The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-21
THE GENTLEMEN OF SPAIN.
Some of the Causes of the Decadence
of the Snnnish Nnfinn


of the Spanish Nation.
The Spanish have saying. When you
have said Spain you have said all" This
proverb sums up in nutshell the feeling
of national pride which is so manifest
among the Spsniards. for not only tho
lower classes but more especially the no.
biity and gentry are vain and arrogant
to the highest degree. and their pride is
only equaIed b. their poverty.
Pride is a heavy load 20 carry. and es-
pecialIy for one with slender resources 20
support his dignity. There was time
when Spanish grandees might consider
themselves the first gentlemen in Europe.
since they had not only rank but fortune.
many of them very great fortunes Gre
ated by the influx of wealth from Mexico
and Peru and the conquest Of the Moors.
/ which made them like the merchant
/ princes of Venice. In a few cases the
( old estates remain in the family, but in
/ the great number the wealth has been
| scattered till the descendants are left
with only the inheritance of poverty
| which is made more embarrassing BY be-
ing associated with a proud name.
/ Here is the dilemma in which tens or
\ thousands of Spanish gentlemen find
! themselves today Indeed the number
might be enlarged. for while there Is an
old aristocracy. bearing flIustrious names
| that date back TO CASTLE and Aragou. the
ancient blood has descended in other
| channels and flowed in many directions;
so that while the heads OF the great
/ houses might be counted il is impossible
/ to count when YOU come to the third and
/ fourth-yes. and to the tenth generation
/ Including all these. the Spanish nobility
has been estimated. incredible as it may
| seem, to comprise nearly One-hfteenth OF
| the whole population of Spain
| How is a higher class. so numerous. to
/ be supported Some may become officers
| in the army or navy. but for the larger
/ part there is little hope OF anything ''tit
! for a gentleman except to get some en-
plOymeat under the government: and TO
obtain this. however humble the position
/ and petty the pay. is the ambition Of
many man in whose veins flows the blue
blood of the proudest families of old
Spain
A Spaniard would rather die than not
| keep up appearances. II he aspires TO a
position in society he will try to appear
rich. or. at least. independent. while in
reality he may be desperately poor To
this end there are two things which are
more important to him than food or drink
i ID carriage ana a DQN at the opera ne
I must show himself in the PradO at GER
tain hour of the day and in the opera at
night: for the rest how he lives nobody
knows and nobody cares. He need not
give dinners; indeed. he may not have
dinner to give or even eat himself. When
| he comes back from his daily drive and
| alights at his door. he may retire into the
recesses of his chamber and there partake
of the meanest food TO satisfy the crav-
ings of hunger, and nobody be the wiser
The Spaniards have a convenient prov
erb that, THE stomach has no windows.
what man wears on his back is eX-
posed to the gaze Of all men. but what he
eats nobody sees. He may have parraken
of Piementos MorrOnes and wine or his
repast may have consisted of a small dish
of pork and beans. fl is all the same
when he mufies his cloak about him and
saIIies forth TO meet the world with an
unrufied cOuntenance.
But the Spanish gentleman is not yet at
the end of his resources OF the attainment
of his highest felicity There is one more
prize to be gained, and his happiness will
be complete. It is TO get pension. hope
which would be chimeTicaI in a country
where such rewards are bestowed only
for distinguished public services But they
do these things differently in Spain. Hero
! pensions are given for all sorts OF serVIC IS
or for none. The most triffiing claim IS
recognized by the government. 1t may be
very, very small, but no matter for that.
it is fixed. and 50 long as il secures the
recipient from absolute want, it is enough.
From that moment he viii set Up as a
gentleman and not DO another stroke OF
work TO the end Of his days.
Thus it is that the pension roll of Spain
{ has become so great. Every new admin
istratiOn that comes in has a fresh army
OF favOrites to be rewarded for devotion
to their political leaders and the number
grows larger and larger from year to
year. All this is a burden which the state
has TO carry, and as il takes the labor -
two able-bodied men TO support q third
idle one the drain upon its resources IS
enormous.
But what cares the happy. pensfOaer?
| For him Hfe'S woes are ended and his
joys are just begun. Every day he VIII
spend his morning at the cafe where he
Will take his drive Except Sundays. when
tyyirl his cigarette; in the afternoon he
viii take his drive Except Sundays. when
he will go to the bull ring and the even
ing he Will spend at the theater or the
opera.
When life flows on with this smooth
and even current in a perpetual round of
amusement. who can wonder that the
Spaniard is perfectly satisfied with HIM
self and his country? Why should ne not
be? Is not his country the greatest in the
world? 1t has been said that even in
teIiigent Spaniards cherish the belief that
it is still the power in Europe Ten years
ago there was some fear Of trouble be-
tween Spain and Germany about the Car
cline Islands in the Pacific and for j
week or two the talk in the cafes of Mad
rid was of war. and not a doubt was eX-
pressed that if Il came TO blows Ger
many would soon find out what a for
midable enemy she would have 10 deal
/ with Happily she was forewarned that
discretion was the better part of valOT
/ and withdrew her pretensi5us-
; | Henry NJ Field, ID. D. probably one OF
| the best informed men on Spanish affairs
, ! of this country. wrote an account Of his
| interview. in 1883. with the Duke of Vera
qua. the HneaI descendant Of christopher
, / Columbus. IN the course Of this he says
D The mention OF Havana Ted US 70 speak OF
D Cuba q subject on which every SpdnjIrd is s5nsj
tive and 10 which the present Columbus clingg
with Spanish pride rs the last and greatest POS
session which Spain holds IN that Gir-dstInt lanC
which his fOreiathe- was thc FIST % see IA
= said that Spain would never give up Cuba, tEIt
2 no power could take it frOrl her, and no money
- could Luv il: that she would hold IL if ir teOs
her last dollar and her last drop Of blood.
Mr.. Field says that in conversat:or with
20 q Spanish gentleman familiar With for
= eign literatuTes, the Latter did not hesi-
tate to say that he looked upon them all
as only so many pale infections Of the
I far more splendid literature OF Spain,
Another Spanish gentleman who had
I | made a visit TO France. could not retain
. his joy al returning. and said with an ala
7 | of one who smiled appr0viusly on ris-
, | ing young city that Paris was very we'll
I | but''-with emphasis-''it was not Ma
dridr'
This is delicious; dreams like these it IS
cruel TO dispel Doubtless this Spanish
gentleman. judging from his views re-