The Washington herald., 1908-02-09
Portugal Loses Ground 1t
Gained Under Carlos.
OLD ENEMIES NOW IN POWER
New Minister of Justice Long Drew
Pay as Minister 90 China-Premier
Frances Savings to Government
Amount TO SG5,OOO,OeO Annually.
Corrupt Practices Expected.


B.
For the reign Of Manuel I. away back in
the fifteenth century, was the most glo-
rious and heroic period of the history Of
the nation. II was during his tenure Of
the throne that Vasco da Cana rounded
the Cape Of Good Hope, and another Por-
tuguese commander. Magalbaes, discover
ed the Straits az the southern extremity
Of South America, which have just been
traversed by the United States battle
ship feet. and which bear his name that
Is, Magellan II was under Manuel I that
Albuquerque first established the rule Of
the white race in India, that Fernando
Andrada founded Portuguese settlements
on the coast OF China and visited Pek!n;
that Pedro Alvarez Cabral discovered
Brazil. and that Amerigo Vespuccl gave
his name to the New World.
II is owing 10 this that Manuel I has
always been STYLED as the fortunate" In
the annals OF Portugal: and since he too.
was brought to the throne through the
murder of an elder brother. it may be
hoped that his namcsake, despite the
shocking tragedy which has slgnalizad
his accession TO the crown. may be
equally favored by destiny throughout the
reign, and may help TO restore the pros
perity and the welfare of his kingdom.
sympathy for Queen AmeIie.
While the utmost sympathy IS felt on
all sides for Queen Marie Amolie. whose
life ever since she first came TO Portugal
as its crown princess has been one Of
usefulness TO the land OF her adoption. it
cannot but be regretted by ali those who
have kept track OF affairs mt Lisbon. and
who have made a study OF the political
situation, that she should. in the first
moment Of her bitter grief. have made
use OF her power TO virtually dismiss from
Office Prime Minister Franco, and TO in
trust the conduct OF the government To
his foes, that Is 20 say. 20 the very men
whom hey murdered husband had spent
the last eighteen months ~ bis life in
so bitterly combating. Ii is, perhaps.
natural that the queen. VINO had always
/ been more or less opposed TO the policy
OF Franco. should. at the instant of her
bereavement. have regarded the states
man IN question as responsible for the
death of her husband and of her eldest
son. the crown prince, on the ground that
the revolutionary movement and the In
/ hamme1i0n OF popular sentiment against
the Crown eliminating ia the sssass!na-
J tion. were mainly due t0 his arbitrary
methods and 10 the hsTshncss OF his rule
Supported by Queen Pia.
In this view. she was supported by her
mother-in-law. Queen Pia. who had had
many quarrels with Franco on the sub
/ jact OF money matters. Tesenting his re-
Iuctance to comply with her pecuniary
demands and his attempts so check her
/ extravaganza. The clergy, too, and the
/ religious orders were likewise strongly
IautagUuistic TO Joso Franco, who had in
CURED their wrath by insisting upon
their compliance with the fiscal and civil
/ laws, from which they had previously
considered themselves exempt. The aris-
/ tocracy. that is - say the class from
among whom the dignitaries Of the court
and the members of the royal encourage
are recruited. were all of them aroused
against Franco. owing 20 his wholesale
abolition Of their costly sinecuTes and
/ unwarranted favors which had weighed
so heavily upon ,he national treasury.
and were so largely responsible for its
difficulties.
! II was no wonder. therefore, that in the
midst Of such influences Queen Marie
Amelie should have been all along pTeju-
/ diced against J0ao Franco. Singul1rly
/ happy in her married life, and devoted 20
her sunny-tempered husband, her only
/ differences with him were on the subject
of Frances administration.
BIames JOao Franco.
1t was therefore perfectly natural that
when she saw the King ana the crown
prince shot down by her side, her sec
ond son wounded. and herself literally
! drenched with the blood of those whom
she loved so dearly. she should have
placed the blame for the tragedy upon the
one man TO whom her mOther-in-law and
all those around her attributed the re
! sponsibiiity. and should have insisted on
! his resignation. But 10y intrusting the
| reigns Of government TO his foes, who are
/ likewise the 8dyersaries OF her husband,
! she has rendered useless the sacrifice OF
/ tho life Of Dom carlos. and has by one
stroke OF the pen undOne all the work
which he for the last eighteen months has
| SO cOurageously endeavored to accomplish
/ for the good of his country.
| As pointed out In several Of my previous
! letters dealing with Portuguese affairs,
! the late King, about eighteen months ago.
| finding Portugal face to face with ruin
and in the most desperate straits. her
| credit destroyed both abroad and at home.
! her commerce and industry at stand
still and famine and pestilence stalking
! through the land conditions brought
about BY the almost incredible dishonesty
] .e
/ chimes. the Regenadores or Conservatives.
and the Progressistas or Liberals, who
alternated with one another in power and
played into each others hands for the
perpetuation Of abuses-determined TO call
1 a halt.
Franco RefOFmer.
on the resignation of the Conservative
cabinet IN 1906 he therefore intrusted the
| formation Of an administration to a man
of his own choice. namely. Senior Joao
Franco. who had broken away from the
machine organization in order to form q
party Of his own. with the watchword of
economic reform. Franco had no diff
Guilty in forming a ministry. but he found
it impossible to secure working major
ity in Parliament, and accordingly. with
his sovereign's consent, dismissed the leg
islature and has been ruling ever since
! without Il.
RE had plenty Of precedent for his ac-
ton William Pitt had done it with the
support Of George III in England. at the
close Of the eighteenth century. and Bis
marck, in a similar way with the un-
swerving backing of old Emperor William,
had worked out the greatness Of Germany
during the SOS in defiance Of the oppo-
sition Of the Prussian Diet. Scrupulously
| honest, imbued with the most ardent pa
/ triotism, Loyalty supported by Dom Car
los, Franco has made use of the past
eighteen months Of his dictatorship, that