New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-01
THE SPANISH CRISIS.

Tho resignation Of the AZcarraga Ministry
NAV well forcshadow n change OF pollticai coh-
troll of the Spanish Government the queen
Regent has accepted the designations ana shows
no inclination 10 ask that they be reconsldered.
Mother does she seem inclined 10 ntrust the
formation of n new Ministry to Senior Silvelas,
Senior Roblcdo or any other Of the Conservative
lenders Her eyes are fixed upon Senior Sa-
rasta the Liberal leader and the foremost
statesman in the Kingdom. 1t Is true that the
Conservatives have an overwhelming majority
in the present Cortes But there Is every eX'
notation that the Cortes will meet when IL
does meet. only to adjourn without day, ana
in thc electoral campaiCn which will follow the
Liberals will have vast advantage over the
Conservatives. and may easily carry the couh-
fry. The disastrous war in Cuba. and all It's
burdens upon the people OF the Peninsula. VIII
count heavily against the Conservatives. 80
will the rrcparable loss Of their one great lead
or. Canovas. The Liberals will be able to fight
n purely aggressive campaign, attacking the
conservatives for all the evils that have be-
fallen Spain in the last two years. ignoring the
fact that the beginning Of those evils was I'M
der Il Liberal Administration, and making for
themselves no pledges for the future. In that
way Senior Sagasta may secure handsome ma
jority in the new Cortcs. and enter upon his
administration with an entirely free hand.
Then will come the tug Of war. In one OF
three ways Senior Sagasta will have to deal
with Cuba one is his original plan. of grant
ing only nominal reforms. and crushing the in
s,irrcctlon by force That he will persist in It
Is improbable. lie is. indeed known to have
changed his views very materially from what
they were when he put forward the Abarzuza
"home rule scheme and began shipping the
Spanish Army to Havana. Another way Is to
recognize the ind, I,"ndcncc of CUBA. lhAt also
seems improbable such Il step would he I'M
poprlar 10 the verge Of revolution. 1t might he
wise II may be. ere long inevitable But the
SPANISH people are not yet prepared for H. Atcr
NIL they have paid and suffered for the reten-
ton Of Cuba they would not he reconciled to
the entire and immediate abandonment Of that
island They would probably prefer more debts,
more sacrifices. more suffering and struggling
to keep their flag still supreme over the Pearl
OF the Antilles
There remains the third course 10 wit. com
promise-and whether or not II viii be- success
fully pursued depends chiefly upon the Cubans.
There l. little doubt that Senior Sagasta would be
willing 10 grant true autonomy 10 Cuba in some
such measure as that which Canada now en-
lows. There j. reason 10 think that such an nr-
ramgemcnt would be- accepted by the Spanish
Noodle rs the lesser ~ two cvlls-or the Least Of
three /, may Doe assumed that the United
STATES woul regard It with benevolent salts
faction. But would the 'ubanS themselves ac-
ccpt Il? They have been saying they would
not. They say now. They declare they Will
be satisfied with nothing short Of entire indie
pcnd.nce So too. have the Spanish leaders
been declaring that no reforms whatever shall
be granted - cuba until the island Is paclied
and submissive II Spain takes back that harsh
resolve may not Cuba do the same? Irwould
bc long step toward Independence. and in
many RESPECTS might he. for the cubans them
selves tho best possible thing.
The obstacle II Dne there be. VIII be n rnan
clal one Spain has Insisted on charging against
cuba an enormous mass Of Indebtedness. on ac-
count ~ the various Cuban wars. She wants 10
make Cuba pay the cost II her own suppression.
That indebtedness IS 50 large that 10 pay it
would mean ruin To cuba. Against saddling II
upon cuba. the Cubans including even those
who are willing to remain under the Spanish
Crown. are fully committed. on other points
they may change their minds. On that one
there Is no ground for expectation that they
will II Senior Sagasta can offer them real au-
tonomy. with release from all financial obliga-
tlons save those properly pertaining to the isl
and Itself he may succeed in cffccting n COM
promise and in ending the war without losing
the province But To do that in the present
state Of Spanish finances will be- an undertaking
from which any statesman might we'll shrink.