New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-02
THE SPANISH REVOLUTION
THE ELECTIONS-MALAGA.
lPRod OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. |

/
the candidature of an opponent. In Badajoz, says
recent telegram, no meeting could be got together
that would nominate monarchical candidates. The
Liberal Unionsts have made an attempt Mt general
coalition with tho Progresstas, on the theory that
both parties were for monarchy as against
Republic 1t proves q failure. There are more
| things in common between the Progresstas and the
Republicans than between the Progesistas and the
Liberal Unonists. The latter want military des-
| potism under the form of monarchy, while both
their opponents agree in desiring free institutions,
whatever be tho form Of government. The Progress
ista papers de1ounce the coalition with the Union
lists. the Republican Committees join the Progresstas
in their adhesion to Espartero, and the Liberal
Unionists have allies but the Carlists and the
reactionists generally. In Madrid their relations
with the Progresistas closer and they have put
| forward what Is called a coalition ticket including
all the most prominent members of the Government
one nominal Democrat Becerra, and Ribero the
| Alcalde or Mayor of Madrid, who once was known
as Republican but is now denounced as traitor,
Prim Serrano, TOpete, Sogasta and Zorria are the
| other constituents Of this happy family and they
agree doubtless in this one particular if in other
the desire to be elected which has been known be-
fore now, and elsewhere than in Spain, to induce
temporary harmony among bitter opponents Per-
haps the most unpopular man in Spain just now is
Olozaga, the ambassador to the Tuieres. He cannot
| get himself so much as nominated. After various
failures lie tried Yico, his native town, but even
there he rejected though so conspicuous parti-
san Of Isabella as Manuel Concha is q nominee in
two places There is q Central Electoral Monarchi-
cal Committee the object of which may be guessed
from its name, which next to the Republican is the
most active and best organized body at work in the
! campaign, except the Government itself
The administrative power Of tho Government will
be used without much scruple, and with great nhu-
ence, for the civil hierarchy extends over all SPAIN
and its ramifcations as minute as those of
France The Governors of the Provinces have all
been summoned to Madrid and have received their
instructions. The army is to vote wherever it may
happen to be- aud the officers charged with the
duty Of supervising the votes Of their men. An ex-
tensye election machinery exists, and is enlarged
from time 10 time suits the purposes of the Gov
erument Two days ago the Minister of the Interior
published long decree for the regulation Of matters
that ought TO have been settled month since il it
had been intended to accomplish its apparent
object and facilitate tho reception Of votes.
Each municipal district is divided by this
decree into as many sub-distriets as there arc
subalcades. what ara called alealdes de barrios.
district comprising more than 800 voters is again
divided into two sections In each district certified
list OF elections is to be posted in specified place,
on or before January r. the elections beginning on
| tho 18th and continuing three days have before
explained the intolerabe certificate system which
put IL in the power Of the Government TO deny the
suffrage 20 n great proportion Of ts opponents; in
Madrid for instance keeping 10000 Republican
voters from the polls at the municipal elections. The
new order requires double certificate and doubles
the chances Of fraud There Is first the general list
Of voters made mp by the civil aaihosities and upon
~.
That list IL open for inspection only eight days before
election. and III voters namo h omitted he must
procure its insertion by certificates sworn testimony.
and an appearance in person. From the general list
the names are transferred TO special lists for each
electoral district the civil authority again emitting
| II he choose, the names Of known opponents, and
there are then but three days before election.
10 supply deficiencies The deposit of list in the
offices Of the municipal secretaries and the posting
OF them above prescribed, appear, no doubt, con-
venient means of notifying voters that their names
are omitted. But remember that in Spain nine out
Of ten voters cannot read Where then Is their Sc
curityf Party committees do what they can, but
all such effort is imperfect in tho great cities
and it is certain that in every province of Spain
many thousands of Republican votes will be lost mt
the next election they In Madrid at the last
Add TO this provision which permits the civil au-
cates on the allegation of the loss of the originals
and the door open to fraud is very wide indeed. Tho
Republicans will save q great number Of votes
by having elected municipal authorities of their own
party last month, but that is no npOl-
ogy for the existence of such sys
tenn. The Government count on tho interference,
direct and indirect Of its functonaries in every
province receiving their Office and their instruc-
tons from the Central Bureau of the Ministry of the
Interior in the capital. The newly chosen munich
pals are often without experience without education
and even where they arc Republicans will only too
often DO the unconscious tools of the Administra-
ton. II is curious illustration Of the state of
enlightenment in tho country. that IL is thought
necessary TO decree that votes may be given on
printed paper as well as in manuscript. One even
more curious is the recent order of the Governor of
Burgos that the secretaries OF the municipalities in
his province should present themselves for e1anna
ton, and all those found unable to read and write
should be- removed from their Offices
The Republican journals do not hesitate to charge
the Government with attempting TO carry the cleo
lions by bribery as well as by violence. One Alcalde
is named TO whom 200 reals were sent to distribute
in his district for the purchase Of votes In tho
province of Guadalaara the Government officials are
granting leave to cut wood on the public lands to
whoever will promise votes for the nonarchical can
didaes In the same province the Secretaries OF tho
different municipalities have been summoned to meet
one of the Judges Of given place two days before
the elections to receive orders for securing tho re-
turn Of royasts The same Judge has offered liberty
TO persons arrested for all sorts OF oenses on cond
ton ofSoting the right ticket
Ii is distressing to find little idea Pf organization
among the Republicans There is more activity
among them in any other party, but in the con-
Al. A .aItl Mil