The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Saturday, August 18, 1887. RUSSIA AND BULGARIA.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 27, 13 August 1887, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning.

Saturday, August 18, 1887. RUSSIA AND BULGARIA.

Be just and fear not; Let all the ends thou aim’st at be thy country’s Thy God's, and truth’s. ’

Russia is evidently not desirous of allowing her hold on Bulgaria to be diminished for want of audacity, Although the Bulgarians have already decided that Prince Ferdinand of Saxe Coburg shall be their ruler, the great Northern tyrant now proposes a candidate of his own for the post. Prince Imeretinski> late Director-General of Military Justice for the Russian Empire, LieutenantGeneral and aide ds rawji to the Czar, is his full cognomen, and no doubt he would continue to be as faithful a servant of His Majesty when on the Bulgarian throne, as he is now at St. Petersburg, Of course with a Russian nominee on the throne Bulgaria would simply sink into the condition of a Russian province in a very short space of time, and the plucky little state have its liberty abolished for ever by the iron hand of a Muscovite despotism. But such a state of things would never be tolerated by the Powers. In the whole of Europe but one State would be found to counter) ance such a retrogressive step, and that State would cert ainly be France. Actuated by a blind hatred of Germany Franee seems inclined to back up any move of Russia’s which would be objectionable to Germany, and to the Russianising of Bulgaria Prince Bismarck would object most strongly. If Prince Ferdi. nand had an ounce of grit in him this Imeretinski project would be impossible even of conception, but unfortunately he seems to be a knock-kneed sort of mild tempered masher, quite unfitted for the position vacated by plucky Alexander of Battenburg. He is not likely to remain long the Prince of Bulgaria, and when he resigns, as resign he certainly will do after two or three months of rule, the Bulgarian problem will again have to be solved. The only real way to cut the Gordian knot of the little State’s trouble would be for them to act upon the cry of “Bulgaria for the Bulgarians,” and to elect a native ruler. Russia would bounce and blow, but that would be about all and as the other Powers seem resolved to see that she shall have fair play Russian menaces would be perfectly harmless.

[Since the above was written we have received another telegram re Prince Ferdinand. Ferdinand is playing a “ lone hand ” game in the matter, neither the Powers nor the Sultan supporting him. So soon as he gets sea'ed upon the thorny throne of Bulgaria there will be a big rumpus, and Russia will move heaven and earth, and hell, especially the latter, to oust him. We may safely anticipate some very lively telegrams on Bulgarian affairs ere long.]

“MAC” AT THE WAIROA, Mr Allax McDonald’s speech at the Wairoa seems to have met with a very favorable reception. A brief abstract of it appears in our columns this morning and merits the attention of the electors Ml’ McDonald is, above all, a man of. ttound common-sense, and not given tn long rhetorical efforts of which a mere wordy flatulence is the main merit. He is solid on the native lands question, that tete naive of this district, and, we are glad to see, pitches into Bryce as coroially as hs does into Ballance. Both men are mischieveus muddlers of this gfedt ques. tion, and the policy of both Will have to be fought against tooth and nail. The telling of the railways would be-, he thinks, a step in the right directien, and in this view he is correct, for it is evident that the colony could not do worse out of them than it is doing now. This railway question does not interest us here so much as it does the dwellers in the districts h’here railways are open, but it is Still a question of great importance. Many of the lines were made for political purposes, have never paid, and never will pay, and if they can be sold for a reasonable figure, the running them. We are glad to see that Mr McDonald opposes the stdpid bogus retrenchment which Would ruin the colony would be well rid of the responsibility Of education system, but shall look with anxiety for a fuller exposition of his viewn un this great question. Such reforms as loweringths Governor’s salary, inducing the honorarium to lessening the cost of the Civil Service, and the stoppage of borrowing for the present, were also, we are pleased to see, advocated by the speaker, who seems to have delivered a straightforward, honest speech which should gain him much support in the Wairoa district. We understand that Mr McDonald will shortly speak at Ormond and is expected to address the Gisborne electors in about a fortnight’s time.