Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-05
meath all this is dissatis faction with bad
government, official oppression and political
cOrruptfOn

meath all this is dissatisfaction with bad
government, official oppression and political
corruption.
The City of Barcelona.
Barcelona is the hea dquarters Of the re-
publican movement, and the province of
Catalonia, of which it is the capital, is the
most prosperous industrious, the wealth.
est and the most democratic Ia Spain. 1t
has always been the scene of revolutions.
The whole history of the city Is a series
Of revolts by the people against robbery
and oppression. 1t Is one OF the oldest
towns in Spain. Many writer's contend
that 1t was founded by Hercules, and 1t
was first heard of as the headquarters of
Hamilcar, the Carthagenian general.
1t was a Furnishing Roman colony; In
415 1t was made the capital Of the Visf-
goths, and after the ninth century. when
It passed under the control of the kings
Of Aragon it rivaled Genoa and Venice as
one. of the three great comDerciai CEN
tiers of the world.
1t is now a city of about 100000 inhabi-
tants within the municipal limits and
6OO, 900 in the immediate suburbs are in
cluded. for the surrounding plains are
covered with villages manufactures and
beautifully situated. Don sQuixote de-
scribed Barcelona as the seat of court
esy, the haven of strangers: the refuge Of
the distressed, the mother OF the valiant,
the champion of the wronged. the abode
OF the true friendship and unique in
beauty and situation"
The climate is delightful; fires are
never necessary, and the heat Of the sum-
mer is much more moderate than that of
the cities upon the elevated plains in the
interior of the kingdom: 1t is the healthi-
est city In Spain. The people are French
In their sympathies and habits. They live
mostly out of doors. Through the center
Of the city Is a beautiful promenade
shaded by arched trees called the RAM
bia. 1t is the center of life and the scene
Of activity, the promenade of the aris-
tocracy as well as the peasants, the loca-
ton Of the best hotels, cafes and shops,
and some of the finest residences Every
body turns out there during the evenings
to visit with their friends and neighbors
and to enjoy themselves. The bands play.
the cafes are brilliantly, lighted; the
women wear their gayest raiment and
everybody is animated and happy. There
are many fine buildings in Barcelona,
several interesting churches, splendid
private residences and the old public
buildings are worth going to see. The
cathedral is considered one of the best
the Spanish-Gothic school; and the uni
Versity is an imposing building with
about $500 students.
Taxed and Neglected.
Although the people of BARCELONA and the
province Of Catalonia number only one
tenth of the population of Spain, Athey pay
one-fourth of the taxes and complain that
they are not only without representation in,
but are wholly neglected by, the govern
ment: that they are plundered by political
spoilers. and are compelled to support hum
dreds of useless carpet-bag office holders
who fatten upon their commerce and indus
tries steal large percentage Of the taxes
they pay and are exceedingly offensive In
their manners, well as their presence
For these reasons, as well las Others, the
people have been in a continual state of
revolution since the close Of the war with
the United States, and frequently at public
gatherings the national anthem has been
Missed and the audience has dena rided ",The
Marseillaise." The politicians of the prov
lnce are divided into autonoEnists, who de-
mand home rule, and separsittste, who wish
to secede from Spain and stein the French
republic. formerly the latter were very
much In the majority, but since the reor-
ganizatlon OF the republican party the two
factions have harmonized .and are now
practically one, so that barcelona now de-
mands nothing but home rule and indie
pendent administration of the collection
ana disbursement OF their own taxes.
But. the government leaders saw If Gaia
tonia is given autonomy other proyjnces
VIII demand the same rights, and even Cat
aionla will not be satisfied with it, because
the autonemists of today would become
separatists the moment of their victory AS
accurately as can explain 1t. Catalonia
demands government very similar to that
or our states. The people wish to choose
their own officials. which are now appont-
ed by the crown they demand an fndanan
dent treasury so far as local taxes are CON
cerned ana claim the right to spend their
money for their own benefit, instead of hav-
ing to support officials in other parts Of
SPAN npain Iney are willing that the govern
men. shoulo collect customs dues upon i'm
ported goods, but it must leave the rest of
the revenues to local purposes,
The Tax on Food. '----
Every ounce of food that oamas into
Barcelona pays tax which is obnoxious.
and the method of collecting II has often
been the cause during the last few years
of open riot and bloodshed. So strong Is
the popular prejudice against the octrot
tax that the government would be willing
TO abolish 1T II 1t could substitute some
other method OF raising an equal amount
of revenue. But it will soon be Compelled
to equal1ze taxes, which are now yery ir
regular.
For example, the cheap wine that comes
into barcelona from the vineyards on the
mountain slopes that surround that cfty
pays outy OF 4o5 per cent while the same
WINE introduced into Madrid pays less than
200 per cent duty. An arroba of twenty
TWO quarts, which can be bought at the
vineyards for 81, must pay 81. 33 duty and
thls particular tax falls almost exclusively
on the poor Vegetables, poultry. eggs.
meats, fruits and all other articles of fno5
brought into Barcelona are taxed in a SINH
lar manner, and the people will not be sat
isfied as long as the practice continues. It
Is dimcult to ascertain how or why this
discrimination exists II is ainoost ;norad
ible that taxes upon food, fuel and the
necessities OF life should be SO much higher
In one city than in another, and the only
explanation l can obtain is that there is
such large staff Of officials in RarceIona.
to be supported that more revenue is neces-
sary. But there are many other things in
spain which are difficult to understand. II