The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-01-21
TUESDAY. JANUARY 81, 1895
A WISE KING PASSES
a scRIPPs-HowARD NEwsPApER

GENUINELY sharing her sorrow, America ana the
~ whole civilized world today stand with Britain
MIA beside the bier of King George V.
England has had her share OF great monarchs
but never wiser one. Nor more democratic. He
more than any other OF his day. sensed the passing
OF the of rule by divine right He to extraor
binary degree appreciated the fact that the people
of Britain-as fully as the people of the United
States or any other republic-hold the real power
and that he merely symbol
Not only did he understand this but he
proud of it. He was proud that his empire was
composed of many self-governing units; that the
humbest with the highest, the poorest with the rich
est, by their ballots decided its course; that the
tie binding them was not force, but gossamer
thread of sentiment anchored to his crown
Never did the King interfere with the elected rep
resentatves Of his subjects There time in Eng
land for example, when many die-hards were con-
WINGED the sky would sunder because Ramsay Mac
Donald the radical" Socialist-Labor leader won the
right to premiership through the victory of his party
at the polls. Some even wondered whether the King
would send for Mr.. Macdonald and ask him to form
a cabinet
But none who knew the King doubted what he
would do. Socialist, Liberal or Conservative, they
were all the to him. The thing that really
mattered the will of England. His merely
the duty of consecratng such will by acknowledge
ment. The only time he stepped out of this
rigid role-if it could be called that--was when he
pleaded for family unity in times of threatened dis
cord.
THIS family trait this feeling that he just
the father of very large family, was exceed
ingy strong in King George and accounted for
much in his reign.
of 81
said in his 1884 Christmas broadcast to his far
flung realm, Il would like to think that you who
are listening to me now bound to me- and to
one another, by the spirit of one great family
And may very simply and sincerely add that
if I may be regarded in true sense the
head of this great and widespread family sharing
it's life and sustained by it's affection this will be
full reward for the long and sometimes anxious
labors of my reign nearing and-twenty
years.
1t is said the King himself wrote that message,
not some one at the home office in Downing
Street Small wonder then, that the Archbishop
of Canterbury, in opening the Kings silver jubilee
last May said the British ruler embodied the unity
of the empire and had become mot only King but
the father of his people To loyalty" he said, had
been added warmth and love-"
How different the reign of King George, the
wise, from the flamboyant, swashbuckling gestures
of some of his more glittering contemporaries,
gone. Foolishly these built on sand, depending
for their security on bayonets and the divine right
Of kings. He. blessed with wisdom, built his
citadel in the hearts of his people.
To his successor-nay even to rulers everywhere
we can think of no better advice than to go and
do likewise. For those with eyes to see, there is
tremendous lesson in this wise Kings reign.