Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-11-19
sPAIN's WORST TROUBLE.
Not In Cubs or the Philippines, but Right
at Home.

at Home.
Nowadays we hear deal about Spain's
foreign embarrassment. Hardly a word,
however, is whispered Of her domestic in
felicity. Yet of the two the latter is the
greater Cuba and the Philippines have
harassed Spain much, but Don Carlos has
irked her far more.
This man is the most potent factor in
the present and future of Spain. He is
she bane Of Premier Canovas' life and the
lhadow that darkens the political path of
the infant king, Alfonso XIII. For more
than 60 years he and his ancestors have
been the trouble makers of Spanish poll
tics, and today his ambition, his determi-
nation, his resources and his opportunity
make him such menace to the crown as
he never has been before.
The pretender is the third in line, but
his claim has lost none of its strength
since his grandfather, Don Carlos, count
Of Molina, started the five years civil war
| in 1888 in his endeavors to make good his
pretensions to the throne made vacant by
the death of his brother, Ferdinand VII
| Nor was that claim without good founda-
tion, for Don Carlos, as heir apparent, was
displaced by the infant Isabella, whose
mother, the widowed Queen Christina,
had successfully plotted several years pre-
viously for the annulment of the Salic law
which formed barrier to female success
sion.
| Ever since Don Carlos has never let slip
an opportunity to agitate his cause His
| efforts have been aimed not only at the
reigning family, but also at the falling
fortunes of the republic which for a short
time desecrated that title in Spain. Fail
ure attended his efforts against the latter
| in 1874 only because the most influential
men In the realm rallied every neutral ele-
ment in the nation to the assistance of tho
restored monarchy, which even then was
unable to down the Carlists until 1875.
Although an exile for more than 30
years, Don Carlos has ever personally di-
rected the movements of his partisans at
home His followers have frequently made
themselves felt az obstructonists, and
their part In the Cuban war has been
more important than generally imagined
For a long time they obstruoted all move
ments of the government toward securing
funds with which to carry on the war
against the insurgents, but finally acced-
ed to the commands of Don Carlos, who
bade them, in the name of patriotism, to
cease their obstructive tactics. 1t is by
this and similar acts that he caught the
popular ear and captivated the popular
heart.
AS shrewd politician he has no master.
First he established reputation for pa
triotic sacrifice and then cunningly fos-
tered popular disgust and discomfort at
the expensive failures of the ministry.
When the resentment of the masses was in
its zenith the Carlist representatives with
drew from the cortes on Sept and by
this action won the sympathy and indorse-
ment of many hitherto loyal Spaniard.
Since then mystery has somewhat en-
shrouded the movements Of the party, but
it Is known that Carlist tongues have
spread discomfort broadcast over the land,
prated necessarily about the straits of the
government and infamed the peasantry
with an ardent spirit of rebellion. With
able and unscrupulous lieutenants, with q
host of supporters awaiting only his COM
mand, and with abundant wealth, acquired
by recent marriage, Don Carlos is today
playing sharp game that will either seat
him on the Spanish throne or bury him
politically beyond hope.
|
tivity by securing the negative friendship
of q prominent Liberal journal of Madrid,
and through the medium of its columns
bitterly denounced the ministry for its
Cuban war policy and its meekness to.
ward the United States which he branded
as nation of hluster and arrogance. This
is move which will win him countless
new recruits at this time and enhance bis
chances of success.
No one can deny that the administration
of the Canovas ministry has pauperized
the nation, demoralized the people and
nearly bankrupted Spain, and the friends
of Don Carlos are taking good care that
the people of oil Spain know these facts by
rote. The strain is great and growing
greater every day. The republicans art
divided and weak and daily growing
weaker, while the Carlists are united ant
strong and gaining strength day by day
through the advocacy of monarchy. L
: the Canovas government continues mucl
longer in its present path, it will lead tht
people to revolt, and then Don Carlos will
step forth as their champion, rally then
around his standard by rosy promises ant
make u desperate effort to force his way tt
the throno.-Albany Times Union.