The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-03-10
Tho Spanish Elections.

In the general election which has just
taken place in Spain, the supporters OF
Prime Minister SAGAsTA obtained an esti-
mated majority Of It's. These include about
fifty Republicans. twenty Of whom. how
ever. scarcely deserve the name. being fol-
lowers OF CASTELAR,. who. for reasons that
do more credit to his heart han his head.
has declared that he will never countenance
a revolution against the Queen Regent
CHRISTINA and the child King ALFONSO
XIII. Still. although not numerous. the
Republicans will DO influential. for they
have swept Madrid. some OF their best
known leaders. like SALMERoN and Pf Y
MARGAL. having been returned from The
capital.
There Is nothing surprising In the fact
that under n parliamentary franchise
which presents u close approach to uni
versal suffrage. Liberals OF all shades. from
thoroughGoing. though broad-minded.
Monarchists to Fcderalist Republicans.
should between them obtain an %overwhelm-
ing majority. Tho wonder was that last
year. under precisely similar electoral con-
ditions. the Conservative leader. CANovAs
DEL CASTILLO. should have had for q time
n majority Of some one hundred and forty
in the Cortes. Even this was no mystery
to those familiar with tho extraordinary
means OF seduction and intimidation at the
disposal Of the Ministry which happens to
be In power when an election takes place.
In Madrid alone the number OF o%flcehOld-
ers liable to lose their places on a change
OF Government ID said to exceed twenty
two thOusand-a number almost half as
great as the aggregate OF the votes usually
polled In the city.
There ia more ground than there seemed
to be some weeks ago for the hope that the
| new Cortcs. under tho impulse OF the SA-
GAsTA Government. will institute a rigorous
investigation Of the Madrid municipal scan
dals. and will apply tho long-promised re-
trenchment to the pay roll OF tho army. 1t
will be remembered that CANovAs was
driven from power In the late Cortes by the
Conservatives themselves because he was
held responsible for the gross embezzle-
ment Of municipal money by his appointees
In Madrid. The Liberal chief. SAGAsTA, sue
ceeded to power through u temporary coali-
ton OF the Liberals, not with the honest
Conservatives who had %repudiated their
leader. but with the band OF politicians who
still adhered to CANovAs. SAaAsTA seems.
however, to have been warned byinfluential
sections Of his composite party-by he Dy-
nastic Democrats. for instance. and by the
Re~publicans-that he should not venture
to go before the people tainted with the
suspicion OF sympathy with tho ak prin-
clples AID INSCRIPTIONS practices OF the
discreditcd head OF tho former Conserva-
tive Government. He accordingly declined,
in making up the Official lists Of candidates.
md In arranging to work the levers OF in
fluence on their behalf. to take any account
OF the friend, OF CANovAs. The result Is
that the last-named statesman, for the first
time since he began to figure consplcuously
on the public stage. lnds himself reduced
almost to a nullity. being repudiated by
the upright member OF his own party. and
being no longer able to rely Oh the secret
understanding In pursuance OF which no
ard SAGAsTA have for man. years been ac-
cIstomed to toss the Government. like q
shuttleeock. back and forth between them.
Tho presence of some fifty Republican
Deputies In the Cortes. including at least
three parliamentary orators OF first-rate
abilities. will render 1t extremely dificult.
II not impossible. for SAGAsTA to continue
the shufling policy in regard to army re-
form which characterized his previous term
OF Office. His former system was to allow
one Minister OF War after another TO bring
In q bill with a flourish OF trumpets. cutting
OF a multitude OF superannuatsd Marshals
aud Generals whose unearned pay depleted
the army chest and then to declare the bill