Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-02-08
DRY ROT KILLS SPAIN.
BY William E. Curtis.

| Special Correspondence of The Chica-
| go Record Herald
\ GRANADA, Spain. Nov. 30.-The
reign of Ferdinand and Isabella is
called the golden age of Spain. al
though the kingdom did not reach the
height oil its prosperity and influence
mul fifty years later under the rule
If their grandson, Emperor Charles
". who was the greatest monarch OF
ais time. whose dominions extended
| farther back than those of the Roman
| Empire, and included more nations
| than Napoleon was able to subdue
| But the consolidation of the several
| petty kingdoms into which Spain had
been divided, and the subjugation OF
| the Moors took place under Ferdinand
and Isabella. and was due more to the
! energy and ability OF their prime min
| isters. Cardinals Mendoza and Cisner-
os, and to the military genius OF Con
| salvo de Cordoba. "el Gran Captain"
| han to their royal master and mis-
| .ress.
Ferdinand was weak person, a
wishy-w dshy, selfish, jealous, narrow
lor him. She is one of the finest fig
Ires in all history. No woman ever
tarriel more grace or more brains TO
throne. Ferdinand was always a
Irag upon her. she was as energetic
ind determined as Catherine the Great
Ji kussia, without her vices. she was
is great as Elizabeth OF England, with
Jut ner vanity and tckleness. Isabel
ID was wise, noble, iar-sighted wo-
nan. and every nIan who wrote in her
.lnie elevated her 10 the highest PIN
lacIe ot virtue, piety and personal at
REACTIONS. Peter Martyr Ovedio and
Jtner writer's OF that date have lett
youiminous records and much interest
ing personal gossip OF the royal house.
hoid, and fortunately their letters and
journals have been preserved intact
We also have the letters written from
spain by several foreign ambassadors
ot that period who gratified the cur
losity OF their own soyereigns ana
courts by giving details OF events and
descriptions oil persons who were
prominent upon the political stage in
spain.
From them we know that Isabella
was a beautiful woman, with red hair
and you will remember that Cleo
patra, Catherine H.. Joan OF Arc, Maria
Theresa anu several other eminent
women who have influenced the desti-
| nies OF the world were also red head
ed. Perhaps there may be some con
nection between the intellect and the
pigments OF the scalp.
The old-iashioned ideas still prevail
that IL is degrading lor man 10 have
nytnlng to do with labor or with
4rade. Tradesmen have no social po-
sition. The farmer who raises wheat
is engaged in an honorable occupation
but the miller who grinds it and the
merchant who sells IL are not. They
are not gentlemen and cannot be as
long as they live. They must be born
again before they can be admitted to
good society. For this and other rea-
| sons young men will not go into bus
mess or engage in manufacturing. 1t
IS more honorable TO be sponge or
a loaier and spend their time gamD-
ling at the club. In Spanish families
| To-Day, the oldest son looks after the
| estate and OF the other sons. Ii there
| are SO many, one gets a position un-
/ der the government. another becomes
| lawyer, another soldier, another
a priest. or they become chronic loaf
| ers. Service in the army Is more pop
| ular than it used to be, because there
are no colonies TO keep In subjection.
and the army is not sent out o1 spain,
| But the regulation that military otii-
| GERS may not marry without u GER
tain income. in order that their wild.
ows and orphans shall not be bur
| den to the state, prevents many young
men from entering upon a military
career. The most desirable employ
| ment Is in a government office no
matter how humble or Improbable
the position Hence about one in ev-
cry 1856 of the population has his name
on the public pay roll. drawing from
| $40 month up in the way OF salary.
No matter how small the pay. the oc-
cupation is honorable. although there
is no chance of advancement, and d
young woman Of wealth and social po-
sition will marry man who holds a
sinecure in government office with
out earning half the small salary he
receives. while she would reject with
scorn an offer from a prosperous mer
chant or manufacturer, earning an
honest living. accommodating wealth
and doing something toward the i'm
provement Of his country.
Nearly one-half Of the $4,000 00O
population in Spain. or, to be exact
lS.727.519 persons, according to the
last census. declare that they have nc
occupation. and they are proud OF the
fact. Probably many OF them lied
about 1t. and claimed to be idlers when