrid. sit among the students, and
{taten TO the lecture. One day the Re- |
publican Deputy Azcarate lectured on
the superior advantages of the re-
publican form of government. When
he was done. the young king went up to
him, smiling, and shook hands.
Accept my congratulations, profess
sor." he said, .'but-every man to his
Iade, you knowt"
And he is 4 master of that archaic
rade OF his. Do you remember the be-
inning Of his reign? The gray squares
Id streets of Madrid thronged with
; opio; suddenly Ike es.:.::o::. ::ce:::sa.
y times, to say the king had come. In
siae the palace stood old dignitaries.
old ministers of state, envoys from all
the courts of Europe, Knights of the
Golden Fleece, grandees: to them came
the stately Duchess of Medina, bearing
on a golden platter the naked new born
king. Came ever a king so pictur-
esquely to m age-old throne! And
there was another day. after he had
been solernnly consecrated to the
Black Virgin of Antocha (the protec-
tress of the royal family, when he
presided at the opening session of the
cortes. Cooling in his gilt chair of
state, he listened: and the grave states
men debated affairs of state.
Now a rational. time serving, pro-
sressive man would snort with dis
dain at this idiotic travesty of royalty;
and, Of curse. il is absurd and me-
dieval and all that; but 1t preserved the
Spanish throne for over 20 years. YoN
see, some people are sentimental-even
revolutionistS are. Until he grew us
+! the Spaniards could. not be PERSUADE
that the tyranny of "Alfonsito
weighed heavily on them. Even when
he WAS IA. an anarchist who ran upon
him with his knife felt that way. The
little king was entirely at the mans
mercy. so he stood still. The anarchist
looked at him critically. then dropped
his knife.
No" he said regretfully. "no-you
are too young"
throwers took pot shots at him in We :
rious capitals Of Europe, including htt
owne but they could not kill him. M
they could not get the Spanish people,
rs q whole, to realize that Alfonso XIII
was an a~nachronisIn. a relic of barbar-
ism. q parasite, a tyrant. and all the
rest OF it. He is such a frank. demo-
cratic youth, so gay and bold-in the
old French way-in the face of death;
so full of wit and comradeship, SO dar-
ing and expert In all the sports; SO
good a husband. father, son; so essen
TALLY n fine fellow that it is hare to
prod Demos up to the point of taking
his throne-or head.
And without Demos there are no rev.
olutions.
The theorists, the idealists, the hui
manitarians, the fnanciers, can only
blow on the Goals and hasten the blaze.
I have said the kings personality is
the chief obstacle in the way Of the
revolution which is being organized at
this hour in Spain. Here is an illus
tration: After the last outbreak in
Barcelona the constitutional guarantees
were withdraw for that province. There
was widespread terrorism there. The
anarchists We're sullen and dangerous;
labor vas angry and ~discontentcd. The
worst elements in Catalonia swarmed
into the city. And the king went to
Barcelona. The police took every pre-
caution. Their spies lowered every
wherein cafes. streets, and squares.
Uniformed men lined the streets.
Troops were under ayms. When the
tdng came ne ordered all the guards
sent away. The officials who were re-
sponsible for his safety protested.
"They must be all removed" Alton
SO insisted; and without a uniform or
sword in sight he went down anon
the sullen citizens of his disloyal city.
Not a stone was thrown, not a seditious
cry was raised: here and there came
cheers for the king.
Another thing will delay-though II
cannot stop-the revolution. That Is
the fact that the queen of Spain was
taken from the English court. The
English none which backed the Por-
tuguese revolution and that of the
young Turks is sentimental where the
English royal family is concerned. Al
much as her royal husband, Queen Ena
} Whose bridal veil was torn by q piece
of the Moral and Ferrer bomb-stands
:, for the protection OF the old Spanish
monarchy. These sentimental reasons
Will pass way With bloodshed OF
without bioodshsd, the new king
Defnocrdcy-will come to his throne il
I Spain. as elsewhere.
l