The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-25

Marion st., Burke BLK.
*-~-~-%-*-~-~-]~#]%%
and the strike threatens to spread to every
industrial center The threat has been made
that every manufacturer who refuses to
pay his taxes will be compelled to close his
factory, but the government would hardly
dare risk the dangers that would follow
the throwing out Of employment Of thou
sands Of workmen, who would be walking
the streets without bread. The revolution
probably would soon cease to be passive.
Spanish business men believe that the
failure to receive any taxes will result in
forcing the government to resign and give
place to a new one that will be more in
sympathy with the people. Injustice from
a government however. Is expected by the
Spanish. They regard the government as a
thing entirely apart from themselves. To-
day they cherish little grudge against
American tourists. They shrug the shoulder
at the name of Yankee, but they say:
"Bueno. 1t was your government that
made the war. not you. Our government
was equally to blame. Governments were
always a great plague but there is no help
for 1t; and 1t is no concern Of yours and
mine"
Elections Are ralsiAeA.
Yet Spain IL constitutional government,
ruled by legislature. The entire machine
cry of elections is in control of the govern
ment and the cortes Is named by It, every
election in every district being prearranged.
AS an example,: In the district OF Gracia
in Barcelona live workingmen almost on
tirely, and nearly all Of them are Repub-
licans. A vote OF four to one was cast at
the recent election in favor of the Repub-
lican candidate, but when the polls closed
the tellers were ordered to prepare papers
showing the election of noble OF the old
regime who was cordially hated by the
people of the district. It was believed that
the choice OF such a deputy for Gracia was
made for the sole purpose OF insulting the
electors.
Under such conditions there is strong
movement for republican form OF gov
eminent. This. however, Is checked by the
manufacturing and Industrial classes The
workingmen favor republican government,
but their employers fear the disorders that
might follow Aside from the fact that they
themselves know that the Latin races
have shown little capacity for self-govcrn-
ment, the men Of wealth have before them
Spain's experience as republic. The sew
en- months life of the republic OF 1S73-H
was one Of the most turbulent periods in
SPANS history, and It Is so recent that the
recollection is fresh in the minds OF ma
jority of the business men.
Self-government Is the end sought by the
people Of the industrial centers. They In
sist upon local home rule as well as upon
reform In taxation. Neither cities nor
provinces have any voice In their internal
self-government. Barcelona, for instance,
has a mayor and city council, but these,
instead Of being elected by the people, are
appointed by the general government at
Madrid 1t is as II the mayor and board
of aldermen of Chicago were to be APP
pointed from among army officers, fortune
hunters and politicians by the Washing
ton government Each province has civil
governor, who is answerable only to Mad
rid. The people thus are without any voice
in their government, either national or
local.
In the eastern provinces of Spain there
Is a strong sentiment in favor Of annexa-
ton to France, and II the powers did not
oppose objection there is little doubt that
1t might be brought about When the
French fleet visited Barcelona last years
the ''Marseillaise" was greeted with enthu-
siastic applause and the Spanish national
anthem with Jeers.
This is due not so much to love OF
France as to hatred Of Spain. The pa
triotism of the Spanish is said to have
been killed by the exactions OF their gov
ernment Travellers recently returned
from Spain report that in Mallorea, Va
lencia, Bilbao and Catalonia alike the In
telligent and well-to-do merchant and HIS
poor neighbor express their contempt for
their own country and their desire for
foreign dominion or for complete separa-
ton from Madrid. In the west the Cas-
tilians still have a noisy patriotism, but
they have less taxes to pay and do not
suffer as heavily as the others.
The military, meanwhile, are all power
full 1t is said that it is their influence
that prevents the granting OF the re-
forms demanded by the chambers of COM
merce. The reforms are aimed directly
against the military, and would mean the
discharge of at least one-third of the Of
ficers Gen. Weyler, still the idol of the
army, announced two months ago In the
senate that he would lead an insurrec-
ton against the throne at q moment when
1t would be least expected No attempt
was made to punish him for his words,
and 1t Is believed that the members OF
the Silvela cabinet fear the power of the
soldiers, who are overrunning the coun-
try.
Those who criticise the soldiers, how
ever, are promptly punished. In Madrid
last month two members of the stan of
the National Guard were sentenced by
court-martial to years Imprisonment
for having written unexpectedly In their
paper about the military governor general
of Madrid. Yet the capital Is not under
martial law, nor are the two editors mill
tary men.--Chicago Tribune.