New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-04
THE RIOTS IN SPAIN.

The disturbances in Spain are called anti
Budget riots. The name will serve for lack OF n
better Any stick is good enough to beat dog
with. the old prOverb says. So when people
want TO have a riot any preteXt for II will an
swer 1t is probable that good many people in
Spain have for long time wanted to indulge
I'm riots for one reason or another. 1t is the way
Of exctabe. nervous people. They are sore over
the results of the war they are displeased
with the methods Of the local tax-gatherer. 1t
does not matter. They must express their dis
sent against the existing order of things, great
or small So they take to smashing windows
and heads. We have a few such people in this
country.
There is, however, beyond doubt widespread
dissatisfaction with the Budget put forward by
Senior ViIaverde. We do not say he is TO be
blamed. The task before him was serious
one. He had to raise a great deal more money
from an Impoverished and somewhat democrat
lied nation. That could be done in only one
way. Taxes must be increased. He increased
them on the mining industries on sugar manu-
featuring. upon wines, upon inherltances, and In
some other directions, and imposed an income
tax amounting TO per cent upon the dividends
of banks and corporations, and OF 3 per cent
other hand, he slightly reduced the taxes upon
land and agricultural interests AS for the pub
lie debt he took action which savors in some re-
spects unpleasantly Of reputation. He arbi-
trarily scaled down the interest on the interior
debt by 20 per cent, on the redeemable debts by
per cent, on customs bonds by per cent on
the Philippine loan by 81 per cent and on the
Cuban bonds by 40 per cent. Or the exterior
J.lN@I ..!I a~I, 10, 40 pnVt
reduction of interest. ordering the payment of 1t
In silver. Interest on the exterior debt held by
foreigners is still to be paid in gold. but there
are 10 be negotiations for scaling It down
Such are the salient features of the Budget
Two other points demand attention. One Is
that while Seflor Vilaverde tried to reduce ex-
penses wherever he could, he could effect re-
trenchments amounting to only 81 100000, while
on the other hand his colleagues demanded for
their departments increased appropriations
aggregating nearly S10000O00 True, the latest
report is that General Polavieja has at last CON
sented to a reduction OF strength Of the army,
which will effect some saving. But that comes
too late TO prevent the III effects Of the original
demand. The other point is that the Roman
Catholic Church, which Is enormously wealthy
In Spain, and the rich religious orders within 1t
have been exempted from any Increase Of taxa
ton That explains the otherwise astounding
announcement that Spanish mobs are attacking
Jesuit establishments. Beyond doubt there are
some irritating features Of the Budget. Some of
them are probably Ill advised. But there can be
no doubt that Se1or Villaverde has done his
best, thoughtfully and periodically, to solve
most difficult problem. That any considerable
number Of the pOpulace should rise in violent
revolt against his proposals IS deplorable,
whether they really are aggrieved by his Bud
get or are making it the pretcxt for rioting for
other purposes. What Spain needs is less agi-
tation and more harmonious effort to make the
best OF her present situation, which is tempo
rarily embarrassing, but by no means devoid Of
high promise.