New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-06
THE ELECTIONS.
ryRoM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENCE

these last three DAYS without suspecting that an
election was going on. The city was quiet; there
was no appearance of unusual excitement IN the
streets, and there was no revolution The Spaniard
Is inlammable enough at times, but in politics he
seems TO take good deal of kindling If his ONE
lette is not cooked to his liking he will set whole
cafe in blaze; but when election occurs that is
to decide the fate of Government, he is dignifed
and impassve. In vain are the newspapers filed
with passionate appeals and the walls covered with
placards which, from their color, appear to be
nouncements of bullfght. One is tempted to say
they would excite more interest if they were. lou
see your sluggish Spaniard quicken his pace loosen
the thick folds Of his cloak, and glance eagerly at
the bright-red poster. On discovering that it IS
merely an invitation to vote he relapSes into hls
usual languld indifference and wishes March would
come for before March there win be first-class
fight and the elections but slight solace TO his
impatience. A few selfish men who want to perpet-
uate their power, few earnest men who lead the
Republican party and want to found free govern
ment, few priests just emerging into daylight from
the shade they thought it prudent to cheEsh after
the revolution, 10000 ofice-hOlders recently APP
ponted-among these the election excites interest,
but among the mass of the Madrid bOHrgeOisie very
little. In the country there is more viyacity In
Republican cities like Barcelona and Seville, in
Cadiz and Malaga. homes of the latest martyrs TO
liberty and in many districts of Andalusia and
other provinces full vote is likely to be pOlled
Here in this dreary capital Of SPAIN about 1900 out
of 10000 registered voters have taken the trouble to
70 to the ballot-boxes. 1t is not a good sign, but
before we despair of Spain. it is well to remember
that Madrid is not its representative but its excep
toLal city.
id - eo1o ifu ahout the elaptiOnQ
nevertheless The riot of the polling booths IN an
ENGLISH borough is as different possible from the
gravity of Madrid, and equally different IS the
bustlinp animation of an American contest. The
polls for one district in the building where the
Deputies meet. uniform or two is about the door
man who looks like mOuchGrd scIutinizes you
sharply as you pass in You turn to the right then
TO the left; nobody to show you the way-nobOdy
else going IN. In room on one SIDE half dozen
men are chatting by the fre-smoking Of course :;
hats and cloaks on. equally Of course On table in
the middle are fifteen or twenty little heaps of
ballots assorted with some care-for, though there
are but two candidatures, the Madrilenians have
found ont what a spt-ticket Is. Out of the fifteen
or twenty you may choose at your leisure-if you
happen to be able to read. Nobody will either assist
or modest YOU. urge you to vote for one dssuade
Won from another. When man comes in whose shy
looks prove that he cannot tell one ballot from
another some Of the five or six hats and cloaks,
and cigarettes will help him-but only one observe.
There is not the smallest appearance Of
rivalry or contest. When he gets his bal
lot. he bows thanks his assistant passes
from this smoky room by the smoky hall
on into another smoky room, carpeted, paueed with
marblesfumished in mahogany, five grave gentlemen
awaiting him, pen in hand, cigarette in mouth. on
goes his hat, he bows advances tmidly through the
o1,,- To- 81
the carpet and the conclave disrespectfuy, under
goes interrogatOries, mysterious writings done
in big folios gives his ballot TO Rhadamahthus who
hands it to Minos who puts it into the mahogany
ballot box. Then Mnos hands what seems to he a
receipt TO the Quiyerng electOr. who has undergone
this torture alone in the big room, and who slips
stealthy away with sense of relief mingled with
the pride of having done his duty. observed my
friend and escort nod TO the man as he fed. DO
sou know himP "Oh, yes he is my tailor" ASK
him how he voted" The answer is prompt. "Fo,
the Government, of course"
On the morning of the day after the three DAYS
TotiDg closed the papers are without returns. How
thould they get them when the Government locks NJ
the telegraph They printed on the 18th dispatche,
from Paris dated the 10TH adding in note that thu
OF TIE wires for election purposes prevented tn
earlier transmission of news. One two paper
have few scattering figures, but nothing they ven
tnre 10 call Trustworthy. But am told the PrOvi
sional Government sent and received 1000 message
on Sunday and Monday. We were promised mpor
tant returns this morning, and before / have {,
close this letter something will be published perhaps
by this pateInal administration. The Republican,
had some news last night know not how they got it
estimates, mostly, doubt. They believed they
had chosen 20 members, not including Andalusia
which is the Republican stronghold. Later in TN,
evening met high official, and his statement wa
that the Republicans bad chosen less than 90 nclud
ing Andalusia venture to predict that the Govern
ment has flooded Europe with kilograms proclaim
ing victory Of its partisans, and that you have
or will have, what pwpoyts to be statement of the
result before ID is known in Madrid But hope you
have learned TO doubt all Spanish kilograms. The
official Gacea de Madrid of this morning filled rather
more than two of its large pages with what at the
FIRST glance looked like election returns but they
were not exactly that. They were lists Of places
throughout Spain where brood-mares had been snc
eessfully coyered-surely very remarkable kind Of
official document.
WEDNESDAY, 20th.-COnsidering that we had nc
returns yesterday morning the number received last
night and to-day is surprising. We get no figures
except from Madrid, but many names Of deputies
chosen are given, and others guessed at from many
places not reported A monarcbical authority makes
the following estimate Of the result, which cannot
he based op eqpplets gstgIns, neth@ is ito cjassuiea