The record-union., 1897-08-10
ASSASSINATION OF
PREMIER CANOYAS.
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Junta in this country, in an interview
commented upon the assassination of
Canoyas as follows:
While 1 have no sympathy with the
assassin, cannot help but feel that the
action was one of retribution. Canovas,
more than Weyler has been responsible
FOR the crlelhes practiced by the Span
ish troops in Cuba It was by his or
ders that women and children were
murdered and wronged He deserved
no better fate.
His death will be to Cuba's benef1t,
for it complicates political affairs in
Spain. AS the leader of the majority
he was sponsor for Weyler. His great
rival is Silvela, the leader of the Con-
servative minority Should the Queen
Regent choose to continue the ConserV-
atives in power, Silvela will be Premier,
and that would mean that Weyler
would be succeeded by General Pola-
vieja, who is now in the Philippine
Islands and belongs to the Weyler
school of warfare.
1t is true that Silvela recently sug-
gested that Cuba be given autonomy,
but he cannot maintain that position as
a Conservative leader. The Liberals un-
der Sagasta would indeed grant au-
tonomy, but we viii accept nothing less
than absolute independence. For that
we have sacrificed everything. In any
case the war must continue, and as
long as it continues under Spanish
methods the sympathy of the world
viii be with US In the meantime the
political confusion in Spain cannot but
give US an advantage.
1T should be distinctly understood
that the assassination of Canovas is not
the work of the Cuban party We do
not resort to such methods. The an
archists of Spain are for the most part
in the northern part of the country, and
they are intimately associated with the
anarchists of France. They had long
threatened Canovas, who caused many
of them to be executed. Only a few
days ago several anarchists were exc
cuted in Barcelona, and l suppose the
assassination was the outcome. / do
not think the killing of Canovas was
due at all to any question of policy, but
merely as a vague outbreak on the part
of some member of a dangerous party
of men. We Cubans have no sympathy
with such an act
AS man l deplore such a misfor-
tune, but as a Cuban I cannot help but
feel that am benefited by it,
COMMENT ABROAD.
LONDON, Aug. 9.-The afternoon pa
pers in the comment upon the assas-
sination of the Spanish Prime Minister
express themselves on the same lines
as the morning papers upon the incom-
man who was mainly responsible for
giving universal suffrage to Spain.
They also advocate the suppression of
anarchy by force, pointing out that the
history of nihiIism in Russia proved
that force consistently and steadily ap-
piled is the remedy for clearing out the
pestilent fang.
The st. James Gazette regards the
death of Senior del Castillo as being a
heavy disaster for Spain, adding:
"Canovas was not great, but he was
a statesman. During the Cuban crisis
he governed with energy, and if he had
been a very great man he might have
told his countrymen that they must al
ter hheif ways of dealing with the col
onies or be prepared for evil times. But
the Spaniards would hardly listen to
such a, lesson even from the tongue OF
an angel Maybe, if he had had the
choice Canovas would have preferred
the martyrdom which has overtaken
him rather than to have seen the col
lapse which. is only more threatening
to Spain.
In the meantime, the murder will
destroy the already unstable admins
tratiOn, and, in the pick of a successor
to the late Premier, the Queen Regents
position is most difficult She may be
driven to call upon some soldier, Cam
pos or Polavieja, which would be a
misfortune to Spain abroad. The crime
must have one consequence-to make
the Kaiser and his brother sovereigns
less disposed to adopt gentle methods
with socialism,
MAY BE HURTFUL TO CUBANS.
PARIS, Aug 9.--The French newspa-
pers do not anticipate any political COM
plication in Spain as an outcome of the
assassination of the Spanish Premier.
and they do not think the conservative
Government win be displaced
Senator Belancosa, a representative Of
Cuban insurgents, in an interview on
the subject just printed here. expresses
the opinion that the political situation
in Spain viii become critical, and great
ly to the advantage of the Cuban in
surgents
That the agitation against Senior
Canovas del Castillo was widespread is
further evidenced by the fact that the
police Of this city recently tore down
from the lavatories of Paris placards
inscribed Down with Canovas-The
martyrs viii be avenged-Long live
anarchy" and other expressions in
Spanish grossly insulting the Govern>
ment and Premier Canovas In addi-
ton, the officers of the Spanish Embas-
sy here have recently received many
threatening lestters It is stated that
at a meeting Of Spanish refugees at
Grenoble. Capital of the Department of
Isero. one of the speakers declared that
the anarchists would soon be avenged,
and that Senior Canovas would pay his
debt TO them with his blood.