The times., 1898-07-03

poverty and sullen endurance That is
the condition of the peasant. He deserves
better lot. He is today the best man in
the land. He has fine qualities; he has
large capacities; he has many virtues.
Give him real school, a fair days wage
for~a fair days work, an honest and ca
pabe government, and well-founded
hope of enjoying the fruits of his toll, and
he would rise up to be the new man of
a new land, one of the finest peasants
in the wholeaof Europa. But he has not
had a chance. Today he has not a hope.
The Spaniard as he was is not, and the
world will never see him more. A thought
ful German who has lived for years in
Spain declared, that the old cavalier, with
his haughtiness and his honesty, mis-
pride ard his honor. his punctilious cere-
monousness. but his essential gentleman
liness, has gone forever. And if Spain is
to have a national and social resurrec-
ton, the masses, not the classes, must
be looked to. The hope of the future lies
with the genie baja,' that is, the yeo-
maury and the peasantry.
1t is sadly true that at this hour these
masses are fearfully, distressingly ignor-
ant. No power has done anything effec-
tive to save them from sinking lower and
lower Into the slough of a Semi-animal
stupidity. OF course, they are poor.
What ether result could years of merci-
less taxation, pressing chiefly on them,
yield? OF course they are superstitious.
What full beam of light has ever been
poured around them? OF course they are
now often passionate, and stealthy. What
other than this fell fruit would you look
for from the wretched culture which has
been their only care? OF course they are
lazy But what openings have they had?
What incentive TO toll?
But when all this disparagement has
been set forth fteremains true. accord
ing TO the firm belief of a score of COM
petent witnesses. that the peasant, the
small farmer the workingman. is the
hope of this degraded land. And he Is
the coming revolutionary. The air IL
heavy with the brewing storms. The
tempest MAJ burst IN an hour Sleeping
in these poor peasants. who have never
had a fair show IN the face of Europe.
are great qualities. These men, now
scoffed al as soldiers because undrilied,
unfed unled. they have 10 go from bitter
defeat TO defeat, can yet prove them
| selves worthy OF the praise of Napoleon
and Wellington as the raw material out
of which might be made the toughest in
| fantFy in the world.
These masses are strangely patient and
! enduring -''surrida. to use their own
| pregnant word. They have great pluck
| and herosn They are cheerful, grate-
| full affectionate and hospitable. But
| they have been ground down till the good
| is buried out~of sight. The evil has been
! called out. The mobiles have racked and
| spoiled them. The government has known
| them only as patient beasts Of burden on
! whom must be laid the multiplied and
oppressive loads OF petty taxes, till they
| are verify crushed beneath the pitiless
| weight. For this oppression. this extOr-
! ton. the peasant gets nothing. The bad
| roads grow worse and the Appropriated
road tax fills the pocket of some official.
! The fallen bridges are not repaired but
/ some engineer is benefited. The children
are left without school or teacher, yet
/ school tax is levied The beardIesz lads
/ ara hurried off 10 Cuba Or some other
I colony and die soon. but their pay IS
/ drawn by the officer. The navy Is made
/ up of many phantom ships. and yet the
| taxes are collected for the Naval Bu-
reau. A well-informed friend stated that
! the population Of Spain was somewhere
| about 1000. COO; that of these 5000 0J5
| could not write; that s00O.09) could nel;h-
er read FOR write, and that about a half
| Of the whole had no sure and paying
| occupation. Here is, indeed. submerg-
| ed half! And over this submerged half
| rules a rapacious bureaucracy. incompe-
! tent and regardless Of the obligation flow
| ing from place and power and trust
! How long can this misruie last?