The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1920-06-24
AutOCraCY and After

Gay gave UuI VIC lOHOWluB stakelnru'
from its Washington Headquarters:
I am the State was the form in
which was expressed the essence oil
the doctrine Of the divine right oI
kings, and after US the deluge,' was
the utterance OF Madame de Plmpa
dour whose sinister control Of kingly
power brought the divine right to its
end in the bloody French Revolution.
Since the darkest hour comes just be-
fore the dawn, and, as Emerson said,
Bad kings help us il only they are bad
enough! perhaps Louis XIV and Mad
anne de PompadOur conferred a bless
ing upon mankind, however selfshness
and ambition may have been the motive
Of their acts.
Louis XIV is by no means a SOL
itary figure in the histoty Of despots.
His egotism and ruthlessness in dealing
with his subjects and with his associates
have had their counterparts in every
age if not in every generation. The
description Of the despot Of France,
written years ago, might stand as a
picture Of despots that lived generations
before or generations later. Huma
nature has changed little in the gradual
evolution Of civilization.
THE maxim Of Louis that self
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT is at once the noblest
and the most agreeable occupation OF
kings has been the maxim Of every
autocrst, whether living under mon
atchy or form Of government supposed
10 maintain the principles OF democracy.
In view Of such ruler, he is at once
the sole legislator, Judge and execu-
tive.
Prior to the time when Louis at.
tanned his majority, the heads Of his
various departments were wont TO con-
duct the business that fell TO their re.
spective Offices, but upon taking per
sonal control Of the reins Of sovereign
~ he called his cabinet together and,
so history tells US, informed them that
in the future he should himself attend
to affairs It is even recorded that
He then charged the secretaries not
10 sign any paper, not even a passport,
without his express commands. He
gave personal attention to every mat
ter, even the most trivial. He had
able men about him, but they chated
under his minute directions and tire.
less superintendence.'
Undoubtedly, if Louis had suffered
a prolonged illness and any member OF
his cabinet had called conference
Of cabinet members, prompt dismissal
would have been the penalty, with
comment that nothing can be done
without me- The court Of Louis was
the most extravagantly magnificent
that Europe had ever SEEM and if the
monarch had ever had occasion 10
cross the ocean to atttni conference,
he undoubtedly would have taken with
him a retinue oil aids extensive enough
10 fill steamship especially equipped
for bis personal pleasure and conven'
ience. II he had participated in the
framing Of a treaty, he would have re-
iected the suggestions Of any Of his
countrymeu, and would have insisted
upon the acceptance Of the treaty
without the dot,ing Of an i or the
crossing oi t.
History often repeats itself. Louis
discredited absolute monarchy by his
shameful abuse Of his unlimited power
His .extravagant expenditures
weighed France down with intolersble
burdens. .. During his reign the
French nation made a swift descent
towards the abyss Of the revolution Of
l7S9.'
The reaction from autocracy is cha
otic in its tendencies.
Senator Elder Will Speak at BransCn