New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-05
promptly


xvi, Sacasta. enter Silvcla That is the solu-
ton of the Ministerial crisis at Madrid There
could no none better If Seilor Sagasta must get
out His departure from office aS the result I'll
q comnoicn Of abuse will be regretted by many
who reckon that he deserved better treatment
and better fate Spain has no truer pa'rlo'
md no ADLER statesman. He Inherited the SINS
of centuries and especially Of his Immediate
predecessors, and was charged with an lnpoS
sille task In the circumstances ne did we'll az
well as any Spanish Minister could nav" done
who was not permitted 10 do Justice. Ills d'-
rnrtnrc will he dcplorcd, too, by many VINO
tbinl, his policy and guidance would be best FOR
Spain in the herculean task OF self-rehablhta-
tion Rnt II Is too late 70 make such sentiments
nractical. He is out Of office The question IS
How will Senior Silvca replace him:
We may say without hesitation that the new
Prime Minister is both honest and able. or the
former quality there has never been reason for
doubt. The latter has been thus far displayed
only in criticism and opposition. Senior SHvem
has not hitherto been responsible Minister
He has not even been identified with the Gov
eminent party. Under Senior Sagasta he mas
been leader of the Opposition. Under CahoVaS
del Castillo he was leader Of a faction OF DiSSl-
don't Conservatives scarcely less hostile To the
Ministry than the Liberals themselves. lie mas
all along been regarded as rcfcrIner the cliei
reformcr of Spain. in fact. He revolied against
Canovas because the latter was the 'machine
leader and was addicted 10 "machne methods
which Senior Silvela deemed Of doubtful morals.
He has been attacking Senior SagaSta FOR the
abuses and corruptiOnS which. he declares nave
characterized his administration. though he has
not charged any of them personally against
Senior SagaSta. Now he finds himself suddenly
intrusted with the execution Of the reforms Tor
which he has been clamOrng. He will find a
vas, difference between destructive criticism
and constructive legislation. II Is earnestly 10
be hoped that he will show himself equal to the
emergency and be as effective Prime Minister
rs he has been formidable leader of Oppo-
sitiOn.
The selection of General POlavieja as Minister
for War Is the most interesting in TIE Cablnet
after that of the Prime Minister He. TOO. * "A
lcformer He has been looked upon for months
INST as a strong man in reserve FOR crisis. lie
came to Cuba lieutenant. and left II twenty
years later a captaingcneral. During his career
there he continually raised his voice against the
dishonest and dcspOtic policy which. as he saw.
could end only in the loss Of the island TO Spain
But his voice was unheedcd in the wilderness OF
rapaclouS ofiicialdom Then he altered his tone
and warned the Madrid Government that one
day the United States would intervene in Cuba,
and Spain would be unable TO prevent IT, y
dozen years ago he said plainly that If Spain
wanted TO keep Cuba she should build sixty
cruisers and twenty floating batteries for the
protection Of the island from the United States
Navy That warning. too. was unhceded. "Wcl,
then" he said. Cuba will be lost. and we shall
90 out Of IL IN "A very diSagreeable manner
That prophecy has now been fulfilled To the
letter and by turn OF fatcs strange irony
that prophet is called in 10 help Spain recover
from the blow, We may he sure he VIII do his
best He IS that kind of man. But how much
better for Spain would II now be if she had
decided his words of years ago,
The action of the new Ministry VIII he
watched with keen interest The Cortes VIII he
dissolved. we are told. ana new one elected in
April. 10 meet IN May. II is assumed that the
ratification Of the Peace Treaty Will be LEFT Ia
that new body The Queen Regent does not
want to ratify il on her own responsibility, FOR
fear of creating prejudice against the dynasty
TIE CarIlsts would be sure TO use the fact