Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-01-17

ument promising that no relative of
| theirs should sit upon the. throne.
Where else could Prince be found?
The throne was not tempting one.
| It's occupant must be a person of
! wealth, for Bulgaria was too poor to
afford-H salary such as might enable
him to "cut figure" in Europe and
| life in the Bulgarian capital presented
| few attractions to any one accustomed
to luxury and gayety.
Seekers were few and this Princess
| Clementine saw her chance. Her
nephew, lieutenant in an Austrian
regiment, should sit upon the lnrone.
But the young man himself had no
wish to be Bulgaria's ruler. He begged
| to be excused. The Princess, however,
| would not be gainsaid, the young Off
Ger found himself forced to consent,
| and his aunt is reported to have ex-
pended million on securing him the
| situation, large numbers of his Bulga-
rian supporters being induced to sup
port him by presents Of jewelry, which
| appeared much more valuable than
they were found to be when the recip-
tents sought later to pawn them in
Paris
By that time Ferdinand was secure
upon his throne. To the surprise OF all,
| the young lieutenant turned out to be
one or the most wary rulers in Europe
--one who has proved himself a match
for the most Inscriptions eonspirators
| against him and one who has also
vastly improved the position Of his
country. ~
Thrones have been declined fort.ya-
rious reasons. The Bulgarian throne
was looked at askance in consequence
of the poor salary attached to it-mere-
" S250,000 a year. This sum. however,
King Ferdinand has contrived TO get
supplemented by an extra 100000 for
the upkeep of palaces. Princess and
Dukes with small but safe income of
about $4,000 or 100000 a year have re-
fused to take thrones at such q meager
remuneration with necessarily enorm-
Gus expenses attached to them-and
the uncertainty as to how long the sit
uation will last. The difficulty of find
ing a King under such circumstances
has proved a heavy task to those to
whom it has been entrusted. Often
there are other awkward considera-
tions.
I'VE want Prince one of the
negotiators is said to have declared
to likely candidate for the throne,
t.who is clever and will devote him
self to his people. He must love
them.'' zz-.-sz4
The position of the King of Spain
! Is a proud one. But the King who
sat upon the throne before Alfonso
XII relinquished it and turned his
back upon it in disgust. The Spanish
Crown had been offered to several
Princes about 1870, but none had been
persuaded to accept it. In an i'll mo-
ment for his happiness Amadeus, the
second son of Victor Emmanuel, King
of Italy, accepted the position. Three
years later, after the attempted as
sassination of himself and his wife
In the streets of Madrid, he threw
up the job and shook the dust of
Spain off his feet. The occupant of
the throne of Bulgaria before FerH
nand found it such bed of thorns
that he quilted in disgust. ~
For seven years I have not known
| what 1t was to- have an hour to my
self" he declared.
It is probable that several Of Eu
ropes rulers would not mind resign
ing their posts and allowing some one
else to succeed them If only they
could. The tastes of the Gar OF Rus
sia are those of a plain feountry gen
tleman who would be extremely hap
py If he could pass his life in peace
and obscurity with his children. But
= Car cannot escape his. fate. He
must totter on under the burden
Fate has placed upon him In loneli-
ness. The Car and his family are
perhaps the loneliest persons in Eu-
rope He cannot mix with his sub
jects, only his relations are admitted
to his circle, and the terror of sud
den death hangs around his presence.
/ Other royalties shirk inviting the
i Gar to visit them.
/ Ex-King Manuel OF Portugal no
doubt exults in his freedom from the
throne. He is rich, free and safe. On
the throne he would be poor, fettered
and dogged by the shadow of the aw-
ful fate that overlook his father and
his elder brother. He troubles moth
ing about regaining the throne,
though his so-called friends-tho per-
sons who imagine they see their way
to fortune by placing. him once more
in the kingly seat-are doing all they
can to restore his fortunes and
drag him to the throne he breads
London Saturday Journal II
The Island of Kauai.