The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-12-30
Englishmen Have
Little Use For
Pretenders to Thrones

Just a century and a half ago to-
day, on Dec. 80, 1866, there died in
Rome James Francis Edward Stuart,
called by his adherents James III. of
England, but better known as the
APrehender. While there have been
many pretenders to the British throne
since James and his SON Charles Ed
ward, they were the last to enjoy any
influential or considerable following
Having filed the teeth of the serpent
of monarchy-the phrase in swim
burne's--the English people have no
enthusiasm for dynastic controver-
sizes. and find one monarch quite as
good figurehead for the ship of state
as another. Happily the day is past
when pretender could plunge a
nation into war.
Although the pretending business
has never amounted to anything in
Great Britain since James. sought to
overthrow of the first of the Han
oVeqians, few idle folk with nothing
else to do have formed societies and
aconspiracies'' to overthrow the house
of Hanover. The English masses have
looked upon such projects as an
amusing parlor pastime for the idle
rich. but the plotters have never
been taken seriously. Up to the be-.
ginning of the present war the few
members of the Legitimist Jacobite
League amused themselves by con-
spring for the restoration of the
throne of a royal line more direct in
its descent from the Stuarts than that
represented by the present monarch.
This league came into prominence
during the reign Of King Edward, and.
that genial monarch found it quite
a diversion. Members of the league
conferred the title of MARY ""
Queen of England, upon Marie There
T3ox- 10
king OF that country, while her son.
now the Crown Prince Rupert, the
commander of the Bavarian army,
was hailed as Prince of Wales. The
Queen was an Archduchess of Aus
tria- Este Modena prior to her marri-
age. and claimed descent in q direct
line from Mary Stuart, Queen of
Scots, through James I. ana Charles
/ Since the outbreak of the war
the 'Iegitinists'' have ceased their
activities, perhaps because of the sus-
picien that it would not be health
full to advocate the importation of a
German ruler for the country.
While it is no secret that Emper-
Tor William would welcome the addi-
ton Of the British Isles and empire
to his dominion, it is not generally
known that he is numbered among
the pretenders to the British throne.
The Kaiser holds that, in accordance
WITH the law OF succession which gave
the crown to Victoria, instead, Of to her
uncle. the Duke of Cumberland, the
right Of succession was vested in
Queen Victorfa's oldest child, Prin4
cess Victoria. The latter renowned
her right to the throne when she be-
came the bride of Frederick Of Prus-
STA, afterward Emperor OF Germany.
It is the contention Of the Kaiser that
this renunciation did not affect his
right of succession as her oldest child,
but left him still In precedence OF his
uncle, King Edward VII.
While Emperor William has never
openly proclaimed himself King OF
Great Britain and Ireland and Enper-
or Of India it is well known that he
holds that he is lawfully entitled TO
those honors. Such a claim. which
would transfer the British throne
from the Hanover line to the house
of Hohenzollern. has never been. con-
sfdered seriously by Englishnen Tt
is doubtful il William could be as
rnagnanimous as the Pretender James,
who issued a manifesto proposing that
If George I. would deliver to him the
English throne. he would in return
bestow upon George the title Of King
/ of Hanover!