The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-08-04
DISUNITED SPAIN.
'rhe Galatians Are Not EnamOred OF
the War-Life in Bar
ceIOna.

In Barcelona itself some 10000
French people are permanently settled.
A rather contemptuous hatred of
CASTLE, and jealousy of her perpetual
interference by officials and military
law, are accepted things. The Galatians
have ancient laws and customs of their
own. They do not think of separa-
ton or union with France, but the
demand for autonomy-for self-govern-
ment in all but foreign affairs-is per-
haps as strong as in Ireland. And
Catalonia is beyond comparison the
richest province of Spain-the most
progressive, and the most industrious
in the modern sense.
a peculiar proof of this separatist
tendency was lately given when the
Madrid government called upon the
manufacturers of Barcelona to con-
tribute voluntarily about SCI, 900 for the
defense of their town. The manufac-
turers replied that already they paid
most of the expenses for government
and defense in Spain, and that if the
Yankee admiral came they would in
vite him to dinner. The patriotic SUBJ
scription yielded hardly anything. The
whole town is indeed heartily sick of
the war. They regard it merely as
continuation of the Cuban war, which
has paralyzed business for three years
past. What terms they would agree to
of course | cannot say; but since the
demand for cottons in Cuba and the
Philippines entirely ceased at least 30
factories stand altogether idle, and the
rest are doing little more than half
time. In one of the largest which I
visited, the manager told me they used
to employ 1900 hands daily. Now less
than half the machines are in work.
but they try to keep their hands from
starvation by employing them in shifts
of alternate weeks. Coal is very dear,
being bought up by railways and ships
of war. There is enough raw cotton
for the time, but not for long. The
big factories have been doing half-time
or less for six months past. AS might
be supposed, the workpeople are living
pretty close, and food, especially meat,
is terribly dear besides.
To the ordinary miseries of factory
existence is added the horror of the
Cuban service. The rich man buys
exemption for his child. He pays some
times 5000, sometimes $3.50, and his SON
is free. But from nearly every work.
ing family at least one has been taken,
drilled and sent to Cuba, probably to
die. Wealth never exercised a more
shameful privilege or crueler tyranny.
DO you suppose the poor do not notice
it? One of the finest of the anarchist
hymns in Barcelona tells of a young
workman taken from his home and 90
ing with his draft. His mother cries
horribly. wealthy youth who has
bought exemption cheers the departing
troops and bids them fight well for the
glory of their race.
Barcelona is reputed one of the most
turbulent and revolutionary cities of
the world. Yet it is outwardly quiet
now. The state of siege is very strict.
Soldiers are everywhere. At present
there is not a sign of resistance. hardly
of complaint. About 300 anarchists
have been eXiled. When first the truth
of the fortunes in Montjuich was estab-
lished, when it was known that five men
had been shot because one poor crea-
ture in the extremity of his sufferings
had repeated any evidence asked of
him, there were some in the town who
said it was no matter how anarchists
were treated. No one dares to say that
now. The eXecration of the torturers
is universal. The abomination black
ems the memory of Canovas and has got
him the name of butcher. 1t has gone
to increase the long debt of hatred to
CASTLE, and perhaps that may be paid
in time. But for the present all is quiet
and nothing is done, though it is per-
fectly well known that the trial of the
surviving torturers, still nominally pro-
ceeding in Madrid, will be dragged on
till all is forgotten, or end in some nom
inal penalty.-London Chronicle.