The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-05-02

of the constitution of 1876. But the
real power, and the decision of the
present question of peace and war, are
in the hands of the prime minister
Praxedes Sagasta.
On Aug. s, 1897, Canovas de Castillo
prime minister, was assassinated by ar
Italian anarchist at a watering place
where he was spending the summer
| Though of humble eXtraction-his
mother is said to have been a washer
woman-Canoyas had the manners and
instinct of a blue-blooded grandee OF
Spain. He was thorough believer in
| divine right, and would rather have
] died than surrender to the Cuban in
| Surgents. Thus, when he was removed
the event was supposed to presage the
independence of Cuba and the end of
! the war. The expectation was not full
filed. Maria Christina appointed her
war minister to fill Canovas post tenn
porarily. In October Sagasta succeeded
in forming ministry and assumed the
reins of power. He has been prime min
lister several times before, and was fa-
miliar with the duties of the office.
He was better born than Canovas,
though not of notable lineage. His fam
| lily were prominent people at Torrecilla,
and he himself was educated at the
Il
ing public life before he was so he rose
rapidly, and he served successfully in
! the cabinets of General Prim and Ser
rano; in 1881 he was the head OF an ad-
ministration of his own, and again in
1885, 1890 and 1893 he kissed hands, as
the saying is in England. His opinions
have changed since his public life be-
gan, but of late years he has been iden-
titled as the head of the Liberal party.
He iS fall thin pa6a yerOuS and CHS
tomarily silent. But he is master of
the arts of the politician, the most
adroit of Wire-pullers, with profound
knowledge of the weaknesses of men
and of the foibles of the small states
men of Spain. He has never distin-
guished himself by any resoiute policy,
but has accomplished his purposes by
makeshifts and compromises. He was
once republican and trained with
Gorilla, but, like CASTELAR,, he soon con-
WINGED himself that the Spaniards were
not fit for government, and he
joined the Liberal party, of which his
adroitness made him the unquestioned
leader Canovas was resolute, positive
and fearless; no danger ever daunted
him; Sagasta shrinks from conflict, and
tries to conciliate; thus it is hard to
forecast his attitude on the question of
the hour.
On the 18th of May, 1897, when he was
in opposition, he said in the cortes:
The military organization in the prov
inces of Cuba which are said to be
quoted remains the same as 1t was
prior to the alleged pacification. In the
pacified provinces the armed force is
IS per cent in excess of that employed
in the disturbed provinces The coun-
try cannot continue to be deceived in
this way. The real facts are that haV-
ing sent out 100000 men and having
shed SO much blood, we are not mas
tiers in the island of more land than
that on which our soldiers stand"
Five minutes after this utterance ne
took the place of the minister whom
he thus bitterly arraigned. But, though
he was fully informed by Weyler and
Blanco of the contemptuous refusal of
the Cubans to accept the offer of au-
tonomy rendered by Spain, he does not
seem to have pursued different policy
from that of his predecessor, Canovas,
The gift of resolute decision was de-
MED him by nature.
Four years ego, when he was prime
minister, his colonial minister, Senior
Maura, and his finance minister, Senior
GamaZo, introduced into the cabinet
a measure which would have appeased
the CubanS and averted war. A stormy
cabinet meeting ensued. Senior Maura,
the broadcast statesman in Spain, frank
acknowledge the independence of Cuba !
first as last, and 50 anticipate the day |
when the Americans would compel him
to do so. Sagasta refused to have his |
hand forced. He declined to accept the !
bill. Maura- and Gamazo resigned, !
charging their chief with breaking his !
pledges to the Liberal party. A new |
colonial minister, Abarzuza, brought in /
a new Cuban bill, which, under the in |
fluence of Sagasta, passed the cortes; !
it was treated with derision by the Gu |
bans, and war broke out. Sagasta's |
made no secret of their |
opinion that Cuba belongs to Spain by |
divine right and by conquests, and that |
it should be ruled as Rome ruled her |
proconsulships. 1t is no wonder that /
his administration did not last and that
Canovas resumed power.
Last October. when he formed his
present administration, he left out the
strongest members of his administra
ton of 1892. He retained Moret, who
is an eloquent orator and most en-
gaging man, but who has always been
in practical statesman
ship. He was minister of public works
in 1892, and is now minister of the
He also retained Puigcerver,
who was minister of the interior six
years ago and is now minister of
finance; he bears the reputation of
being an ignorant, noisy demagogue.
He also kept Capdepon, who was form
erly minister of Justice and is now
minister of the interior The new min
ster of foreign affairs. Guilon, was
the manager of q country bank. If he
mas ability Spain is not aware of the
fact. The other ministers, Correa,
Croizard and Bermejo, are unknown
men. Maura and Gamazo were not in
7ited to join.
oerience and ability who, in a crisis
ike the present, should have been will
ng to serve their country and to
sacrifice small party rivalrieS.
One such is Emilio, CASTELAR,. He
ives modestly in second history apart
nent in q small street in Madrid, and
himself by writing articles for
newspapers and reviews. Outside of
he peninsula he is accounted the fore
most statesman of Spain. Thoroughly
n touch though he be with modern
bought, he can be seen every Sunday
morning trudging to church, prayer
,ook in hand. He sacrifices his politi-
al future rather than expose his coun-
ry to the commissions which he appre-
tended the adoption of his political
reed would entail. Tilmeron and Pi
Margal, both of whom, like CASTELAR,,
we're presidents of the Spanish re-
'ublic. succeeded to the head of the
party when Castelar, re-
ired. They were men of marked
.bility, who might unite with the
liberals if the nation were assailed by
he foreigner. They are not now rally
ne to Sagasta's support. Another
rst-class man is the Duke of Tetuan,
he nephew of O'Donnell, Isabellas
rhine minister and lover. He also
GEMS to be holding back.
Among the Carlists there are men of
orce, eccentric as they seem to us, but,
Judging from their speeches, observers
you'd rather expect them to chuckle
yer the advent of the foreigner than