The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-22
VHATCASTELAR SEES
The Greatest Living Spaniard's
View Of America.
BAD QUALITY OF OUR LIQUOR
The Unitsd States Fomenting War In
the Mercantile world by Protectivs
Tari6-A Plethora Of Protection.

MApR1D, Feb. Especial Correspond
ence. IA good many years ago. during the
heat of the Spanish revolution, when
throughout the world resounded the words
spoken from the tribune of our cortes.
which received and incarnated the gospel
of universal civilization under the form Of
the tongues Of fire of the modern spirit,
similar to those in which tho Holy Ghost
descended upon the primitive Christian
church, received q visit, after one
Of my speeches, from young
American, wlo came to congratulate
me thereon. His visit I shall never
forget on account of the theories he de-
veloped in his conversation with me, and
which he explained with great originality,
though with some measure, also, of ex-
travagance. An old admirer Of the
American republic, in which the demo-
cratic republic of the immortal Pilgrim
Fathers has borne such good fruit, found
it difficult to restrain the expression of adj
miration which my fervent regard for re-
publican institutions suggested.
The American civil war was then but .
recent event. Undertaken in order to vim
dictate principle and for the sake of
sentiment, it had revived and Illuminated
the stars of the American Hag-those glori-
GUS consultations from which shine ra-
dainty the modern ideals of right and JUS
tice. had but lately spoken on behalf of
our own redeemists, or abolitionists, who
had devoted themselves in Spain, which
still maintained slavery in the Antilles, to
work of the same nature as that immor-
tai one with which the name of Lin
coin is connected. These circumstances
tended to augment my illusions, to which
my visitor judged it expedient to make
some restrictions. He had travelled the
long distance which divides the Potomac
from the Manzanares in order to accom-
plish three objects: First, to visit our
wondrous ALEXANDRA; secondly, to see
bull fight, and thirdly, to hear q speech
by CASTELAR,. Iapplauded his first inten-
ton enthusiastically, but blamed the two
others; his desire to hear me speak, be-
cause my discourses were not worth the
trouble, and his presence at a bull fight as
being too horrible spectacle to cause
pleasure in the heart of Puritan and
democrat.
Seeking necessary diversion to the un-
easiness which his compliments caused in
me, expressed my admiration for his
country and his republic. He replied that
l should find three evils in the American
body polite. namely, the cancerous cor
ruption of its administration, the abom-
Unable adulteration of its spirituous liquors
and its disastrous plethora of wealth. I
remember that he expressed his thought
in a very picturesque form. I'VE are suf-
fering," he said, e'from corrupt govern
ment, bad alcohol and too much money"
The reader will understand my aston
ishment on hearing in so poor house as
mine, in country whose resources were
so much exhausted as those of Spain had
been by the taxes consequent to the disor-
ders of a revolution-a human being COM
plain of SO agreeable an evil as a super
abundance of wealth. l was only pre-
vented from bursting into loud laughter
by supreme effort and the habit,
acquired through receiving nu-
merous visits, of hearing ex-
traordinary things calmly. The
rules of courtesy which govern, or should
govern all human intercourse, and espe-
cially international intercourse, / regard
as sacred laws. However, must have ap-
peared somewhat astonished and amused,
for the young American added that there
was nothing to laugh at in his assertions,
so new to me, and that he would proceed
to state the foundations on which his rea-
son and experience had based them.
Interrupting him, explain how his in
dignation at the dishonesty on the part of
the administrative authorities seemed to
me grave complaint, from whose ravages
we in Spain also suffer, but how I'M
founded, in my opinion, was the regret
caused in his patriotic heart by the two
other social phenomena he had mentioned;
the one so insignificant as the adulteration
of alcoholic liquors. the other so fortunate
one as surplus of revenue.
"Insignificant, the bad quality of our
drinks?" he exclaimed, indignant at my
incomprehensiblei indifference on this sub
ject. 'It is easy to see that you have
always inhabited Mediterranean countries.
where water suffices as a beverage. But if
you had lived where alcohol is as neces-
sary as water in this country, you would
understand the importance of the evil
lament SO sincerely. A thousand occur
ences in everyday life would convince YOU
of the harm done to our material, intel
lectual and moral well being by poisonous
beverages. But the question of alcohol
and that of our surplus revenue are alike
allied to the capital danger which threat
ems our country-protection-
which the imperfections of our constitu-
tional laws and Of our political organiza-
ton all point, which will paralyze our in
dustry and isolate from humanity the most
humanitarian and the most progressive
nation in the world. The result of protec-
ton will be that the fable of King Midas
will become reality in the economic ex-
istence of America. and we shall be ex.
posed to death from our very power of
producing. A plethora of production will
disorganize and scatter our wealth. We
may be compared to a man who has an
abundance of blood, and who is by that
very abundance exposed to fatal attack
Of apoplexy."
have never since heard from nv WIS.,
itor, who has disappeared in the stream of
to take them away. But on every occa-
SION when prohibitory protection and free
trade nave, as 1T were, wrestled together
In the United States, the observations of
the young American have returned to nv
mind, and their foundation and their truth
have become clear to me. Much as I
would prefer to remain outside the lists in
the ardent struggles of foreign political
parties, my intellect cannot but exercise
law. of inevitable necessity. and in
so doing, cannot prevent itself from becom
ing attached to one side or to the other. II
IS, believe, impossible to restrain the
double current of my belief and sym-
pathies from mingling with the various
interests of humanity throughout the
world. Nfhn han,dni a me a!ienun nnto.
consequently, in American affairs INV
soul was formerly with the Republican
party. In the combat with the oIigarch-
lists of the South was for the representa-.
tlves OF the rights of man and an anar,, oe