Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 June 1898 — SPANISH NEWSPAPERS. [ARTICLE]

SPANISH NEWSPAPERS.

Reason* for the Queer Things to Be Found in Their Columns. Spanish newspapers are queer things, even outside of their “news” about the United States, the Indians and what not, and their queerness is due as much to the public which they serve as to the inconceivable Ignorance or willful dishonesty, or both, of the people who make them. It is said, for Instance, that outside of the larger cities there is a large class of people who do not even know of the existence of the present crisis. To one unacquainted with Spanish customs and manners it might seem strange that Spanish newspapers did not lay the whole matter before the people, but, according to the Boston Advertiser, there are some obstacles in the way of such a general campaign of education in Spain. In the first place it must be remembered that less than one-third, and only a little more than one-fourth of the Spanish people can read or write. An educated Spaniard is not the rule, but the exception. A newspaper among a population, more than two-thirds of which can neither read nor write, is not likely to have a tremendous circulation or unlimited power. Even in the cities the circulation is not large. La Epocha, the conservative organ of Madrid, for example, has a circulation of less than 5,000 copies. Outside of Barcelona and Madrid there are per-, haps 600 papers published in Spain, and not half of these pretend to be newspapers.

Indeed, out of all the 1,200 peroldicals published in Spain the scientific journals, religious papers and fashion papers are largely in the majority, while the newspapers are in the minority. Newspaper enterprise does not have much encouragement. Foreign news Is obtained chiefly from govern-' ment officials. The whole kingdom of Spain does not receive as many foreign dispatches in a week as are sent to a single city In this country In a single day. The average Spanish editor does not see much use in paying for an interesting dispatch from abroad when the chances are about ten to one that when he gets the dispatch the press censor will not allow the paper to print it. All these facts must be borne in mind in considering the influences which go to make up public opinion in Spain. Unfortunately for the stability of the present Spanish government, clerical Influences in Spain are rather with the Carlist pretender-than with the young king. If Sagasta were able to lay before the Spanish people generally a true statement of the present condition of things and of Weyler’s brutality, spoliation and outrageous robbery in Cuba It would not lake long to settle the Cuban question with peace and honor to both sides.