The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-02-09

ARE HOPEFUL
Portugal VIII Now Be
a Republic.
EXPRESSION OF LEADING MEN
Republican Organization Exists In
Every Tswn.
Deeth of Kiss Believed to Have Fla
ally settled Fate Of The Lit
Mosarchy--Lisbon An
Armed Camp.
EXPRESSION OF LEADING MEN

Portugal are today, IN extremely mss
spirits., They assert confidently that
republic Is now a matter OF months.
not of years. The Associated Press
today secured an opinion on the situa-
tion and an outline of the Repubiiean
plan of campaign from perhaps the
most competent spokesman OF the par
ty. This man said:
THE end OF the monarch Is near
1t will come as unexpectedly as oio tne
murder of the King and the crown
Prince and the world will wake up one
morning to find q republic In Portugal.
I'VE are convinced that the revolution
win be a peaceful one.
TT Is q mistake for foreigners 70
imagine that the people Of Portugal
are not awaye. There IL republic or
ganization In every town and doctors
and lawyers, and even the village
priests are sending notices OF their
adherence by the score. and there are
avowed Republican officers in the
army.
king Manuel is well intentioned
boy He starts his regime with talr
words and the restoration Of politicaL
liberty, but It ia inevitable that he
should fall into the hands of the mani
puiatorH OF the two old parties. whose
bankruptcy was proclaimed by King
Carlos and Premier Franco. The men
about the throne know that tho end is
near and when the time comes that
they realize that they cannot fight
they will surrender as did Dom Pedro
in Brazil. do not quite think q shos
win be fired. King, Carlos knew he
was making his last fight. He had
transferred every dollar he had TO Eng
land. 49,
A Chan9e in Regime.
1--WE will make g. change OF regime
an open issue In the coming campaign.
We, will demand that the monarchy
which has dragged down Portugal into
the nina az political and OF anaucisl
bankruptcy abdleate 10 the people.
They dare net try repression againi
White the troops since last Tuesday
remain In their barracks dnranM the
daytime. lisbon at night ekH Eesenl-
Hieb an armed camp. Cavalry y raaHss
Cd In the public squarea. pickets patrol
the streets and heavily armed soldiers
guard the state Bank night and day.
The financial situation Is viewed With
great alarm. The country is staGger-
ing under its foreign debt and COM
Faerce is almost paralyzed by the nnc-
tuations Of the gold premium. Con-
servative bankers consider the anan-
ciaY situation to be more critical than
the political The outside world, IN
spite OF the studied censorship which
defeats it's own object should not i'm
aEine that the throne Of Portugal Is
tottering toward revolution. and that
republic 70 imminent. The general SIT
,ation il grave rather than alarming.
Political conditions already chaotic be-
fore the murder 81 the King and Crown
Prince, became utterly denoralized az
ter the commission Of those crimes.
The Consideration and panic prevail
ing amonw the police and at court and
the release of FRANCOIS strong hand
from the helm left the ship OF state
adrift But with the new Cabinet
pledged TO constitutional methods and
the abolition Of the Dictatorship and
existinr measures OF repression. the
situation il improved. King Manuel
openly acknowledged the irregularity
Of the money advances to the royal
family under his fathers reign, which
were the original cause OF the political
turmoil, and he publicly ordered the
dLscontinuance of this practice.
Future I'm Doubt.
II is hard to forecast the future. II
things drift back to the old RUE OF
governmental corruption, whence King
Carlos and Premier Franco rescued
the monarchy a republic might come.
The Republicans are the natural IN
h eritors of the mistakes of the mon
arcfy, but the masses are groaning UNI
der their personal burdens. They are
either ignorant of or indifferent to the
political turmoil. Something 10 neces-
sary to galvanize into action and this
IL exactly what the small but evidently
desnerate organization of militant revo-
lutionists in Lisbon ana Oporto are
irving to do They want to drive the
people to revolt.
: The immediate danger in the situa-
tion comes of the fact that the police
are baffled and the Government unable
to ascertain the extent OF the raminca-
tions of conspiracies which have been
signaled during the last fortnight oy
the discovery at various places OF
bombs and arms and ammunition. 1t
was known that Premier Franco was
marked for assassination. That Is
why he deemed it wise to fee. But the
a assassination of the King was not ex-
pected, and it, created almost reign
OF terror in high places. There Is not
the slightest question that the plot was
only half successful. The murder of
ton of the dynasty was the aim OF the
conspirators. 1t is certain that other
men had been stationed at various
points Of the route of the royal car
rage that fatal Saturday afternoon,
and that IL the murder had not been
committed on the Praso do Commerce,
Il would have been attempted else
where. That same night an attempt
was being made to bring about a Inu-
tiny of the infantry and artillery regi-
ments in Lisbon, but the officers locked
the doors OF the barracks and the con-
spirators were unable to gain access
to the men. There have been many re-
ports Of dissatisfaction In the army and
navy, but careful investigation does
not confirm them. and 1t may be assum-
ed that the military is still loyal.
The latter part of this week the fear
grew that an attempt would be made
the day the funerals were held, Satur-
day. to complete the bloody work that
was left unfinished week ago. To
prevent anything of this kind extraor-
binary precautions were taken. II was
decided that neither the King nor the
Queen should follow the funeral cor
tege. At first the King insisted on fol-
lowing on foot behind the collins of his
father and brother. with his uncle. the
Duke OF Oporto, but he was dissuaded
by his mother. Queen Amelie. and the