The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-17
A Silk Bargain
Csc a yard

without, and that is his cigarette. The num-
Der of these an average Spanish Tommy
Will consume in the course of the day is APP
palling He rolls them himself. using a
yellow, dry, dusty-looking tobacco, which
possesses no more flavor to an English
Smokers palate than would so much
chopped straw.
In theory every Spaniard must serve his
twelve years in the army but there is
wide difference, in this case at all events,
between theory and practice. To begin
with, any citizen can discharge his liability
to serve by the payment in a lump sum of
1865 pesetas. This sounds a good lot of
money. But it takes twenty-five pesetas to
equal an English sovereign, so that he real
ly has to disburse only about G4S. Enor-
nous numbers, even of the peasant class
have taken to awaiting themselves of the
privilege. There has even sprung up in
village usurers, who lend the smart
money"-at a ruinous rate of interest of
R yoSg cS a S MnG na tSe
object in view, are also rife in the agri-
cultural districts. This has the effect of
increasing the Spanish revenues; but from
military point of view it is deplorable
Besides those who honorably purchase their
exemption large numbers of young men OBJ
tain what are known as "dspensations,"
absolving them from serving their time un-
der any circumstances whatever. To get
one of these ''dispensations' it is not neces-
sary to be either Drawer, wiser or better
than ones neighbors. But one must have
what the Americans call pull with the
authorities.
Spanish peasant tries his utmost to evade
the CONSUMPTION; for his treatment, from
the moment he dons his countrys uniform
until the moment he is discharged, is of
the vlest He is bullied by his officers, ILL
treated by his ''non-coms., !" and robbed by
all. Nominally his pay is rs centimos (715d)
a day. Often, however, for years together,
he does not handle that much money in a
month: The Spanish system of army stop
pages" Is work ed upon a sliding scale. The
him. at the end of the month, the greater
is the sum kept back for this, that or the
other.
And he dare not complain for discipline
is enforced with relentless severity that
is neither more nor less than appalling. De-
sertion is punished by eight years solitary
confinement. Fer theft the penalties are as
follows: If the amount stolen does not ex-
ceed 10 reals (2s). imprisonment with hard
labor for three years; from 10 to 200 reals
Us to ED, ten years Imprisonment; above
zOO reals, death or hard labor for life In
the Spanish military code of laws there are
over eighty crimes, many of them of the
most trivial nature, which are punishable
by death. Nevertheless, organized military
revolts, known 'Pronunciamentos" are
exceedingly common, and the entire army
lutionary societies.
Ine total available strength of the Span
ISM army at the present moment is be-
neV &c, TO be not more than 100000 men; and
OF TINS number not by any means all are
eLncient soldiers. On paper, it is true, more
IMAM double this number are shown But
Il II should be borne in mind that the Span
lsh war once authorities have a playful
way OF including in their annual returns
what are euphemistically designated
available recruits" These are really un-
drilled men, who have never been enrolled
and who, most of them, probably, do not
know the foresight of rifle from the trig-
ger guard Their only claim TO be desig-
na.eo soldiers Is that they have each signed
upon.