The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-10
Even Saaasta's as Bad
rs the Rest Of Them

From the Washington Post.
When the cuchillo Of Angiolotto was
driven through the hear of Canovas
del Castillo months ago. q premier had
TO be improvised at once for the gov
eminent of Spain. There was scant
time for elaboration or thoughtful Sc
lection. The condition Of affairs In
Cuba and the rising In the Philippines
made a new head Of public affairs an
absolute necessity. Among those who
were waiting for anything that might
come their way was Don Praxedes Ma
TO sagasta. The government OF Spain
80 for years been controlled by a ring
~ politicians. The Spanish constitution
Of 1879 lends itself with singular fidelity
to this condition. The first article of
b constitution declares that Spain
shaH be q constitutional monarchy,
the executive resting in the king. and
that the ~law-making power vests in the
cortes. with the king" The cortes is a
power. There are three classes of SEN
ators. First. those by their own
right" (senadores de derecho propio.)
THESE are the sons OF the sovereign, q
years old; grandees who rave an in
come OF sc 1000 pesetas ($12, 0O0); cap
tains general of the army; admirals of
the navy; h highest clergy; the presi-
dents of the council of state: the head
OF the supreme court, m of the
queens councillors. This sort of system
gives q shifty patrician like the one
In question his chance. Sagasta has
had q remarkable career. He is in his
list year. By profession he IL denomi-
mated a civil engineer; but his only pro-
fessional work a been that of engi-
neering himself into Office. He began
~ q small oficial-alcalde-in a little
district. He worked his place for all
II was worth. Every county or COM
mune of . Spain has it's own council.
This body consists of from five to
thirty-hve members. presided over by
h alcalde. Here ii was that he got
his start. In h outbreak of 1856 Sa-
gasta was SO deeply compromised that
q reward was offered for him. and he
got across h Basque frontier into
France Just in time to save his neck.
Once safe. he began a series of over
lures to the Spanish ambassador at
Paris that enabled him to return home
safely himself. but proved awfully dis
astrous to some of his less enterprise
ing fellow conspirators. He was promi-
nent in the revolution of 1866, that
drove Isabella Segundo from the
throne, and this time fortune favored
him. He was a member of General
the colonial office under the regency of
Marshal Serrano, who was one of
SPANS great men.
Sagasta favored the election of ANA
deo of Savoy, second son of King Vic
ton Emmanuel of Italy, as king of
Spain, but, true to his ruling passion,
was in the plot that in 1873 drove out
Amadeo and established the republic,
under the leadership of Castelar,. He
still remained in office when Serrano
was elected president of the Spanish
republic. in 1874. Though he posed as
a liberal leader, one who followed Cas-
telar in all things, he managed to get
into the peaceful conspiracy that over
Alphonso XII, eldest son of Queen Isa-
bella, to the throne. Finally, in 1881,
Sagasta became prime minister. Upon
the dissolution of that cabinet, in 1888.
he remained in power under the young
king, holding the position of premier
from 1885 to 1890, during the regency of
the queen, who is still ruling for the
infant son. Thus. after about so years
OF Official life, the assassination of
Canovas again brought him to the
front. He has never had any policy
in the entire half century in which he
has held office, except to make himself
very rich and to keep his money out
side of Spain. His stock in trade has
been his ardent profession of devotion
to the queen regent n her little son.
Though / am a LIBERAL he said in a
speech to the cortes upon his appoint
ment to succeed Canovas last fall. II
hold my sovereign far above my party"
He was ready to save the constitutional
monarchy II he had to hold office all
his life to do it!
Just now Sagasta holds in his hands
the fate of Spain, for with him rests
war or peace. Though he has been half