The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-08-05
The Black Hand.
POSSIBILITY OF SERIOUS TROUBLE FROM

CRET SOCIETIES IN SPAIN.
The Pdil-MoH Gazette hints at the dan
ger arising in Spain from the work OF Sc
cret societies. A conspiracy to reestablish
the republic was recently organized and
many officers and persons Of influence Of
fered to join, but the rank and file uneX-
pectedly asked for guarantees. The revo-
| lutOnary workmen of Spain were willing
TO sign the paper presented pledging them
| selves to rise and take up arms against the
Government mt given signal if a clause
was added by which all the conspirators
swore to aSsassinate any leader who be-
| trayed the cause. They urged that the
rising must be simultaneous in every
| town where the conspiracy existed. IL in
any one town the leader or leaders should
fail to do their duty they were to be track
| ed out and assassinated. Again, the iB>ur-
rectiOn. il once master OF the town, was
bound TO fight or withdraw, but in no case
! to capitulate. If, after the triumph Of the
revolution, any leader should desert his
party and seek TO facilitate restoration. he
must also expect to fall under the assaSsin'S
knife. Every leader who shall have failed
to conform to the conditions OF this pact
Will be killed without mercy or hesitation.
The punishment thus meted out will serve
as the most effective of warnings, and
when the country is once again ripe for in
surrection the party will have been purged
of its traitors. This somewhat appal-
ling proposition has retarded the day of
revolution. The crowd is ready, but the
number Of leaders has been singularly re-
duced. In such plots the trade corpora
tions or unions OF Spain are in nowise
concerned. The wOrkmen are extremely
ignorant, and would fall into inextricable
confusion il they attempted to NEEDLE with
the dozen or more parties who divide the
political opinion OF Spain. On the other
hand, they have not feared to dabble in So
cialism. Possessing only very superficial
knowledge OF these intricate questions.
they were easily led to join the Intcrna-
tiOnal. In 1872 there were nearly eight
hundred trade societies, and they would
probably have ultimately all joined the
international but for the disruption Of that
celebrated society.
| AIMS OF TIE WORKINGS.
On one or two points all the Spanish
! trade unionists are agreed, whether Carlists
or Red Republican. They al recognize that
their weakness is due chiefly to their igno-
| rance, and unanimously clamOr for the better
instruction Of their children. They have
even created-and this without any outside
help-Seyeral libraries and organized lee
lures of an educational description. I'm
doubtedly the majority, or at least the ma
iority OF the more educated Spanish trade
unionists, are Republicans; but they have
lost faith in mere political leaders. So
that, what with the presence as associates
of Royalsts and the lukewarm dis
position Of the Republicans, the
trades will not move unless it be
clearly shown that some trade interest is at
stake. The German influence has therefore
sgiven way TO that of the Anarchists, who
now IN the main govern the trade societies.
But they are also inspired from abroad.
Their policy is that OF propaganda by action.
They look upon a deed OF violence as the
best OF advertisements, and abject misery
as the readiest ally to revolution. The An
archists, consequently. are not strangers to
the movements OF the Black Hand" The
wages of the agricultural laborers in Anda-
lusia were reduced last year because the
earn ten pence n day, no increase
has taken place this year, in spite
Of good harvest. The large land
owners seem to have agreed to keep the
rate OF payment down TO the level OF the
bad seasons. The result might have been
foreseeD. y few Of the more reckless
among those wretched agricultural labor
ers who are in absolute want, sleep on the
ground in mere novels, almost devoid of
furniture, have, in their blind, ignorant in
dignation, committed arson and murder.
This has happened not merely during the
current year, but almost every year. such
acts OF revenge are often due merely TO in
dividual feelings OF resentment, and are not
the work OF conspiracy, OF the "Black
Hand,' or of the Anarchists. Neverthe-
less, some among the Anarchist leaders have
profited by tais state OF affairs. They have
sent emissaries to the disturbed districts
they have encouraged deeds OF violence.
ana this encouragement has increased the
number OF crimes and the extent OF the
dissatisfaction. Such action Is thoroughly |
in harmony with the policy Of the Anarch- |
ISIS In every part OF Europe, and accords |
with what they did in France at Monceau-
les-Mines. AS q matter Of fact, the greater |
part OF the Spanish workmen who call
themselves Anarchists do so simply be-
cause they are home-rulers, and attribute
half the troubles of their country to the
Capitalization Of politics at Madrid.