Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 June 1903 — PETER CHOSEN KING. [ARTICLE]

PETER CHOSEN KING.

Elected at the Dictation of the Conspirators Who Blew Alexander. The peaceful manner in which Prince Peter Karageorgeviteh was chosen King of Servia contrasts curiously with the scene of atrocious savagery which closed the life of his predecessor. The skupshtina and senate, the two houses of the Servian parliament, met in joint session aud within fifteen minutes had made their choice, each member rising quietly in his place and announcing his vote. The blow which struck down King Alexander was a crime against both human and divine law. It was treason as well as murder. Yet, the blow having been struck, the dynasty having been changed by a reversion to the ways of elemental savagery, the same force* which brought about the crime return to the forms of peace and law. The late conspirators against the throne are now the upholders of the throne, and those who rtill profess allegiance to the former King are the only ones open to the charge of treason. Truly the Servian public, which cheerfully acquiesced in both proceedings, has given n curious instance of the way in which popular will may rise above and become itself the law. For the other powers the chief difficulty will be the question whether civilization can afford even tacitly to countenance assassination by recognizing the government now established. It has been announced that Great Britain will decline to sustain diplomatic relations with the new npnistry if it is to include any of the men who participated in the slay-

ing of Alexander. This, says tho Chicago News, apparently is the only attitude compatible with civilized standards of iuw and morality, yet it mny be doubted -whether the attitude can be maintained. The men now in power in Servia are not likely to convict themselves of crime or put themselves out of office. They constitute the Servian state. The powers may exact some form of trial and pun-i.-hment, but the chances are that after a pretense of the kind they will find themselves obliged to follow the example of the Servian people and recognize the de facto government regardless of the hideous methods which it employed in securing the governing power. The Servian parliament elected Peter Karageorgeviteh to the throne, practically at the dictation of the conspirators who assassinated King Alexander and overthrew the government. None of the conspirators is to be punished. The officers of the army after a conference, sent an ultimatum to the members of the senate and skupelitina, declaring: First—The form of government must not be changed. Second—the names of the conspirators must not be revealed nor tbe n-iture of the role they played in the revolution. Third—No officer must accept any reward for tlie service* lie rendered his country in the removal of King Alexander. Fourth—No officer who is arrested rfiall appear before the courts in military uniform. Peter Karageorgevifch accepted the throne by telegraph almost as soon as it was offered him. Indeed, he accompanied his acceptance by a proclamation, evidently prepared in advance.