The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-17

SAGASTA'S
TROUBLES
Causes That Led to the
Fall OF the Cabinet.
PLENTY OF CHEAP ADVICE
Spanish Statesmen Shirked the
LabOrs OF Office.
PLENTY OF CHEAP ADVICE
fREMIER'S PLAN OF PROCEDURE

LONDON, May 17.-The Madrid CORE
spondent of The Times says: II am
now in position to explain the mystic
rious cabinet crisis which has been hang
ing fire for several weeks and has given
rise to so many ingenious surmises.
MIR. Sagasta and the Sagasta cabinet
came inte office With the policy Of avoid
ing a conflict with the United States by
pacifying Cuba through autonomy. In
pursuing this policy the cabinet not only
ran counter TO the general current OF
opinion in the conservative party, but
did violence 70 the feelings OF q large
section of it's own adherents. It's at
titude was too conciliatory to suit the
bellicose temper of the nation, and con-
sequently IL became very unpopular.
When the policy failed and war was seen
to be inevitable In spite of all the con-
cessions, IL ought to have resigned to
make way for a fighting cab,pet. Min
listers desirous OF peace at any price
short OF sacrificing the national honor
were not the men for conducting affairs
In a desperate struggle against an enemy
Infinitely superior In resources.
mo doubt conservative cabinet was
practically impossible, because II would
have required a conservative majority
In the chamber. which was not obtain
able without subJeoting the country to
the dangerous ordeal of general cleo
tion, but such an extreme measure was
not necessary. There were many lib
erals who had condemned the cabinet
for being too oonciliatory. and who con-
tinued to urge 1t to accept the arbitra-
-. rt,t, q
naturally supposed, who must be willing
10 accept the responsibilities of Office
when war was imminent. So 1t seemed
at last to several members of the Sagasta
ministry; and on the very day OF the
opening of the cortes his colleagues
urged upon Sagasta the advisability OF
the cabinet rssigning Immediately. Sa-
gasta objected. He wished 10 temper
ixe, as usual.
Though some of these had shown
themselves very bellicose when war was
at a comfortable distance. none were
inclined to assume the responsibilities of
Office when war was about to begin.
All therefore with the exception Of one
or two who were known to be desirous
y9f fishing In troubled waters advised
strongly that the existing cabinet con-
tinue. The queen regent. who Is always
strictly constitutional in her acts, had
thus no choice but to request Sagasta to
remain. He consented; but the other
ministers were by no means satisfied.
There were irreconcilable differences of
opinion among them on at least one vital
question of policy; and several of them
felt that they themselves, as well as
some of their colleagues, were not ca
pable OF coping with the departmental
duties OF their Offices at time Of great
national danger.
Finally. on Sunday. May s, Sagasta,
yielding to the representations Of those
who wished to retire. rendered the queen
regent the resignation of the cabinet
Again the same important political per-
sonages were consulted. and again they
declined the responsibility of office.
Things seemed at a deadlock; but there
was still a way out of II. The funda-
mental question of policy which divided
the ministers yes whether the gov
ernment should still seek pacific solu-
tion by provoking the friendly inter-
vcntion of the great powers. or should
abandon all present hope of peace and
fight to the bitter end. On that ques-
ton. affecting the vital interests of the
country, the nation might well have
been invited to express an opinion by the
voice of the representatives in parlia-
ment; and there was a possibility that
more pacific policy might be recon-
mended. because Silvela. the leader of
a party which had always shown it
self more bellicose than the liberals, had
used In the chamber certain vague ex-
pressions which seemed to show that he
favored making another effort to Sc
cure peace.
"Mr. Moret accordingly launched the
idea in the chamber; but Silvela. in
stead OF adopting Moret's suggestion,
condemned IL I'm no measured terms
as an attempt of the government to
evade the l. itimate responsibilities and
transform the chamber into a conven-
tion OF the French revolution type. In
vain Mcret .at subsequent sittings ex-
planned that such was not his intention
and that the government wanted merely
an indication OF the national will. Mr..
Silvela refused the olive branch and the
cabinet. containing representatives of
both policies. relapsed into its old diff
,ultits. The only course now was for
Sagasta TO choose for himself between
the two policies. letting those retire
who objected TO the policy adopted.
This he has now done; and II is under
stood that he will choose colleagues from
among those I'm favor OF continuing the
struggle with all possible energy"
Arse-