Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-22
PORTUGUESE
DYNASTY MAY
BE DOOMED
REPUBLICANS ANTICIPATE AN
EARLY VICTORY
MANuEL's THRONE ToTTERs TO
ITS OVERTHROW
Only Hope Is That Revoluticnist Lead
ers May Fear Consequences Of
Open Outbreak and Give
Support to King

MADRID, March 21.-Letters from
Lisbon contain bad news for the in
terests of the dynasr'. There are seri-
Gus dissensions In the monarchist par
ties over questions relating to the dis
tribution OF the high offices of state.
The government Is weak and disunited,
s1d the members are practically prison
ers of the Republicans, who are In real
ity the masters of the situation. The
press, now at last unmuzzled, uses IAN
guage of the utmost violence, and the
Republicans are carrying on an active
campaign in the country, assuring the
electors that the republic will triumph
at the next elections. They add, with
every display of confidence, that II the
government hinders the freedom OF vot-
ing, sanguinary revolution VIII break
out.
In another letter, signed by an ex-
tremely liberal diplomatist, 1t is stated
that Portugal is In a condition of COM
plete moral anarchy. In the news
papers and in public conversations,
apologies are made for the regicides IN
manner calculated to astound
Europe. The graves of the regicides
are always covered with flowers, and
the subscriptions for their famlies
amount to thousands of dollars. There
is even an idea of erecting monument
TO perpetuate the memory or the as
sassins. The government has not the
courage to suppress TINS anarcnlseis S
propaganda, which threatens to spread
ali over Portugal and to let loose all
sorts of dangerous passions unless some
steps are taken to check 1t.
Spread Their Doctrines
The reyolutionists are spreading their
doctrines on the ships and In the bar
racks with complete liberty. and SOL
oilers and sailors parade the streets
arm In arm with we'll known Republl-
cans who have received their liberty
within the last few days.
In official quarters thu truth about
the situation is known. There exists
only the hope that the leaders of the
Republicans may fear the consequences
of a premature revolution, and may at
the last moment extend their support
to the policy of the king. In Oporto.
Coimbra, Evora, Villavicosa, Elvas and
other towns the Republicans have or
ganized revolutionary groups consist
Ing of twenty-five persons, who carry
on the propaganda in their respective
neighborhoods.
Pessimistic views prevail in the dip
lomatic world, especially on account
of the lack In the Monarchist parties of
an energetic and liberal man with the
talent to satisfy the country and neu-
tralize the work of the Republicans.
There are some ugly traits in the ma
tional character. chiefly a tendency to
unreasoning outbreaks which singular
ly complexities the task of government.
During the last few decades Portugal
has gone through periodical commo-
tions which have steadily grown In fire.
quency and Importance. On each oc-
casion the Republican party has as
serted itself with ever greater force.
1t announces that it has undertaken
'the political education" of the coun-
try, and, doubtless, In the ignorance
and poverty of the people and in the
attendant abuses of party government,