Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 133, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 December 1909 — SPAIN SINCE 1898. [ARTICLE]

SPAIN SINCE 1898.

Politically Spain possesses four great guiding forces: “Oonservadores,” “Liberales,” “Republiqanos’’ and “Carlie- 7 tas.” Of these only the Republicans and the Carlists have a clear and definite programme, and it may even be said that only the latter have a real watchword. Indeed, so great Is the diversity of opinion between the Republicans and the Carlists that they are able to effect little, though they control what is numerically a strong minority (thirty) in the Cortes. The Conservatives and Liberals are the governmental parties of to-day, and they, thanks to a system of alternation, or turn about, succeed each other in power in accordance with the royal jyill. But the curious thing about these political aggregations is that they do not have a clear and definite creed or political programme. The„ Conservatives of to-day are the Liberals of yesterday, Tor they, thanks to an evolutionary movement of the Left, found themselves on the Right and were given the name of “reactionaries.” However, the Liberals, who now and then use “radicalism’’ and “anti-clericalism” as watchwords of their party forget their premises when onc e in power and in the majority of cases continue the policy of their predecessors. In spite of all, however, in the general method of administration Spain is being regenerated. Opposition or agreement, for example, has broughtabout guarantees of stability to the public functionaries, thus doing away with the multitude of unemployed persons which each change of government used to bring. The type of “cesante” (dismissed public officer) is becoming more rare every day, and it is to be hoped that this evolution, having thus commenced, will end by completely destroying the type. The life of the provinces has gained a great impetus ill the last few years: Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia, Zaragoza, Valladolid, &c., are establishing new industries and opening markets withii} and without the kingdom. However, the character distinctive of each of these provinces and the necessity of defending special Interests cause a certain spirit of discord or rivalry to exist between them. Barcelona, for example, an industrial province par excellence, needs to import the greater part of the raw material for its manufacturing, and so a high tariff system would be the ruin of the Catalan region. Valencians, on the other hand, whose greatest resource is agriculture, are comparatively indifferent to tariff questions, for their prosperity depends in great part on rates of exchange. Owing to the depreciation of Spanish currency they are able to sell their products in foreign markets at a premium which offsets the cost of production and handling. This especial nature of the various regions gives them also very marked political tendencies. In the centers of industry the body of laborers is Republican or Socialist (Barcelona and its neighborhood, Madrid, Valencia, Zaragoza, Bilbao, &c.,). The country people on the contrary are for the most part reactionary, although private interests or the pressure of proprietor upon tenant may be determinative of the farmer’s vote. Feared by the great and powerful, frequently of but little education but of a cunning sagacity, an entangler of the clearest questions and an interpreter of the most difficult the “cacique” manages and upsets the government of a province. Mayors, Governors, Deputies, high and low officials, all owe to him their posts and are his Instruments, going from Ministry to Ministry dancing attendance while at home in his little corner the “cacique" with a shrewd imagination prepares the strokes of local politics. The Province of Castellon, which elects seven Deputies, was managed by a kind of committee called the cosi, directed by a person of the middle class. The political education of the citizen is coming more and more into evidence, and with its advance the influence of the “cacique” (political “chief” or “boss") is growing less, so that at present the regions in which the will of the latter dominates are very few. A new political power has been constituted since the loss of the colonies and hi* been greatly augmented In the laet elections: “La solldaridad,” the principle of solidarity. This is the concentration of diverse political tendencies of a section for the defence of its interest* against a policy of centralization. Nowhere has the central ,power been eo hated as in Spain, ail effect without doubt of the heterogeneity of the nation's component parts. A Catalan does not desire to be classed with a Galician or an Andalusian; a Valcncian or e Murcian is very different from a Navarrese or a Basque; and the diversity which exists in the legislative system In regard to privileges accorded to the various provinces has had the hardihood to show itself i« the political system. It is undeniable that there has been a certain abuse of central ism; but it Is also evident that lx) lb the Basque and the Catalan section allsts have made exaggerated demands. If these should be granted national life would become impossl ble; the Sate would turn frdm a cen trallzed into a federal State.—Yak Review.

A French company, Clement-Bay ard, was the first to go Into the sol< business of building airships, and the second concern of this charactei is to be in the United StateA

The Rev. F. L. Hardly, pastor of the First Baptist church of Columbus, Mas recovered .from an attack of hiccoughihg which 1 continued for forty-eight Hours. His friends were alarmed but a physician finally succeeded in stopping the hiccoughs.