The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-23
SPAIN HAS MONEY.
Queen Regent Gives $4,000, 900 out of
Her PriNntc Purse.

queen regent Gives SS,OOO,OOO Out OF
Her Private Purse.
ST. LOUIS. March pa Madrid cable
gram to the Globe-Democrat says: The mys
terry as to the source of the funds which
the Spanish government has recently had
placed at it's disposal has been ascertained.
It turns out that it is the Queen Regent
who has placed at the disposal of the treas
ury here a sum in ready money of 4OOO0.000
pesetas, or about 100000. True. she has
received in return treasury bonds but these.
in view of the deplorable financial situation
here. are q very risky collateral at the very
best. Some time ago q decree was issued
authorizing the issue of 20000000 pcsetas,
or S4,000000 in treasury bonds. In conse-
quence, however, of the unpropitious state
of the money market here and the appre-
tensions of the foreign money markets
with regard to Spanish finances, the bonds
in question remained unsold the foreign
shipbuilders and manufacturers of war sup
plies manifesting an invincible objection to
accepting them in lieu of cash.
1t was then that the Queen Regent came
to the rescue of her adopted country. in the
patriotic manner indicated above and thus
enabled the government to pay in ready
money for its purchases abroad, 1t may be
remembered that the source of this sudden
acquisition of funds by the treasury was
ascribed first TO the Rothschilds, then to
French financiers, and finally to the En-
peror of Austria. The last guess was near
est the truth, for it is from the fortune
which she enjoys, not as Queen Regent of
Spain, but as an Austrian archduchess, that
she has rendered assistance to this govern
ment
The Queen Regent is very rich in her own
right having inherited large share of the
colossal fortune of her uncle, the old Arch
duke Albert, generalissino of the Austrian
army, who, at the time Of his death three
years ago, was justly reputed the most
enormously wealthy man in all Europe. The
Queen had, however, long before she inner
tied his fortune, always shown most gem
erous and liberal spirit in money matters,
of a great lady for useless and reckless eX-
travagance.
AS Queen Dowager she has a right to
large annual allowance from the treasury,
and she is entitled to a still further larger
allowance as regent of the kingdom during
her sons minority She has likewise al
lotted. by the terms of the Constitution, al
lowances for her two daughters during their
minority. All these allowances she re-
nounced, declaring that she wished neither
her children nor herself to constitute any
additional burden upon the unfortunate tax
payers, and that she would manage to main
tain the court with BETTING splendor on
the civil list to which her little boy was
entitled as King.
In this way the Queen Regent has spared
the Spanish treasury many million dollars
since she became a widow twelve years ago,
her conduct presenting a striking contrast
to that of many other reignng sovereigns,
such as for instance the Kings of Greece,
Roumania, Sweden, ETC., who made point
of exacting every penny of what they con-
land over which they have been called upon
to rule and by which it is contributed. but
sending it on the contrary to be boarded
abroad against a rainy day, that is to say,
for use in the event of deposition or COM
pulsory abdication, which is about the same
thing.
OF course the Queen Regent has been
prompted in making this timely advance to
the treasury not alone by sense of pa
triotic love for the land of her adoption,
but likewise by her passionate devotion for
her son, in whom she is completely bound
sacrifice, not only her fortune, but her very
life Her one guiding aim since her hus-
bands death has been to prese we the tot
tering Spanish throne for her little boy
and to this object everything has been
subordnated. She is shrewd enough to
realize the extent to which the. safety of
her boys crown is involved in the present
crisis with the United States, and that the
people here, with their tendency to reyile
posed to place upon her shoulders. as an
alien, the blame of the present situation.
Perhaps she hoped to disarm hostility by
this piece of magnificent generosity, which
is calculated to move every hidalgo, with
any spark of chivalry or patriotism in his
breast especially as the applications by the
every other quarter had been repulsed in a
fashion singularly CALLING to a people so
proud and sensitive as the Spaniards. That
she has strengthened the position of her
son and of herself in the hearts of the
people by thus opening her purse strings it
is impossible to deny and a reaction has
set in in her favor, which has considerably
diminished, within the past twenty-four
hours, that at one moment very strong
probability of dynastic overthrow.
Her conduct in the matter is contraSted
with that of Don Carlos, who. possessed of
fortune of close upon 5000 600; upon
which there are practically no calls, has
not contributed a single peseta toward the
defense of the country, although he is very
loud and eloquent in his demands that the
government should declare war against the
United States at once for the sake of safe
guarding the honor and dignity of the ma
is fully in keeping with his recent refusal
to contribute anything toward Carlist ris-
ing, intimatng that he preferred that It
should be his followers and his adhererts
who should bear the expense of the insur-
rection for which he would give them
notes payable only in the event of it's sue
his refusal TO tender any kind of financial
assistance to his former followers and adj
herents who had sacrificed everything for
his sake and whom he actually permitted
to die in want and in exile, while he him
self is living in altogether Oriental luxury
at Venice.
On the other hand it was just what one
would have expected from the well-known
delcacy of the Queen Regent that she
should have insisted upon her action in adj
vancing the money remaining unknown I'M
iii to-day. The Cabinet, of course, was
aware of it. But it was not until to-day
that the matter was allowed TO leak out.
probably by the premier, who had become
alarmed by the growth of animosity toward
the Queen during the past few days, and
which Sagasta wished to check before it re-
suited in any rising against either the Re-
gent or the dynasty. If this was his OBJ
ject, the old statesman has certainly sue
ceeded. True there is nothing about 1t in
the newspapers yet. but il is the talk of
every club and place of public resort in the
city and the people are partly thunder
struck with surprise and admiration, pro-
nouncing Christiana's action as very chic.
and are partly a. little bit ashamed of them
selves for having manifested such a lack
of good will toward her.
FOUR MEN UNACCOUNTED FOR.