Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-11-30

! OF THIS WAR


The lesson of the war. as far as 1t con-
Germs the monarchial principle In general.
Is that only the constitutional monarch and
the patriot king can survive under modern
conditions. Fol constitutional monarchy
in its various degrees, from that OF our
own crowned but democratic republic to
that of Italy, Belgium, or Rumanla, there
is a great deal to be said, not merely from
the point OF view OF wont and custom. but
OF hard common sense 1t Is on such mon
arches as those just named and on such
kings as King George, King Victor, King
Albert. and King Ferdinand. and not upon
such kings as those of Greece or Bulgaria
let alone the two kaisers and the sultan
that the defenders of monarchy. II they
are wise, will base their case. lie 1s no
true friend of monarchy. but its adlie
enemy, who would. try to save King Con-
s~tantine, not on his personal merits as a
monarch, Tor that of course is impossi-
BILE, but lesuthe cause of monarchy should
receive injfry. The thing is so evident as
hardly to need argument. Who can doubt,
In spite of the immediate accidents of the
war-merely local and temporary as we
are certain they are-whether King Ferdt-
nand of Rumania or King Constantine OF
Greece has the firmer seat upon his
throne? The king Of Rumania has played
the true part of a constitutional monarch.
He has acted the part of the patriot and
the democratic king. The facts that he
Is a member of the Hohenzollern family.
and that Rumania was before the war a
member of the triple alliance, though with
a limited liability, might have seemed to
afford excuses for an attempt to play the
game played by the Greek monarch. or at
any rate for the maintenance Of neutral
ity and the sterilization of his kingdom.
King Ferdinand made no attempt to seize
them. Instead he at once recognized that
his duty lay in thinking not of his per-
sonal or dynastic position but of the will
OF the people over whose destiny he pre-
sides. When that will was clearly shown
he not only made no attempt, to hold Ru-
mania back, but loyalty accepted the part
of interpreter OF his peoples wishes. Who
can doubt that it is he who has given
strength to the monarchial principle In
Europe, and not his Greek brother?
A Teutonic Argument.
The German emperor, feebly supported
by the aged emperor Of Austria and by
that most abject of dynasts, the king Of
Bulgaria, has been endeavoring in every
neutral and allied court to instil into
European rulers the poisonous and dead
ly notion that the monarchical principle
must stand or fall with the Hohenzollerns.
Remember that II the Hohenzollerns fall.
monarchy in Europe falls with them" are
Lno actual WORDS WnlCQ the KAISER or MIS-
emissaries are said to have used in this
context. Nothing could possibly be more
false. more contrary to the facts. In
reality, II We can Imagine a temporary
success for German arms, it would not be
too much to say that the ultimate down.
fall of the dynastic principle was certain.
In spite OF the temporary success. mon
archy would have been on it's trial and
have failed. 1t could never stand the
shock OF so fatal, SO disastrous q triumph.
All true friends of the monarchical sys-
tenn. if they are wire. will recognize that
the future Of that system depends upon
constituttonalism and upon its develop
ment.
Unless the peoples can be brought to see
that kings age useful trustees Of demo-
cratic and national interests, provide con-
ttnuity OF government, a mitigation OF the
party system. a protection from the worst
forms of corruption, and from the passions
too often excited, especially in small and
undeveloped communities, by the scramble
for power and for the flashy symbols of
authority, then indeed monarchy in
Europe is doomed beyond reprieve. Even
II the glorious traditions OF our crowned
republic preserved it as a unique
anomaly, and, in the words of the act Of
settlement, secured the throne to the
heirs of the body of the e1ectress Sophia
who obey the limitations set forth in the
bill of rights and other statutes governing
the succession to the crown, it would only
remain in the opinion of civilized mankind
as "a freak Of the mad isIanders," not an
a reasonable type Of free government.