Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-07-28
REVOLT In PORTUGAL
Country in State of Agitation Over
Military Dictatorship.
HABEAs CORPUS LAW SUSPENDED
Persons Taken on Political 0ffenses
Dealt with Summarily,
BIG CITIES IN STATE OF SIEGE
Uniforms of Soldiers Are Visible
Wherever One Turns.
BIG CITIES IN STATE OF SIEGE
COMMON PEOPLE INDIFFERENT
They Take Life ns ~ Comes, with
Little Thought of PoIitics-
wealthy Men Greatly
Divided.

LISBON. July 2.-(SpeciaL) )--Everywhere
the question is being asked when the Por-
tuguess revolution is going to break out in
full earnest. But that question can only
be answered by turning to general prin
ciples Portugal today is being governed
by military dictatorship, led by King Car
los and his trusted prime minister and
friend, Senior Franco. In the capitol of
Lisbon, at Coimbra, the seat of the uni
versity at Cintra. the beautiful summer
resort Of the wealthy, and in fact, through
all of the chief centers Of population a
state of siege has been declared as the
most effective means of enforcing the rule
OF the Dictatorship
ON paper this looks more serious than it
really is-more serious than actual practice.
II means that the law which In Portugal
corresponds to the habeas corpus acts in
English speaking countries. has been sus-
pended, and that persons taken in charge
on political grounds may be dealt with
by summary procedure of a military court,
or shut up out of harms way without the
pretense OF a trial et all The surface
indications of this state of affairs are not
however very apparent, even to the casual
itary uniforms to be seen just now In the
streets of Lisbon than during ordinary
times; the public buildings, the markets
the fire brigade stations are under guard
and one meets detachments of armed
soldiers and sailors marching and counter
marching through the streets at odd in
tervals throughout the entire twenty-four
hours of the day. But on the other hand
business Is going on as usual; the social
life in all of the cities is just as gay, as
free and as careless as it always has been.
In the lower quarters also the people go
about their usual avocations and carry
wonderfully patched clothes and extreme
poverty in the manner in which they were
born, just as though they have no appre-
tensions that they living over a po-
litical earthquake-just as though the word
revolution had never been mentioned from
one end of the land to the other
Politicians Responsible.
And no matter whether the revolution,
IL 1t comes, proves popular OF unpopular,
the general impression is that II is due
largely to the intrgues of active politi-
cians that is, the troubles, are caused
by members Of the late Cortes, who were
suddenly relieved of their duties a short
time ago by sudden sort of 'prdes
purge" the result OF the movements of
Senior Franco. Then, these intrigues are
undoubtedly being participated in by
large number of the members OF former
administrations anxious to get back into
public life. OF the mass of the people
about 60 per cent are officially returned
as illiterates, and of course this proportion
is quite outside the pale of Intelligent CO.
operation In politics. When the majority
of the population cannot read or write, It
can easily be seen that the doctrine of the
rule of the majority counts for little or
nothing in politics. Those who possess
votes exercise them in the main at the
dlctation OF their employers or as the re-
suit of the influence OF the clergy and
the selling OF votes in public is thing
most common in Portugal OF the re-
naming 10 per cent, not more than one
half over take any active interest in poll
TICS.
II remains, therefore, that in Portugal
politics are the portion of the wealthy. In
the lower quarters and among the peas
ants one never hears political discussion
going on. In the wine houses the men
take their wine and play cards contentedly.
The Wealthy Are AgitatOrs.
In the wine houses and the restaurants
Of the wealthy, however, things are en-
tirely different. AT Roco, for instance, are
two fashionable cafes-Cafe Suisse and an
other. Here from o'clock In the even
ing until O'Clock the next morning all is
excitement OF voice and gesture and dis
cussions regarding political situations are
constantly going on. The average French
man Is less expressive than the average
Portuguese when engaged in friendly
argument with an opponent or when voicing
his pet opinions. Heres in this Cafe Suisse,
for instance, the actual troubles have been
and are being hatched. and the extraordi-
nary thing about II all seems TO be that
the plots and the intrigues are shouted
out at the full strength of mems voices
for all the world to hear. and yet no ar
rests appear to be made for the purpose
OF nipping agitation in the bud.
II may be taken for granted that. the we'll
dressed habitues Of the Cafe Suisse are the
real fomentors OF the trouble and they are
divided into so many parties and factions
and fractions of parties that il would be
extremely difiCult TO get together twenty
five of them who could agree upon any one
particular line of policy.
Under these circumstances Il IS Of course
inevitable that the pressure must find re-
lief somewhere. And the pressure IN the
main has found a vent in mobs sacAtng ant
lootng the various cafes and restaurants
the Cafe Suisse, the headquarters of the
conspiratoTs. strange as It may seem. be-
ing included in the list OF the restaurants
which have suffered severely. Certain DARK
hints are being thrown out as to what
may take place In December next, but nC
Justification can be found for fixing thai
period the date for the settlement OF al
things Portuguese Meanwhile the king
who is openly pronounced traitor and
slutton, appears to be enjoying life ant
one might almost say appears to be enjoy
ing the revolution. IL gives him some
thing new To think about and detracts from
the mOnotony Of things.