Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-12-02
TRANQUILITY 7 !
PREVAILS IN
PORTUGAL
ALARMING RUM0RS OF
UPRISING BASELESS
Dictator Franco Rapidly Re-
placing Graft With Clean
Government Hopes to Re-
store Parliament to Power

Z
store Parliament to Power
tBy Morning journal Special Leased Wire.
Lisbon, Dee 1.-The baseless char
acter Of the alarmist rumors repre-
seEtng that Portugal was on the eve
of civil war ana revolution, has been
! fully established by the Independent
Investigation Of staff correspondent
of the Associated Press. There never
seems to have been the slightest cause
for the stories circulated from the
frontier that the king was a prisoner
in the castle; that the crown prince
had been banished and that the navy
had mutinied. 4 strong suspicion eX-
/ lists that such reports were part of a
campaign Of Premier Frances enc
mics, instituted IN order to create dis
trust abroad in the country's finan-
cial position and thus discredit and
bring about the downfall OF the pre-
mler at home. To certain extent
this ruse was successful. for the pre-
MUM on gold rose to n figure unpre-
cedented In recent years, the move
ment doubtless being acccntuated by
the monetary stringency abroad. The
furry in exchange. however. rapidly
disappeared as the gravity of the sit
uation here was disproVed
Nothing could be more peaceful
than the appearance Of the country
through which the Associated Press
correspondent travelled from Madrid
to Lisbon. During the entire journey
down the Tagus valley not the remot-
est evidence Of popular excitement or
agitation was observable. and not a
single soldier was seen at the stations.
In Lisbon business moves on as usual
The king drives and walks daily and
unattended in the parks and boule-
wards. and last night occupied his ae-
customed box at the opera. Premier
Franco. "the dictator" goes abroad
unnolested.
The American minister Charles
Page Bryan who has just returned
from $50 mile business trip through
the country, observed similar tram
uuillity everywhere.
Today was national holiday, COM
meinorative of the downfall of Span
ish dominion, and 1t was celebrated
as usual with music and fetes, fire
works professions and bull fights al
though troops were held in reserve TO
break up any attempt at political
manifestation. Nevertheless Portugal
Is passing through history making
epoch. The parliamentary govern
ment of Portugal is modelled after the
English pattern. but the system has
degenerated here into the organization
Of perfect political machine. capable
Of turning out at will majOrities for
either party. and Franco claimed that
both the regenerators and progress
slves in their years under the rotative
system, devoted themselves solely TO
spoils instead. Of principles. These
parties have clients who provided
places without work to influential men
acquiring cumulative salaries, some of
them drawing as many as five stimuli
taneously BY this system sinecures
became hereditary. in several cases So
ciety women serving on payrolls, but
nowhere else. The premier at the
outset resolved on program of re-
form but the radical measures 10
which he was driven developed grad
ually an opposition which frustrated
his plans His original program in
cluded first the establishment of a
system Of public accountability; Sec
ond, that of ministerial responsibility;
third, the voting OF an electoral law
which would make parliament reflect
the popular will. and not merely reg
lister the DEGREES of a political ma
chine.
The old parties holding the major
ity in the parliament filibustered for
despair threw up his hands and dis
solved the parliament with the inten-
ton Of himself resigning. The king.
however. although previously hostile
to Franco, was impressed with his
ability and sincerity and refused 60 al
low him TO go. on the contrary. un-
der a clause Of the constitution which
virtually suspended the legislature
branch of the government. hc granted
Ample precedent existed FOR such a
proceeding
A. dictator. Franco boldly began !
work. He stopped graft right and left |
and did not hesitate 10 liquidate the |
royal debt by decree. and he increased |
the civil list 100000 on the ground 4
that royal dignity demanded that 90
should he free from monetary em-
At the same time he /
put system Of accountability into op-
Grafton. which would end the practice |
of making advances 10 the king iic /
also Increased the salaries of The poor
ly paid government empioycs and fhe /
officers Of the army. yet the met result 1
Of this adjustment is said to have been /
a reduction in the deficit uf 500 GOO. /
The leaders Of The old parties. who I
Included members Of the oldest purtu- 7
-ueSe nobility. were furious Ht THE j
confident that they could succeed in /
the king to unhorsc Fran
TO- They started up an agitation and I
provoked tho su-cailed aut-FranD0 I
Demonstrations. but apparently they 1
made little headWay. only tine rec
1ublicaus seemed 90 be- the gamers.
and they not 60 any great extent The &
leaders. Macada aud Castro. agreed as
.o the Justice of Premier Fraucp's
.harge against the old parties. but
.hey claimed that this only proved the
mpossibulty ~ continuing mDn-
irchistic regime. and they alsa de-
,iared that Frances profession of
.iVic virtue was q frlVcSfN.
It g. understood that Premier Fran
,o Is now confident that govern
menf majority ls ln sight. and he cX-
lecfs o. be- able to hold the elections
n March
a s.