Evening star., 1937-04-25
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.
Y YHY all the fuss about L
n British coronation2

BY THOMAS r. HENRY.
" YHY all the fuss about L
\A/ British coronation?
w The American public
schools-at least In the
New England Of my own pre- war
boyhood-thoroughly impressed their
pupils with the idea that kings
ranged from unmitigated evils to
ridiculous nuisance. The Stars and
Stripes Forever.
True, there were men and women
OF eminence in the world who seemed
to place some stock in the institu-
ton Of kingship and never to ques-
ton that certain individuals were
entitled to sacerdotal reverence be-
cause they were the sons OF their
fathers. World masters OF letters,
science, statecraft and arms actually
willing to admit their inferiority to
a man who never had made a rhyme,
looked through telescope, framed a
treaty or led a company! Michael
Faraday, subject of Queen VIC
toria George Meredith willing to
bow and scrape before Edward the
Seventh! 1t was utterly illogical in
this logical world Take, for exam
pie, our old friend George the Third
a crazy man, who sometimes had to
be shut in padded cell And vet
DR.. johnson and Charles Wesley kow-
toWed to him and seemed to think
nothing Of it. 1t was beyond our
comprehension and beyond the COM
prehension OF the militantly Ameri-
can young women who taught our
district schools. 1t is yet, to Judge
from the comments Of 80 per cent
OF our acquaintances, incomprehensi-
BILE to them
An Answer TO the Riddle.
We turn to Sir James Frazier, dean
OF British anthropologists, for an
answer to the riddle. 1t may be
plain as dirt to one born and reared
in king-headed society. however OBJ
tuse to ourselves. The solution of a
puzzle often is found in extreme
cases, and Frazier found it among
the black tribes Of Africa, where the
institution OF kingship used to flourish
in its most exaggerated form.
There the monarch vast supreme
He had the power of life and death
over his subjects. They were as the
dirt under his feet He confscated
their worldly goods and their wives at
his Will. Rebellion was unheard of.
But few men led more miserable
lives than these black monarchs with
their thousands OF wives and count
less slaves. The sharp eyes Of every
wife, every slave, every subject were
constantly on such king. Deteriora-
| ton beginning in middle age was his
death warrant. A bald spot appeared
on his head. Some slave was bound
to notice it and call it to his mas
ter's attention. The king had a de-
cayed tooth. 1t was detected by one
Of his wives.
And when any of these things hap
pened there was only one thing for
the monarch to do-kill himself. Un-
til recent years, under the influence
OF Christian and Moslem mission
aries, no king ever questioned the
obligation or tried to escape from the
automatic death sentence. II he
hesltated. OF course he would be
murdered. He seldom hesitated, even
when the custom Of the land decreed
that he be walled into q cave and
perish by starvation.
MaEicians Were First.
In the beginning, as human So
clety emerged from its primitive an.
archy which some anthropologists
still refer to as the golden age, there
were magicians-clever but OTTER
self-deceived charlatans who knew
how to make rain fall during 9
drought or to rescue the sun from
the beast who was devouring it al
the time of total eclipse by cabalistit
rigama-ole. In them, they persuaded
others, was vested the control O.
nature. 1t is obvious that the wei.
fare OF the whole tribe would bt
bound up in such man He mus
be kept intact at any cost. Nobody
could adord to cross him.
Naturally when he began to los,
his hair or his teeth it was eviden
he was losing his divine power ane
the hordes dependent upon him wer,
facing evil days. There was alway.
some young and virile rival magicia.
around. The life of the tribe de-
manded that the old man be put ou
OF the way and the young fellow in
stalled. 1t was as plain as the nos,
on your face. At first the magician n
who may have been slightly aware Of
his own charlatanism, probably re-
sisted. But as generations went b,
he himself became part OF the system
He took himself seriously.
From the magician sprang tw<
branches-the priest and the king
The first sprouted off at right angle!
with an entirely new formula fol
controlling nature - appeal to tn,
supernatural instead of command
BY and large he probably was more
successful. The direct offshoot of tn,
magician was the king AS society
became politically organized heir
whom the welfare of the state sup.
,posedly was vested because Of hi!
power to control nature-gathered ur
this new political power In some
instances, in due course of time, tn,
cart led the horse The functions O.
the magician were discarded alto.
gether. Kingship might be the re.
ward OF military prowess. And ii
one way or another it becam.
hereditary.
1t is worthy of note, however, tha