Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-03-02
.SAGASTA CABINET RESIGNS.
The Premier Has Handed the Rssigna-
lions to the Queen Regent.

lions to the Queen Regent.
THE CRISIS SEEMS LIKELY To
CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL DAYS
WHILE THE QUEEN REGENT
CoNSULTS WITH THE POLITI-
CAL LEADERS AND FORMU-
LATES a PLAN OF ACTION
CHAMBERS ADJOURNED TILL
THE NEW MINISTRY IS FORM
ED-DOES NOT NECESSARILY
ENDANGER THE PEACE
TREATY-CoRTES EXPECTED
TO RATIFY THE DOCUMENT.
Madrid, March 1.-Senor Sagasta has
handed the resignation OF the ministry
to the Queen Regent.
The cabinet crisis is expected TO last
several days as 1t will be necessary for
the Queen Regent 10 consult with the
President of the Chambers and other
political leaders
In the meanwhile the Chambers will
adjourn until a new ministry Is form
ed
The ministerialists hope the Queen
Regent will support Senior Sagasta and
dissolve the Chambers.
Washington. d. c., March The
resignation OF the Sagasta Cabinet in
GTa in
necessarily, in their opinion, necessi-
tate the failure of the peace treaty.
They believe the succeeding Cabinet
will find means to forward the treaty
to the point Of ratification, and that
the opposition to the government will
express itself as content with forcing
the Cabinet to resign. The reason for
this belief is that the Spanish govern
ment has much more to lose by the
failure Of the treaty OF Paris than has
the United States.
Leaving aside the desire OF our peo-
pie to be regular and correct in all
attitudes it is a question whether our
government would not actually profit
by the loss OF the treaty, provided thls
loss could be charged 10 the action OF
the Spanish government as would be
the case if the Cortes refused to ratify
it, The United States, IL can be stated
on the highest authority, would re-
fuse to surrender the Philippines, and
on the other hand would be relieved
from the treaty obligation 10 pay the
Spanish government $40, 900 600 on ac-
count OF the cesslon Of the islands.
Cuba would retain her present status
and all that would be lacking would
be a recognition by the Spanish gov
eminent of the legality of that status.
That lack would not be OF serious
moment judging from the fact that
the SDanish-American republics man
aged TO get along without trouble for
a quarter of century after the revo-
lutionists therein had driven the last
OF the Spanish troops out Of the
country, without the formal admission
by Spain that they had achieved their
independence.
In case the treaty should fail there
also would be a continuation OF the
state Of non-intercourse automatically
that has existed since the outbreak or
the war as TECHNICALLY and as legal
fiction the two countries would be still
at war. This state Of affairs though
really embarrassing in some respects
would not prevent trade between tho
United States and Spain. Trade in fact
has. been resumed already and although
the United States Is under the necessity
of paving larger duties upon imports
into Spain than countries favored with
the minimum tariffs, still the Spaniards
are glad to buy our wheat and -four
and cotton and other great staples and
to pay themselves the additional duties.
However as already stated, the officIals
here do not believe that the Spaniards
will 20 TO the extreme Of defeating the
treaty and probably the worst that can
happen will be d delay In the exchange
Of ratifcatlons These should be ex-
changed on or before the tenth u June.
which date is six months from the Date
Of signing Of the treaty Of Paris. Should
the time limit expire through the in
ternal troubles IN Spain without the
exchange having been made T. Is stlli
nos=ib,e for the United States and Spain
10 arrange through the French govern
ment. which has been serving all along
al an Intermediary In their relations,
for an exchange on a later date Without
disturbing the articles Of the treaty
al other points. Should the Spanish
government undertake, however. 70 RS
ouep the negotiations in the effort %
secure an other treaty more favorable
In terms. especially ~ 70 the cessioa
Of the Philippines than the pending
treaty. 1t will be doomed 10 diEap-
uoirtmenr. for fl is said here that IL
fneze existing terms are Withdrawn
taose 10 follow will be even harder for
Gnafr IN hear