New-York tribune., 1907-12-23
A MONARCHY IN PERIL.
IN PORTUGAL.
Efforts of Republicans to OUerthroU
the Dynasty.

re,y and het+er order of public administration is
prevail in Portugal. but remote as such cnahge
appears 10 the ordinary observer, whether mon
archcal rule shall give way ia a republican
form of government. The Republicans, though
the influence which they exercise under the re-
stricted suffrage which the people enjoy is small
sincerely believe that Franco. by exposing the prac
tees of the monarchst parties has administered 4
blow to the prestige of the King and the monarchy
from which they can never recover, and has made
a republic which year ago seemed a dream
of the future, a probability
Certainly Franco. by his revelations. has placed
powerful weapons in the hands OF the Republican
leaders. which they intend to use to the best ad-
vantage. They have Frances own avowal that
the country years has been the football of the
monarchist parties. with the sole object of dstrb-
uting graft their Clients, the scandal OF the
advances made su1repttiousy from the public
treasury the royal family, the arbitrary manner
in which these advances have been 'lAauidated
by decree. ana lastly. the alleged repression OF
the dictatorship. Their plan is to push the issue
soon the restoration of legality permits
them open campaign in the newspapers. and
later. when the Cortes assemblies. 10 play their
trump card. This will be nothing else than mo-
ton TO rnpeach Franco for his action I'm ''hqui-
dating the Kings debts the treasury. and
logical coroary thereto TO demand the abdication
of King Carlos for abettng this crime under a
clause of the Portuguese constitution which com
pels the sbdcation of the monarch when he is ad-
judged morally Incapable of governing.
LACK OF EDUCATION FACTOR.
This programme would undoubtedly furnish
material fOT political campaign IN n country
where the masses take interest in politics. but
here in Portugal. where the percentage OF illit-
eracy the largest in Europe, and where the
people. stepped in ignorance and superstition ere
excluded from the ballot. it remains 10 be seen
whether they be aroused to take matters into
their own hands The opinion of conservative for
eigners who have lived long in lhH country is that
outside of the capital and Oporto the masses,
loyal TO tho Rraga1za dynasty, will remain alb
soutely Indifferent TO the mutations of politics
nF al.4 aEarc S1rIr
eonsciences to demand for broader political
rights.
The fate OF Jose Franco tho dictator who.
Monarchst, Processes TO be seeking the political
and financial regeneration Of the country, will be
well worth watching. Franco is ffty-ive years
old. and practically his whole life has been spent
in politics Regenerator and progressive by turn.
he headed split from each of the old parties ard,
previous to his present accession to power.
member Of two cabinets. When he began his pres
ent against the old parties. 5 the leader of
what he called '1beral-progressive' party.
he made public proclamation Of his confession
and repentance for his political past His charges
against the old parties and assumption Of the
dictatorship" turned the hands of the politicians
OF every shade OF opinion against him The old
parties fear and hate him: the Republicans Join
in the denunciation because he has arbitrarily
stopped their agitation. The only thing his
mics do not repTosch him with Is a desire 10 line
his own pockets His wealth excludes such mo
tive, and this motive seems to have been the
end and aim OF things political in Portugal for
years its absence. to the politicians, is the most
mystifying feature OF the ctatorshjp.
THE REPUBLICAN BELIEFS.
For the Republicans. like Bernadino Machado
the explanation is simple. They profess TO see in
him only political charlatan whose reform is a
sham and whose real purpose is 10 crush the Old
political machines in order build I'D a stronger
one for himself and 1t when established in the
same old way. Moreover. they profess also to be
at only the tool
holding power from the latter for the purpose of
| squaring the royal debts. They acknowledge that
he stopped the graft of of the 'gilded poor.
term applied the poverty stricken possessors
of great names who helped in various ways
from the national treasury but the correction of
these abuses. they insist. is more than offset by
the liquidation of the Kings advances. TO which
| they eternally recur.
1t is only fair to state that
severe his criticism of the practice of advanc-
ing money TO the royal family than Franco him
| self and as these advances were made secretly
! he pledged himself his accession to make it
impossible in tho future for the King to obtain
single cent beyond the royal allowance and TO in
trod,,ce a system of public accountability which
would reveal the destination of every dollar that
left the treasury. He kent his promise. and for
| this alone If nothing else were done the promi-
| nent business OF the country. both foreign
and domestic. say Franco should have the graft
tude of the people.
Franco however, confronted with the hack
| debts of the King, amounting TO 100000. The King
| had no means OF paying these obligations. Be
sides ii was recognized that, chief of state.
most of these debts been incurred in entertain
ing the country's guests. For instance. In 1906
there were within brief interval visits from King
Edward and the German Emperor The entire
scheme of decoration of Lisbon. paid largely by
the King had to he changed at great expense. be-
cause it is explained the German Minister OBJ
jected to any English flags or emblems being dis
played when his sovereign arrived Undoubtedly
the Kings popularity has suffered a temporary
eclipse as q result of this scandal and the es-
adjustment dictatorship. with the arbirari-
ness Incidental thereto but if things work rapidly
back TO normal conditions there little pros
pect of an upheaval from below.
FEAR OF SUDDEN OUTBREAK
A bomb outrage or a palace revolution might sud-
denly alter the situation. That bombs have been
found in considerable quantities is true despite the
efforts of the government to conceal the facts and
the discovery causes ali the more apprehension
anarchism has heretofore not made its appearance
in Portugal 1t proves what of the leading
Republcans admit. that there is a section of the
marty In Lisbon and Oporto which favors physical
force Although the peaceful section of the party
which opposes violence except in self-defence,
holds that a provisional government will be ready
sbould there be an insurrection, it continues to
counsel peacefuI methods until the people bet
ter prepared
Bankers and business men regard the financial
| .,tuat,on as being much more critical than the
no,i,ical Since the bankruptcy of 1880. when the
foreign debt was scaled one-half there have been
constant succession of deficits. accompanied. the