The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-05-02
BY MILTON BRONNER
NEA Service Writer
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Spain, which resulted in King AL
fonSo giving up his throne, is ir
marked contrast to the days Of the
French revolution, when wild
populace sent Louis XVI and
Queen Marie Antoinette to the
guillotine.
Louis and Marie were Bourbons
as is Alfonso. Their autocratic and
tyrannical policies helped bring on
the French revolution, while Alton
so, sensing the democratic move
ment in Spain, used all his skill
and conciliatory tactics to avoid
losing his throne.
Fate decreed that Marie Antoin-
cite should be thrust into an en-
vironment entirely alien to heI
training.
She had been taught to love lux
ury and gaiety. She came upon as
tonished France, even then rumbline
with discomfort, like a symbol OF
royalty at its worst.
al EAb W OG RuCSu
Louis XVI, fifth of the Bourbon
kings, married her because he
thought it would strengthen his
position in Europe. A daughter of
Maria Theresa of Austria, she was
fit to be a queen-but not in that
age of the rise of democracy.
Since the time of King Henry ".
first of the Bourbon kings, nearly
200 years before, the monarchy had
become more absolute, more auto
cratic.
Under the three Louis kings the
power Of the ruler and mobiles
gradually had increased despite bit
ter wars. The royal house and the
nobility were enormously rich; the
common people were distressingly
poor.
THE poor have no bread"
Marie Antoinette was informed.
Then let them eat cake" she
said gaily.
King Was Weak, Timid
Her king was weak. He wanted
to do right, but could not. He want
ed to curb his impetuous queen, but
was tinid.
Often the queen scorned the rules
of royal etiquette and convention
and moved. her court from Versailles
to Trianon. There, far into the
night, she danced and gambled and
sang. Such entertainment cost
great sums.
The mobiles followed like sheep.
Marie Antoinette wasn't beautiful.
A too-high forehead and q rather
long face precluded that. But her
high coloring, her bright blue eyes,
her ready smile and her flair for q
neatly-turned phrase gave her the
gift of personality.
She rapidly became unpopular
with the masses, as affairs of state
were moving toward crisis.
Became More Extravagant
Marie Antoinette apparently was
not aware of what was happening
She was a spoiled child, incapable
OF grasping the meaning of events
She became wilder and more ex-
travagant. Her clothes blazed with
diamonds. When the king protested
she laughed and replied:
I'll only be young once!"
When the noble deputies and the
deputies of the Third Estate asked
for reforms the king declared in
novations were dangerous. Undoubt-
eddy his decision was influenced by
Marie.
That decision may have changed
the entire course of human his
tory. Had the king yielded the rev.
olution might have been averted.
She began now to take life more
seriously-but too late.
Affairs rushed to their inevitable
climax. The bastile was taken by
the maddened populace. The Third
Estate achieved victory after vic
tory. At last in 1892 royalty sue
cumbed. The unbroken reigns of
oOtA1 OOAl "a 4AlO1C b41d11 bWO CG1lbbU1ES
was ended.
Dies With Naughty Smile
Marie, the king and the rest Of
the royal family were shut up in
the Temple. Louis XVI, fearing the
worst, was calm. Marie was
naughty, proud.
Outside the tulmbrels we're rum
bling along the street, taking heads
to the hungry guillotine.
The day came. The king and
Marie we're hustled into q tumbrel.
She sat with her back to the driver,
disdainfully ignoring the mob.
At last they reached the guillotine.
The king died first, the roll Of
drums drowning his last words.
Marie stepped out of the cart. Her
head was erect. Her blue eyes
flashed. Something like contem-
tuous smile was on her lips. She
walked proudly to the guillotine,
calmly adjusted her coiffure-and
the weighted knife came down.