New-York tribune., 1901-02-28
TIE CAUSE OF SPAIN'S TROUBLES

Conservatism is still the curse of Spain. II is
not that prudent conservatism which resists the
madness of socialism and anarchy. and. true TO
| its name. conserves that which is good in social
order Instead IL is the conservatism OF reac-
ton. which neither learns nor forgets, whict
| resists benefcent progress and maintains old
abuses. Such is the view Of the case presented
by "Ex-Attache" in The Sunday Tribune. and it
is we'll confirmed by current news and by all
know of the unhappy peninsula in recent
years. II is well remembered that at the end
of the war Of 1898 the hope was widely ex-
pressed that Spain shorn of her rebellious and
costly colonial possessions. would mend her
domestic ways retrench expenditures, reform
abuses. develop resources and rise into a new.
better and more prosperous national life. The
! Spanish people themselves largely INDUCED that
expectation. Two years. however. have passed
since the return of peace and those hopes are
unfulflled There has been no reform. Taxes
are heavier than ever. All things drag on in the
| same old way.
Therefore the people. disappointed and des-
perate. turn with savage wrath against those
whom they suppose 70 he responsible for the
| failure of reform. The first object of their re-
sentiment is the Queen Regent. and the second
| is the Roman Catholic Church. or rather its
ecclesiastical orders, especially the Jesuts
Wrath is directed against these orders partly
because they are on terms of Intimacy and In
| fuence with the Queen Regent. partly because
they are traditOnally conservative and reaction
airy and partly because they are believed to hold
vast properties free from taxation The ami
mus against the Queen Regent is less logical
and less creditablc The Spanish are reputed
! to be among the most chivalrous of peoples
yet now, for the third time in a century they
are harrying and prosecuting a woman who is
! their Queen. They renowned for their hos
pitality; yet they seek 10 drive her out because
she is of foreign birth Worst of all, from the
practical point of view. they have constitu-
tion and the power of government in their own
hands and yet for all the evils of misgovern-
lnent they rage against the sovereign who is
only fgurehead of state and whose only fault
has been that she has scrupulously obeyed the
constitution and left the government with the
people and their elected representatives
IL is an old story-the wagner crying 10. Her
cules for aid instead of putting his own shoulder
10 the wheel. Perhaps we should not blame
the Spaniards too severely. They have so long
been accustomed TO absolutism and paternalism
IN government as 10 he scarcely capable of
appreciating the privileges and responsibilities
of a constitutional system They still look in
| voluntarily 10 rhe sovereign ms the source from
whicn all soou is 10 be procured and the butt
OF blame Tor All the evil that may come to
them. The lesson Of responsible self-govern-
ment has not vet been fully learned. They
suffer. too. the lingering evils Of union Of
Church and State. union always productive
OF trouble and injustice. One Of these days il
may he hoped. that union viii be dissolved and
all the abuses which II has fostered will be
swept away. One of these days too the Span
ish people will practically realize that not in
soyereigns nor In dynasties is political salvation
10 be found, but rather il is to be worked ont bv
themselves through their ballots and through
their industry. Spain needs to find herself -