The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-04-20
Fan of the House of Bourbon

The sportsman-kng. Alphonso XIII, last of the
regning Bourbons seems to be not only down. but
out. His royal obituary should however be written
with reservations.
Spain enjoyed republican rule some fifty years
ago After the revolution of 1885, Spanish radicasm
produced republic which lasted from February 1873,
to December 1874 The United States alone recognized
this government.
This by the way. indicates the decline Of American
enthusiasm for promoting and approving foreign
radcasm during the last half century. Witness our
present evasve rationazatons to justify refusing to
recognize the Soviet Union.
But if Alphonso or one of his numerous progeny
fails to stage comeback, his abdcation will mark
the practical end Of the last Of the four great historic
nonarchies of modern tinaes-the Hapsburgs Hohen-
zolerns Romanofs and Bourbons. The Bourbons
have the longest historic ancestry OF any OF the four
antedating the Hapsburgs by more than a century.
The first Bourbon was Robert the Strong who be-
came Duke of Neustria in S61. Certain chronoogsts
claim that the Bourbons lie back of the famous line
. OF Capetan kings Of France.
The House of Bourbons attained the throne of
France in 1859, when Henry w assembled the throne
after having concluded that Paris was well worth
mass" He accepted Catholicism and founded the
royal Bourbon line in France.
With the exception of the revolutionary and Ma
b
Charles was chased out during the revolution Of
tenders in France.
The Bourbons assembled the Spanish throne CEN
try after they had captured that of France 100
Louis XIV placed his grandson the Spanish throne
as Philip v. Some of the early Bourbons made good
kings of the Iberic peninsula, especially Charles III
7598sl one of the ablest European nonarchs of the
eighteenth century.
But since his day the Spanish Bourbons have been
a pretty sorry lot Whatever his lack of Napoleonic
genius in statecraft Aphonso XIII personally prob
ably the most ingratiatng member of his line during
the last century and half He is good man to ring
down the curtain for the Bourbons in Spain.
Fifty years ago Spanish repubcanism was hailed
with great enthusiasm by American liberals. 1t was
taken for granted that meant passage from an in
toerabe system to the final and perfect stage of po
Itical evolution No such naive gusto is registered
by liberals touay. Republcansm and democracy are
IS much under fire today as was monarchy in 1s4S.
Monarchy used to be condemned as unthinkable,
because an able ruler might be followed to the regal
cushions by long series of nonentities In repuh
lie only an able and devoted man could find his way
to the top
The experience of many republics not excepting
the United States of America has proved that repub
licanisrl and democracy guarantee against
getting flock of dodos first citizens of the land
If going to rely upon politics to control and
direct society. thenwe must have system which pro-
duces superior ability special training personal integ
ry sense of social responsibility and subordination
. to popular control
NO great state yet has produced such system.
though some smaller coutries. like the Scandinavian
nations have done so. Russia may some day emerge
with such a setup.
. The German empire OF 1914 possessed all the quail
ifcations except popular control England from 1905
to 1914 probably came nearer than any other major
modern state to meeting all these requirements.