The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-12-22
FRANCIS JOSEpH'S
DEMOCRACY Won
Love OF PEOPLE
He Liked to Mingle With
Peasants And Get
Their Views.

lu0lT VIEWS.
Emperor Francis Joseph's demo-
rracy., the spirit of humanity and his
love for his fellow-men all Of which
sndeared him to his people were told
yesterday by Clarice Margolies Bar
light, a lawyer, of 141 Broadway, New
York city. who is a native of Austria
and who, while a schoolgirl there,
pften saw the Emperor. His religious
liberation and the simple act by
which he endeared himself to the
Jews Ok the empire are among the
Auec..ote- related yesterday by Mrs.
tEAfight
Those who had the opportunity OF
viewing Francis Joseph from the hu-
man side which he loved to show MS
people," she said, ."can begin to I'M
derstahd the reason for the intense
loye and devotion which he inspired
In all those he met. The Emperor
liked nothing better than to associate
on the most friendly and intimate
terms with his people, and especially
with the peasantry. and embraced
every opportunity to bring him into
closer personal touch with them.
the Emperor wearing the plain
clothes of an artisan or worker in the
fields, going among his people, con-
versing with them freely. and learn
Ing at first-harld, as he preferred to
do. the opinions and wishes Of the
masses who were the foundation OF
his empire. Often some favor or
courtesy extended to the plain, rough
ly dressed old gentleman by some
humble folk who were unaware OF
the identity / OF their royal visitor
would take the form Of sharing a
meal with him. Sometimes a. work
man on his way through the forest
would meet the Emperor, who would
walk beside him, talking in the SIM
plest way about State matters. Thus
he gathered the fund of Information
that made him, 50 powerful Ia factor
in interpreting the lives of his people.
Such. meetings were apt to be fol-
lowed by a gift which would make
the simple folk remember to their dy-
ing day that they had seen and, talk
ed with the Emperor. Nor were these
gifts inappropriate or ill-advised. He
would adapt his rewards in the sta
ton and Intelligence of the man. He
never made the mistake Of making a
baron out OF a simple uneducated
peasant. Let the farmer first learn
to use chalk!' was a favorite express
sion Of his, referring to the fact that
most OF the older farmers at that time
could neither read or write.
1.-THE Emperor was frequent Wis.,
itor to the schools throughout the
country. 1t was on the occasion of
one of these visits that T first saw
III
'er above the medium height with q
strong, heavily featured face, who
came to our school one morning to
look over the pupils and say, as he
always did, a few words of kind en-
enlargement and counsel He was
dressed In a long Prince Albert Coat
beneath which upon his waistcoat lay
a sort Of star upon a ribbon which in
dicated him to be, a man of high rank.
eft was his custom on these visits
to stop and pat the head of the little
girl who happened to be nearest him
as he walked through the room. This
simple act, 1t seems, had resulted in
a great deal of jealousy, the little one
thus favored being forever honored.
sometimes beyond her just deserts, as
the girl the Emperor patted.'
This time as the Emperor entered
the room the children all arose and
stood in an, attitude of respectful at
tention.s Suddenly one Of the small
est girls, who had been standing in
the rear, pushed her way to the front
OF. the room and created a little dis
turbance by persisting In crowding
her way past the others to the front
rank. The teacher, shocked at such
disorder on this august occasion,
sharply reproved the child, who be-
gan to cry. The Emperor noticed the
incident and gave the teacher an in,
During look. The child was asked
TO explain the cause Of her trouble.
She said, between sobs, that her elder
sister had once been favored by the
Emperor patting her head, and since
then she had been petreo by every
body. Her sister had been allowed to
have her own way since that great
event, the best Of everything was Civ
en- to her, and it was more than the
little one could stand. She insisted
that it was only fair that she should
be allowed the honor this time, so
az to even things up. She wanted
her head patted by the Emperor too!
The rest Of us children looked up
at the Emperor, aghast at the horror
of such simpertinence.j What would
he do to the little cu1prit? Something
terrible, no doubt; and we waited in
fear. But the Emperor only smiled
in his kindly way and, while talk
ing to the teacher, made his way
through the whole schoolroon, pat
ting each child on the head until.
when he was finished, there were no
favorites to lord it over the others
Instead, there was a whole classroom
full Of joyous, happy little girls. who
ran home as fast as they could TO fell
Of the great honor that had come to.
all.
ut was just such simple houe1v
acts as this which made the mama ~
Francis Joseph adored and revered
by his people in a way which we in
America would perhaps find if dim
cult to understand.
Some Years after this T saw tho
Emperor again. We lived in the
town Of Czernowitz, now one of the
storm centers Of the war. On that
day it was dressed in it's gayest. tha
houses along the aiser strasse. the
main street, being decorated with
flags and bunting. There were can
dies burning in each window, and the
balconies on the second stories were
brilliant with flowers. Over the rail-
ings OF the balconies were hung rugs
decorated with bouquets of flowers
while the women, dressed in their
"a Ia Of