Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-06

AND CITIZENS
IN BA TILE
ELECTIONS IN PORTUGAL ARE
STORMY
REPUBLICANS MAKE GAINS AT
THE POLLS
Monarchist Leaders Accused of Manip.
uIating Registers of Voters to
Further Their Own
Ends

Ey Associated Press.
LISBON, April 5.-The elections here
today, which were conducted peaceably
with the exception of minor disorders
in some of the disaffected districts,
were followed tonight by serious riot
ing, which was only put down by most
vigorous action on the part of the DO
lice and troops.
The rioting broke out in different
pats of the city as though by a pre-
concerted plan. Troops which had been
patrolling and others that had been
held in reserve were Immediately called
into action, and they repeatedly
charged the mobs that in places filed
the streets, but without effect. The
rioters used clubs, stones and whatever
other weapon was at hand, and finally
the troops were obliged to fire upon
them, killing and wounding a number
The determined action upon the part
of the authorities seemed to have the
desired effect and shortly the mobs
were we'll dispersed.
At late hour most of the republic
can voters had gone to their homes.
but bands of youths continued to DEM
onstrate before the churches. They
confined their disorders to shouting.
however, and recurrence of serious
disturbances during the remainder of
the night did not seem possible.
Other Disturbances
With the exception of minor dis
orders at AMOS and Alcantara. the
elections passed off quietly through the
country, so far as the present dis
patches indicate. Slight disturbances
occurred during the day in certain Sec
finnC IN fbn
who suspected that unfair methods
were being adopted. There was much
hooting at and deriding of the police.
but the latter did not hesitate TO scat
ter the crowds with a strong arm
Up to midnight counting had not
commenced In many of the districts.
Strong police guards were assigned to
watch the returns throughout the
night. No untoward incident is re-
ported from Orporto
The ballot boxes, according to the
traditional custom, We're installed in
churches, and the voting due to the
agitation throughout the country and
the active campaign of the republicans.
probably was the heaviest in PortugaIs
history. The large vote cast and the
great number of candidates made the
count slow, and because of bad com
munications in the provinces 1t Is un-
likely that the full returns will be in
before Tuesday.
Nevertheless, large monarchist
coalition majority, composed of the two
old ''rotative' parties, the nationalist
clerical and the transquist groups, is
assured. Ninety-nine out of 146 depu-
ties to be chosen, already reported
elected, are monarchists.
In a general way the elections turned
out as planned by the parties in con-
troll. The republicans, who had but
two seats in the dissolved parliament,
increased their representation to pos
sibly twenty. In Lisbon they swept
the populous sections of the city, but
gerrymanders, including the outside
districts, offset in a measure this ad-
vantage. The opposition leaders are
raising the cry of fraud. They claim
that while government pressure SEEM
ingly was relaxed, the old electoral
machinery was in full operation be-
cause of the fear on the part of the
government of great republican
movement, and that therefore the cleo
tions do not represent in any way the
sentiment of the country
Both Claim Advance
AS the suffrage is limited to those
who can read and write, or who pay
certain direct taxes, the republicans
contend that it was an easy matter for
the authorities to manipulate the regis
ter list against the republican par
tisans among the masses, so per cent
of whom are illiterate.
Nevertheless, leaders like Machado,
and Cunha say the seats they
won give them sufficient strength to
wage open war against the old regime
as soon as parliament reassembles.
The monarchists apparently are sat
isfied with the result of the election,
saying that the extravagant claims of
the republicans are utterly disproyed.
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