The times., 1899-11-26
THE DECADENCE OF SPAIN.
Internal Troubles Which May Term.
innte in EirI NJ
lspeclaI Cahlerrlm- -

Special Cablegram Copyrighted.J
LONDON. Nov. 25.-The Daily News
correspondent, writing from Barcelona.
draws picture of the extraordinary con
dition Of affairs in Spain. especially in
Catalonia. suggesting the probability that
the powers before long Will be forced to
direct their attention to the financial and
political condition of that country.
"A possible International complication
viii ensue, he says 'and European states
men will have to encounter in connection
with moribund Spain. problems no less
delicate than those caused by the decadence
OF the Turkish Empire.
The correspondent produces few argu-
meuts in support Of this suggestion Catal-
onia is in a state which the CataIoniaus
call passive revolution. Barcelona. com
mercially the most important city in Spain
and the chief revenue producing centre. is
IN state of siege. Constitutional rights
have been suspended and military law pro-
claimed. Many of the most respected and
influential citizens have been imprisoned.
Business is practically at a standstill Only
the puryeyors Of the necessaries OF life
ply their trade and even they close their
establishments at 10 a. IN. The bars are
forced TO close al 10 p. M. Although the
( city is absolutely tranquil and law abid-
ing, the whole population is described as
/ being leagued to break the laws and resist
the Government
After the completion Of peace with
America the commercial conferences i'm
/ Barcelona petitiOned the Government for
radical financial reform and the adjust
ment of taxation which is now peculiarly
injurious to commercial and manufactur-
ing Interests. Commercial bodies iu an
large cities. even Madrid have endorsed
this petition.
Another grave factor is the CatdIouian
demand for complete SELF government and
/ sef-taxauon. paying a fixed quota into the
imperial revenue Barcelona does not ap-
point its own mayor and its council swarms
I with useless officials, drafted from Madrid
who live on the provincial taxpayers. For
" per cent of the taxes gathered in Cat
aionia is wasted on officials, most Of whom
are not needed and all of whom are incOm-
petent The Extremist faction Of the Cat
alonian party desire TO become subjects Of
France When in 1898 a French feet Wis
tied Barcelona the 'Marseillaise' was
greeted with enthusiasm and the Spanish
national anthem with undisguised disap-
proval The correspondent says.
here is no doubt that if France wished
and only had TO consider the opposition Of
/ Spain itself she could easily annex the
/ p4 Nv iiltt All tAi4LIeut OF state
/ does not exist in the more progressive
neighbOThOods. where The people express
/ contempt for their own country and desire
/ foreign dominion or complete severance
1 from Madrid.
/ Moderate autOnOmists would be satisfied
1 with local self-government and financial
/ reform Failing to get reforms the Bar
/ celonase have decided not to pay taxes till
the reforms are granted. The Govern
mcnts only resource was to hIl the town
/ with civil guards and distrain manufac-
I turers and shopkeepers goods. but the
scheme failed The bakers paid these
leyies in lOaves. the cOnfectioners in
sweetmeats. and one manufacturer in J.C00
pesetas worth of fancy ribbon. taking the
police half day to measure Therefore
martial law was proclaimed and the mos
prominent recaIcitrauts imprisoned
Valentia. Corona, and Bilbao threaten to
+ Join the tax strike iu December. The Gov
/ ernment threatens TO close the establish
/ ments of all recalcitrants, and this failing
I the Correspondent says: Civil war would
/ be Imminent and the eNchequer would be
/ depleted.
Among other possible solutions the new
ministry favors reform or fOrcible repres-
( sion The BarceloHase do not have arms.
! while the lack of a courag ageous leader for
/ the people is even more pronounced IN
/ Spain than In France.