The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-04-08
Nihilism In Spain.

Nihilism In Spain.
For upward OF q month the Spanish
peninsula has been astounded and terrified
by the discovery that socialistic doctrines In
an extreme and aggressive form have pcne-
trated the southern provinces, and, In tho
hands OF O secret society known as the
"Black Hand" have become O formidable
menace to the established order OF things
To what extent this association is affiliated
to tho Russian Nihilists Is as yet unknown.
but II seems to contemplate the same object,
viz, the destruction OF the existing social
system as preliminary to redistribution OF
capital and land. 1t is thoroughly organized,
has common fund, a tribunal charged with
the duty Of chastislng the detested owners
OF land, and official cxecutioners, whose bust
ness Is to carry out tho sentences pronounced
against life and property. In the districts
Of Jerez, ARGOS dc la Frontcra, and Ubrlque,
which seem to be the principal centres OF Its
activity, 1t has committed frightful outrages,
and for o time completely intimidated the
local authorities. Even now, although the
central Government has interfered with mill
tary force, and has made hundreds Of arrests,
tho Black Hand maintains bold front, and
has thrown several towns into panic by
threatening to poison tho sources OF their
water supply. 1t will need, apparently, the
most vigorous efforts upon the part OF tho
SAGAsTA Ministry to relieve the law-abid-
ing part OF the Andalusian population from
the terrorism In which they have been
plunged by this new enemy OF society
II seems at the first glance startling that
sociallstic ideas should have taken such firm
root In the most backward country OF
Europe, and there Is further ground for sur
prise in the fact that instead OF injecting the
highly educated classes, as in Russia, or the
artisans and operatives OF towns, as IN Ger
many and France, they have In Spain made
most Roadway among the peasantry. Tho
explanation OF tho phenomenon is, however.
obvious enough when we compare the land
system of Andalusia with that OF either OF
the other countries mentioned The mouJik
OF Muscovy hitherto has proved obdurate
to the appeals OF the Nihilist propaganda,
mainly because he already enjoys after
rude fashion, the benefits OF that scheme OF
communal property to which the sanguinary
reformcrs OF his nation would invite him.
In France and Germany, on the other hand,
the principle OF individual ownership has re-
CclNcu SuCu lilTBe cAtcuSlou, anu SuSu iuSh0
ties exist for the creation of peasant pro-
prietary, that tho rural cultivator has be-
come conservative, and believes that he has
more to lose than gain by the sweeping ap-
plication of socialstic principles.
In Andalusia the peasantry are far worse
OFF than in any other part OF Christian
Europe They remain to this day in the
same destitute and pitiable condition to
which their brethren In France and Germany
were reduced after tho collapse OF the feudal
system, and before the agrarian reforms
brought about by the French revolution.
The arabic land is wholly in the hands OF
great proprietors, who either till 1t on their
own account or lease large areas to .efants
who can afford to farm on a huge scale.
There Is, so to speak, no middle class In tho
southern provinces Of Spain; there are great
landowners on tho one side and rural pro-
letariat on the other. Under the present
regime the poor man who ploughs and digs
has nothing to hope for, and on several occa-
sions during tho present century he has
proflted by political troubles to attempt the
forciblc introduction Of agraran changes.
He was ripe accordingly for the reception OF
socialistic doctrines. One Of tho largest land
owners in Andalusia. the Duke OF ALMoDo-
VAR, declared recently in the Cortcs that the
"Black Hand" society was but desperate
protest against intolerable injustice, and
that such demonstrations could never be
entirely suppressed until the system OF land
tenure had been radically transformed. Thus
We see that in Spain, as in Ireland, land
question lies at the bottom OF the social ami
mositics and agrarian connections.