The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-20
IN DIRE STRAITS
THE SPANISH THRONE ToTTER-
ING TO ITS FALL
Ministers Adopting Stringent Meas
ures to Keep the Truth From the
People-A Risky Game

Herald from Madrid says:
In consequence of the reign Of terror in
augurated by the papers, the people be-
lieye the widest rumors af1oat. Everybody
sees that the papers hint much between
the lines, affecting to know more than per-
haps they really do.
The universal impression Is that the gov
eminent is acting dictatorially simple be-
cause 1t has grounds to believe that the
monarchy is menaced, not only by the Carl
lists or the Republicans, but also by wide
spread popular and military discomfort, in
consequence of which a high handed pol
Icy is deemed necessary In order to make
peace quickly without the assistance of the
Cortes. which will only be asked to pass
bill Of Indemnity when the nation is
somewhat reconciled to the sacrifice Of ter
ritory in the West indies ana in the Phil
ippines.
It Is further believed that France. Aus
tria, Russia and Germany have again told
the Queen and her ministers that 1t Is In
dispensable to secure an early peace. which
alone can save Spain from financial and
commercial ruin. The Queen gave audi
ences to Romero Robledo and General Wey'
Ter expressly to obtain their neutrality, If
not consent to negotiations for peace, and
10 persuade them to prevail upon the Gen
erals to answer for the loyalty of the army
in Spain.
The capital of Spain presents strange
aspect under the extraordinary measures
taken by the government to impose 81
lence upon the press. At first all the pa
pers attempted to protest against the pro-
ceedings, which have no precedent since
the last years of the reign of Isabella II On
the eve of the revolution.
Similar seventies were resorted to by the
reactionary Cabinet leaders against the
opposition, which at that time was headed
by such leaders as Sagasta. CASTELAR,, Sc
rano and Perian.
General Chinnosela, the Captain General
of Madrid, again summoned into his pres
ence today ten of the principal editors In
Madrid. He sternly warned them that he
was not going to be trified with; that he
would suppress the newspapers and impris-
on and courtmartial the editors If they
dared to disobey the rules laid down. He
even forbade them to publish papers with
blanks In the spaces in their columns in
which the censor had suppressed articles or
paragraphs, intimating that the space must
be filled UP anyhow. The public however,
Ignores the severity of the censorship,
which is even worse in the provinces than
| in Madrid.
One leading Liberal statesman explains
the conduct Of the government thus:
Premier Sagasta had to resort to the Sc
we're policy of the state Of siege martiai
law) because several generals-even Wey-
Ter, Campos, Polavieja and Chinchilla-told
| him they could not answer for the conse-
ouences of an agitation fomented by the
uress and Carlists and the Republican con-
spirators.
On the other hand, the papal nuncio and
the foreign ambassadors told him that no
step would be taken toward peace unless
| Pre- siduent Mckinley was assured that the
government could enforce the conditions
Imposed by events.
For the same reasons Senior Sagasta and
the Minister OF War affected to ignore the
progress of the negotiations for the capitu-
lation of Santiago, although Generals
Blanco and Toral telegraphed every day
the successive stages of the parleying,
Blanco washing his hands of all RESPONSE
bility and Toral begging Sagasta to author
ize him to act, while the government in
Madrid took care to state officially that
Toral acted entirely on his own RESPONSE
binty. and could not undertake to offer
to surrender ALI the forces of the whole
nrovince of Santiago When all Is over Sa-
gasta will spring the news on the country.
He intends to act In the same way In regard
to the conditions of peace. He will only let
them out when they are signed. 1t is very
risky game, but it is the only means of
e,x,inu the monarchy and the regency If
the army remains loyal.