Omaha daily bee., 1896-03-05
SPANISH PARTIES UNITED
Liberal Leaders, However, Deprecate the
Dissolution of the Oortes.
CONSERVATIVES TAKE A MEAN ADVANTAGE
Senior scgnstn Expresses the Opinion
the Present Trouble would Have
Been Avertcd by Adopting
Proposed Reforms.

MADRID. March Anew York World
Cablegram-Special Telegram.) 1.-The World
correspondent was accorded today an inter-
view, by appointment, with Senor Sagasta,
leader of the liberal party In Spain and,
therefore, politically the antagonist Of Senor
Canovas, the present prime minister.
IN this controversy with the United
States" said the liberal statesman, "al
Spaniards are unanimous Even the repub
Leans, or the Carlsts, are determined to
spare no sacrifice, no effort to suppress this
cruel insurrection lin Cuba) and to combat
foreign intervention of any kind.
80 unanimous is this patriotic feeling that
l believe the coming general election will
be tame in Spain. Only the Carlists, a few
dissent conservatives and few liberals are
contesting the large constituencies. The
coming Parliament will be packed with con-
servatives.
81 consider the calling Of the elections at
this time to be an inslncere political move
of the premier 1t will be impossible to get
a fair expression on home issues and 1t is
especially inadvsable to hold elections in
Cuba as the autonomists and the liberals
there will decline to go to the polls Who
cares for politics when the heart and the
soul of the nation are absorbed IN the
Cuban conflict?
NO NEED OF DISSOLUTION.
"All this farce could have been averted by
employing for all purposes the Parliament
just dissolved, which would have voted all
supplies and could have been assembled in
two days, whereas we shall now be without
a Cortes until May.
0Another solution would be to have a gen.
eral election now on lines of the coalition Of
all Spanish parties. to show America the
unanimity of our national Parliament, with
a fair representation of all parties joining to-
gether to give more weight to the action of
our government.
II do not believe the government could
entertain the mediation, advice for interven-
tion of the United States after their recog
milton of the belligerency of the Cuban rebels,
but l am firmly convinced that the present
complications might have been averted If cir
cumstances and political influences in Spain
and Havana had not postponed and
afterward made it impossible to
carry out the home reforms which my lib
eral government induced the Cortes to vote
before the present insurrection which Mar
shall Campos wanted to carry out when he
landed in Cuba, and which might have been
put in force in Porto Rico.
81 still hope that a conflict with America
may be averted, though that depends chiefly
on the American government. / am conf
dent that Spain will be equal to the task Of
defending her rights; certainly she will have
the unconditional support Of my party"
Both Senor Sagasta and Senior Moret eX-
press the opinion that the liberal party
would heartily agree to any home rule pol
icy calculated to preserve the loyalty of
Cuba.
Senor Moret also consented to speak for
the New York World. He has been minister
of foreign affairs several times in liberal
governments.
NO REASON TO DESPAIR.
There Is no reason yet" he said, ITO
despair of an amicable, harmonious settle
ment of the difficulties between Spain, Cuba
and the United States If President Cleve-
land, without recognizing the belligerency
of the Cubans, simply uses the moral influ-
ence of the votes of the American congress
to better approach the Madrid government
with the friendly advice that it should con-
tinue treating the insurgents humanely, re-
specting the lives and property of
American citizens and defining clearly
its intentions concerning the home
rule measures contemplated for Cuba then
Mr. Cleveland might use his influence to
persuade the Cubans and their American
friends to accept these reforms after the
submission of the rebels.
"If Cuban belligerency is recognized
rupture of the diplomatic relations between
Spain and the United States must ensue.
Our minister at Washington would be re-
called, as Spain cannot admit any parallel
with her own recognition of the southern
states in 1868. That recognition fulfilled the
conditions required by international law and
these conditions the Cubans cannot show, as
they have neither port, town nor consti-
tuted government with any ostensible, fixed
residence"
Senior Moret argues that Spain asks
America to act toward Cuba as America
acted in the Chilian, Brazilian and other
South American insurrections, and as Grant
did during the ten years of the Cuban rising
between 1868 and 1878. He admits that the
Spanish foreign policy has isolated her from
alliances and also that her reputation of
treaties of commerce affords little hops of
support from the other European powers,
especially from Germany.
He thinks all parties in Spain will CO.
operate with any government to overcome
the Cuban rebellion and to repeal the fereign
interference but laments the dissolution of
the Cortes and the agitation consequent
upon a general election in Spain. He be
lieves elections are impossible in Cuba and
apprehends grave consequences, even for the
monarchy II the sacrifices and patriotism
of united Spaniards should prove unavailing
to preserve Spanish rule In Cuba.
RESULT OF A MISUNDERSTANDING
Senior Castelar,, the most experienced and
respected of Spanish statesmen, was found
today by the World correspondent in his
beautiful residence, a very museum Of price
less antiquities and art. He was surrounded
by friends of all political opinions, all ami
matedly discussing what Is to every Spaniard
now momentous question. All, with their
peculiar old world feelings, showing the
deep resentment of wounded pride and the
keen susceptibllities Of an impressionable
southern race. The company was listening
eagerly to an eloquent, mpetuous flow Of
words from the great republican leader,
whom they consider a more competent au-
thority than any modern Spaniard who could
cffer an opinion in the present juncture, be-
cause CASTELAR, has been always sort CT
connecting link between the Spanish-Amer-
ican republics and their mother country, and
lifelong adm!rer and advocate OF the
United States.
He hardly conceals the concern and emo
tion the present crisis causes him. He hopes
against hope for a satisfactory solution Of
the differences between America and Spain
The Spanish he styles the democratic people
nowadayo In Europe. Like other liberal
statesmen, he says Americas attitude is the
result OF an unfortunate misunderstanding
of the real conduct Of Spain toward Cuba and
the sincerity Of the intentions Of the Span
ish parties which so unanimously voted last
year for an elastic form OF home rule for
the island quite sufficient TO reconcile the
aspirations OF the Cubane and the interests
of the mother country.
81 dread" he said, "the consequences Of
the recognition OF Cuban bellgerency, be-
cause that action by the United States would