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Show THE NEW KING AND THE OLD. There is always somobody to grumble. grum-ble. Just now, since tl-o sudden donth of King Edwnrd of Grout 'Britain, the Ininent comes to tho world out of England Eng-land that the nnms of the new sovereign, sover-eign, George, is of i)i, omen, an that evil conditions may bo expected under his reign, This is a superstition that is hardly worth much attention. It is quito true that former Georges have been pretty tough customers, and one especially is romombored with disgust and opprobrium in the United Stales, for his oppression, exactions, and despotic des-potic acts which forced tho Revolutionary Revolu-tionary War. But that signifies nothing, noth-ing, for times change, and a repetition of the odium which attached to tho name of that George and in some degree de-gree to that of his successor, would seem to be impossible in this day and age. Besides that, tho new ruler is too far along in an irreproachable life, being forty-five years of ago, to expect any change in him; it is unreasonable; to expect any outbreak of immorality or attempt nt arbitrary or despotic power. At the time of tho accession of Edward Ed-ward V1L, there wore those who objected ob-jected to him assuming that name. Tho argument was that there had not been any monarch over tho United Kingdom of the name of Edward, so there could bo no seventh in him. Tho Edwards in tho lino of succession had all been simply kings of England, not also of Ireland and Scotland, and much less of the great colonies of the empire. But it was soon seen through tho admirable admir-able character of tho king, his straightforward straight-forward conduct in strict conformity to constitutional requirements, his irreproachable irre-proachable life as king, his amiable social qualities as the head of social affairs af-fairs we might say in the world, his friendly relations with many people, his subjects and others, tho weight of his influence for good order for humanity, hu-manity, and for peaco, that there- was nothing substantial against him and the objectors to the name were sinipl3-ovexwhelmed sinipl3-ovexwhelmed by the splendid qualiiios of his reign. And so it may well bo in the caso of King George. A name is no handicap; and it is not to be feared that ho will commit nny objectionable acts such as those of the Georges of former times. Ho has his own record to make, and there is ample time for him to make one that may well be compared with that of any former reign, unless perhaps per-haps the reign of his illustrious, grandmother, grand-mother, Victoria, whose reign was one of unexampled splendor. King George will do well indeed if he shall leave a record equal to that of the brilliant record of his father, the late king; but that he is well disposed to emulate that record to tho best of his ability, all nccountB agree. It is not worth while for anyono to lament the name which he has solected for his .reign, for he hns yet the record of that reign to make. This will be largely in his own hands;, and there aro questions unsettled un-settled which for guiding force maxwell max-well be applied to the advantage of his subjects and to the glory of himself as king; subjects of vital and far-reaching far-reaching consequences to all the world. |
