St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-10-29
THE SPANISH COLONIES
This Authority Says That Spain
Could Learn No Lesson from the
Loss OF Her POssessi0ns.

It has already been said that England
learned lesson of the American revo-
luton, while Spain has never needed it
nor the loss Of her own colonies. Yet
II really was not until 50 years ago
that their methods sharply diverged.
As early as 177s Spain had begun to
open her dependencies to foreign
trade, and carly in this century
they were allowed to trade with
one another. So, likewise, al
though great changes had been
earlier made in the English colonies,
the spirit OF monopoly and Of re-
strictive policy was in force until about
1915. So far as relates to the evils OF
the colonial system, then, the two were
not very unlike. But into the field OF
administrative reform and the grant
Of autonomous powers to her colonies,
Spain never has entered.
The abuses of the early part OF the
century characterize also its later
years. Discrimination against the ma
tive born, even of the purest Spanish
stock; officials who regard the colony
rs mine to be worked, not trust to
be administered; forced dependence
upon the mother country for manufac-
lures, even for produce, SO far as du-
ties can effect it; self-government sti-
fled; representation in the cortes de-
MED or nullity; = civil service un-
progressive, ignorant, sometimes cor
rupt-compare these handicaps with
the growth, the prosperity, the inde-
pendence, above all, the decent and or
derly administration, Of the colonies OF
England. One of the wonderful things
in this half century is that army OF
British youth, with but little special
training or genius, or even, perhaps,
conscious sympathy for the work,
learning to administer the great and
growing Indian and colonial empire
honestly and wisely and well, with
courage and judgment equal to emer-
gencies, animated by an everyday
working sense Of duty and honor, but
not very often making any fuss or
phrases about it. It is not that Span
ish colonial government is worse than
formerly, which is costing it now 30
dear, but that it is no better, while
the worlds standard has advanced and
condemns it. Never yet has Spain
looked at her colonies with their own
welfare uppermost in her mind. She
has never outgrown the old mistaken
theories. Her fault is medievalism.
alias ignorance.
It is not cause for wonder, there
fore, quite apart from special sources
Of discomfort, that Cuba, which. by po-
sition, is thrown into contact with pro
gressive peoples, should chafe at her
leading strings. Without reference to
the corruption and cruelty, arrogance,
| injustice and repression which are al
legged against the mother country, with.
out rhetoric and without animosity, we
may fairly say that Spain is losing
Cuba, perhaps all her colonies, simply
because she has not conformed to the
standard Of the time in the matter Of
| colonial government. Ii England had
not altered her own methods, her col.
onies would long since have abandoned
her as opportunity offered. The won.
| der really is that Spain has held hers
SO long; for Cuba, at least, owing tc
its exceptional fertility and position
has relatively outstripped its declining
| MOTHERHOOD. Theodore S. Woolsey, ir
Century.