The age-herald., 1898-05-17
THE MYSTERIOUS
 CABINET CRISIS ] It Has Given Rise to Many lnge-
 nious Surmises. SENIOR SAGASTA'S POLICY Ran Counter to Public Opinion and Hj
 Own Adheren.S HIS ATTITUDE TOO c0NcILIATORY To Suit the Extremely BeIIicose Tenn
 per of the Nation. TEMPoRIzING AUTONOMY SCHEME Pleased No One, and It's Failure Was the Signal For Mutterings of DIscontent Among the Leaders of the Peo-
 pie, the Conservatives. <,
To Suit the Extremely BeIIicose Tenn
 per of the Nation.
PERFORMING AUTONOMY SCHEME

London. May 16-The Madrid correspon- dent of the Times says: q am now in a position to explain the mysterious cabinet crisis which has been hanging fire for sev- eral weeks, and has given rise to so many ingenius surmises. Senor Sagasta and the Sagasta cabinet came into office with the policy of avoiding a conflict with the United States by pacifying Cuba through autonomy. In pursuing this policy the cabinet not only ran counter to public opinion in the conservative party, but did violence to the feelings of large section of it's own adherents. It's attitude was too conciliatory to suit the bellicose temper of the nation, and consequently 1t became very unpopular. When the policy fai ed and was seen to be inevitable, In spite of all the concessions, 1t ought to have re- signed to make way for fighting cabinet Ministers desirous of peace at any price short of sacrificing the national honor were not the men for conducting affairs in a struggle against an enemy infinitely su- perior in resources.
 'No doubt a conservative cabinet was practically impossible because it would have required a conservative majority in the chamber, which was not obtainable without subjecting the country to the dan gerous ordeal of a general election. But such an extreme measure was necessary. There were many liberals who had con demned the cabinet for being too concilia- tory and who continued to urge it to ac- cept the arbitrament of war; They were inc men it was naturally supposed who must be willing to accept the responsibili- ties of office when war was imminent.
 Senor Segasta Objected
 ..so if seemed at least to several mem- hers of the Sagasta ministry, and on the very day of the opening of the cortes ms colleagues urged upon Senor Sagasta the advisability of the cabinet resigning lmme- diately. Senor Sagasta objected. He wlsfed to temporize as usual. Even after some useless delay all he could be induced to do was to ask the queen regent to consult with important political leaders on the question of change of cabinet. Though some or these> had shown themselves very Deliicose when war was at a comfortable distance, none was inclined to assume the responsi- bjlities of office when war was about to begin All, therefore, with the exception of one or two were known to be deslrous of fishing in trouble waters advised strong ly that the existing cabinet continue. The queen regent, who is always strictly consti- tutlonal in her acts, had thus no choice but to request Sagasta to remain. He con sented but the other ministers were by no means satisfied. There were irreconcilabie differences of opinion among them on at least one vital question of policy and sev- erai of them felt that they themselves, as we'll as some of their colleagues, were not capable of coping with the departmental duties of their offices at the time of great national danger.
 Rendered Designations
 .Finally, on Sunday, May 8, Sagasta yielding to the representations of those who wished to retire, rendered the queen regent the resignations of the cabinet. Again the same important political per- sonages were consulted and again they de- clined the responsibility of office. Things seemed at a deadlock but there was still a way out of it. The fundamental question of policy which divided ministers was whether the government should still seek a pacific solution by provoking the friendly intervention of the great powers or should abandon all present hope of peace and fight to the bitter end On that question affecting the vital interests of the country, the nation might well have been invited to express an opinion by the voice of It's rep resentatives in parliament; and there was . possibility that a more pacific policy might be recommended because Senor Sil- yela the leader of party which had al- ways shown itself more bellicose than the liberals, had used in the chamber express sions which seemed to show that he fa- vored making another effort to secure peace.
 Silvela Condemned
 'Senor Moret. accordingly, launched tho idea in the chamber, but Senor Silvela, in- stead of adopting Moret's suggestion, con- demned it in no measured terms as an attempt of the government to evade it's legitimate responsibilities and to transform the chamber into convention of French revolutionary type. Tn vain Senor Moret at subsequent sittings explained that such was not his intention,. and that the govern ment wanted merely an indicational of the national will Senor Silvela refused to re- ceive the olive branch, and the cabinets containing representatives of both policies | collapsed into It's old difficulties The only 1 course now was for Senor Sagasta to choose for himself between the two policies, let l ting those retire who objected to the policy | adopted This he has done, and it is under | stood that he will choose colleagues from among those in favor of continuing the | struggle with all possible energy.
 Hot fight on Garden Hose. Now's the | lima "a anrfnlrIe yO1lr ward. Alabama Gas l