The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-02-15

the danger of delay III this matter.
That is high-class property and it lies
in the direction where we may reason
ably expect fine buildings to be erected.
but If the city continues TO pursue its
present policy this property will sooner
or later fall into the hands of persons
who will build cheap houses, and once
the standard is fixed it will be hard to
raise it
---=--=
SPANISH NUpIlhI.S AND RIOTS.
The wedding bells which announced the
marriage of the Princess of the Asturias
to Count Charles of Caserta sounded
strangely dissonant in the ears of the
people, whose brothers were being cut
down in the streets for rioting.
II is a fact too often overlooked that
no one except a mailman deliberately
goes out and seeks to create n riot unless
there be some strong, compelling cause.
and there is cause enough in Spain to-
day in spite Of all that nature has done
for that once powerful and rich country.
The Times said when Spain was stripped
OF her colonies that no nation could be
called ruined so long as it has u soil
which produces IS, 900, 600 bushels of wheat,
81 o0O. 600 OF rye, to say nothing OF other
cereals. and has three and 4 half million
acres under cultivation for vineyards and
nearly as much under cultivation for
olives. In addition TO this, Spain is one
of the richest countries in minerals in the
world 1t produces iron abundantly. Coal,
zinc lead, quicksilver, phosphorus and
salt are also found. In manufactures
Spain produced in 1898 e61 799 tons of pig
iron and 10000 tons Of steel. In addi-
ton to her manufactures connected with
the grape and olive industries Spain has
considerable manufactures Of cotton.
woollen and silk goods. The fishing in
dustry is also large and prosperous. OF
the soil four-fifths is classed as produc-
tive. In a population. which, according to
the last census-that of lSSI-given in the
Statesmen Year Book, was seventeen and
a half million; there We're 100000 horses.
a million and a, half mules, two and
quarter million Cattle sixteen million
sheep In 1890 Spain exported s20.00O,00O
worth of wine. And yet, with all this
wealth. with q rich soil, a. genial climate,
unlimited raw material and every provis-
ion which bountiful nature can bestow.
the streets of Spanish cities are filed
with rioting.
Men whose hearts are filed with muir
der, not because they are deprived of
some outlet for their political energies,
not because they feel oppressed as did
the Americans who threw the tea over
board in the larbors of Charleston and
Boston, but because they are hungry, are
the rioters who are to-day filling the
streets of Madrid and Saragossa. With
all the wealth that has been in Spain
from the beginning of the world. and
with all that she has been able to gather
during her long and glorious career as
civilized nation, she has not Yet enough
to keep starvation from the homes and
lives Of her citizens, and hungry men are
being shot to-day because they are hun
cry. It will be we'll enough for the COM
Portable historian Of a later generation
to point with calm discrimination to the
various causes that brought about these
riots, but what will furnish mere ground
for an historical thasis is suffering pure
and simple FOR the miserable Spanish
DcasagltIy of to-day.
The Spanish people and the Spanish ma
ton have ingrained in them a spirit which
is best expressed by the word .'feudal."
This was very we'll brought out in an ar
ticle that appeared in the North Ameri-
can Review last autumn. In this article
it was shown that while in all the other
European countries the great body OF the
people had more and more freed them
selves from the rights which grew up
ages. until in England the people We're as
free as they are in America to-day. Spain
was just where she had always been;
neither learning nor forgetting. And the
result rs that the laboling class of Spain
have TO pay taxes and rentals TO keep up
that is out of all proportion TO the re-
sources of the people. On July 1st, 1899,
the Spanish debt was SI,79o677,G67. And
the interest on it was $,9,io1,72o. In addi-
ton to this were the expenses for war.
amounting to some So, geo coo a year, with
pensions amounting to $li,000,G00 year.
The total annual expenditure being $751;
49,, COS The trouble is that Spain is lir-
ing beyond her means, and that her pco-
pie are being taxed TO death to support
the present governments charges. Not
to pay the interest means bankruptcy,
but it is very hard TO explain to a hun
CRY man that bankruptcy is the worst
thing in the world when he knows that
both he and his children are starving.
1t is small wonder that the Spanish
peasants and worlzinglncn should seek to
destroy the property OF a priesthood that
lives without doing any manual labor and
whose property pays no taxes to the cen
trail government
We do not wish to discuss the question
of church ownership and taxes. but I'M
less it is settled in short order in Spain
there Will be an outbreak Of anarchy and
methods VIII ae taken by the mob that
Will effect rough redistribution of prop