New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-14

permanent has 10 be considered. Further nj cre
than two-thirds OF the Portuguese arc illitcratc
The bulk OF the population are asricu!turists.
who have time to spare for s.diti0n: they
must be in the fields from sunrise to sunset
every working day IL they are to pay their taxes
and live And. chief thing of all. ard fact
much IGmened openly in Opcr.1. where they air
their thoughts with extreme freedom. there is
not man in Portugal willing. ani therefore
able to head a revolution. Otherw.sc-
And yet no one has bad word for the King
or aught hut good one for The Queen. AS
constitutional monarch. Dom Pedro has fair ex-
cusc for not interfering with his precious CaDi-
net. who are supposed to represent the nation.
They DO not represent it, but they have made
fine study Of the art Of retaining the power they
have so long misusei. 1t has been said recently
that only cynical and immoral country would
continue in such state of tOrpidity." But the
churches I'll in Portugal nor Is cynicsrn usually
the offspring of iteracy And to the stranger
it seems that Portugal treats him with an hon.
csty reaching to the verge Of simplicity.
on one achievement Of late the Government
may be congratulated for its own sake. il not
Portusals It bought wheat largely before the
rise in price. One sees on the walls in small
towns the following notice: This is To intimate
that the local authorities have n deposit OF
'farinhas Of the first. the second and the third
qualities. - avoid an increase in the price or
bread" Such slight scarcity AS did exist was
met not by an increase in price. but reduction
in the size " the loaves. C0nceivabiy enough.
- per cont rise on bread would have discovered
i l'ttG'T lDl l!lc TtNolutipHi>ts VI OltItO.
GENERAL IMPECUNIOsTTY
The phrase "falta de dnheiro' rings in ones
cars in Portugal In honor Of the discovery OF
india certain Brazilian friends subscribed a sum
to buy cruiser for the Tagus. AT par the money
would have been enough. But With gold at its
present price it is not nearly enough 1t is now
suggested. not unwiscly that mere torpedo
destroyer be bought instead Of 4 cruiser The
role OF 50 poor Il country must be limited 10 the
defensive
So. too. with that stately harbor of Lexoes by
Oporto. At great cost a granite hill of the in
terror has been pulled 10 pieces to construct TINS
iirb0r Last December. however. southwest
eriy gale actually preached its prOdigiOus wall.
The breach still exists. \ certain cheap idea or
tinkcrng IL prevails. but all experts aver that
this Will I've useless and that If the task be not
untcrtd AIKEN quickly and thoroughly there IS
grave danger Of the complete wreck Of the mag
rlnCcnt irclosUic. Want Of money is pleaded
in excuse Of this posip0nement of national
duty. SIX months hence big steamers may have
to fight shy u IciXOes
At BUssaco there is famous convent In tho
woods Wellington made it his headquarters
when he had his eye on Mascara before the bat
tie. Unul short time ago it was State prop
erty, and for its superb architec IL deserves
always t. be under State protection. But for
want OF money the State allowed 1t TO pass into
the hands OF some hotel prOpretors. At the
present moment the stOncmasonS are dressing
It's majestic exterior and its interior Is being cut
up into bedrooms with views from the windows
Of extraordinary beauty. II is to be a grand
no one believes it will ever come to maturity and
ba haunted by swallow-tailed pOyglot walters
The hotel promoters. like the Government, find
themselves short Of money
In the local factories women work all day for
fDurpcnce of Portuguese currency which you or
| could buy for a trte moro than twOpence; and
TIA" BrtOi n large in the land need pay no more
than twO shillings and sXpcnce day to be
lodged and well fed at high-cIass hotels. II il
only IN Lisbon and OpOrto that the shopkeepers
seem able To cope with this problem Of the gio
and "vcn here few OF them have dared to raise
their prices except on imported goods AT differ
cnt shops they charge differently for the Tauch-
niN volumes. BIt with very few exceptions the
hotels throughout the land keep their old tariffs
on the bedroom walls. and their dinner tables
lavish OF good things ever
statistican has just pub ished a book e
prov" that il is al! du" to the amount OF unculti
waited land IN the country. Every one seems sur
pris"d % learn that - per cent OF Portugal.
area ~ lett to Itself. "a compared with Begums
. per cert and Germany'S . per cent. But one
doesn't feel quite sure about. Senior Anselmo dt
Andradc'a irferences. although Portugal certain
u ought not 10 have to import cornstuffs. Bad
. rulers and a weakly resigned people would over
rid" tn" advantages Of increased cultivation OF
The country. Tn" national mind wants filling rs
we'll As he land II all Portugal cO1ld be sent
. 10 chool and taught arithmetic for a week. the
nation might Set b" saved without cdta5trOphc