Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-15
ANTI-B0SS MOVEMENT IN SPAIN.

Among the political surprises OF the
year there must be numbered movement
in Spain-a phase OF pol
SurprisinC itics which appears to
have escaped almost en-
movement. tirely public attention. A
correspondent of the Temps Of Paris.
writing to that journal from Madrid. di-
reefs attention to what Is called "solidar-
ISM and which he explains is a union OF
Spaniards of all parties who favor puri-
tication and reform in government. Solid
arism. he declares, is spreading rapidly
throughout Spain and attracts to Its
standards "those who know what they
want and those who know what they dc
not want The object of the common
hostility of the reformers who have taken
the name of "solidarists' is the ''cacique.'
The word was taken from the Caribbean
Islands in which reigned certain princes
with that title which now has become in
Spain the derisive synonym for politica
tyrant. 1t may be said that the cacique
is not entirely Spanish production, but
is found not only in France. but also ir
America. The cacique in America is
none other but like political agent
The Temps. affecting to treat caciuuism
as some unknown political outbreak. sent
it's correspondent to Spain to discover for
its readers its character.
Let us recall here page of SPANS
modern history The present constitu-
ton of Spain was drawn up by the gov.
| eminent and laid before a cortes elected
for It's ratification March 81. 1876 The
| first clause enacts that Spain shall be a
constitutional monarchy, the executive
resting in the king and the power to
make laws "in the cortes with the king. >
The cortes is composed of a senate and
house equal in authority. There are
three classes of senators-first senators
by their own right, or senadores de
derecho proprio: second, 100 life senators
es not to exceed $50; third. $50 senators
elected by the corporations of state-that
is. the communal and provisional states
the church, the universities, academies
etc, and by the largest contributors OF
taxes. Senators in their own right are the
sons. If any. of the king and of the i'm.
mediate heir to the throne who have
attained their majority; grandees, who ART
so in their own right and who can prove
an annual rent of $1,000; captain-generals
of the army. admirals of the navy. pa
triarchs of the Indies and the. arch
bishops. the presidents of the council OF
state, of the supreme tribunal. of the
tribunal of Cuentas del RENO and Of the
supreme council Of war and Of the navy
after two years in office The elective
every five years and by totally every
time the monarch dissoves that part OF
the cortes
Isabella II, who reigned from 1888, was
dethroned by the revolution of 1868 and
the interim of power was
Recent maintained by Marsha
r. Serrano until the success.
sion of Amedee I, in 1870
On the abdication of the latter, in 1873
the republic was proclaimed. The Carlis1
instruction was crushed and Alphonso
XII succeeded to the throne and reigned
until his death, in 1885. when Christina
reigned as regent during the minority OF
Alphonso XIII, the present monarch.
Spain was proclaimed a constitutional
monarchy June 30. 1875. According to the
law Of June 26, 1890. the electoral quail
fication is held by all male Spanfards
twenty-five years of age, who enjoy full
civil rights and have been citizens of a
municipality for at least two years.
The various provinces and communes OF
Spain are administered by the provincial
has it's own elected ayuntamiento, con-
ssting Of from five to thirty-nfne regi-
dores or concejales, and presided over by
the alcade. to whom in larger towns Is
added several aids-"tenientes alcades. y
The entire municipal government, with
power of taxation, is vested in the ayun-
tamientos. Half of the members are
elected every two years, and they appoint
the alcade, the executive functionary
from their own body. In the larger
towns he may be appointed by the king.
Members cannot be reelected until after
two years of interval. Each province OF
Spain has it's own parliament. the dispu-
tacion provincial, corresponding to our
state legislative assemblies, which meet
i'm annual sessions. Neither the national
executive nor the cortes has the right
to interfere in the established municipal
and provincial administration except in the
case of the action of the deputaciones
provinciales and ayuntamientos going be-
yond the locally limited sphere to the in
jury of general and permanent interests.
In the Basque provinces self-government
has been abolished since the last civil war
and they are governed as elsewhere in
Spain. Notwithstanding the provisions Of
the constitution of 1876, pressure is fire.
auently brought to bear upon the local
elections by the central government, and
the caciaue or political boss thus finds
employment for his enterprise and ac-
tivity.
x
quest of information as to the solidarist
movement and the ca
Questions Clique which had provoked
it. addressed himself to
Ahs"eieu' the centric solidario as
the fountain source Of solidarism. To the
questions, What is caciquism?" What
is solidarism?" the centric solidario re-
piled: The cacique was not regular
functionary of the government, although
he might hold one or more important and
remunerative offices, precisely as the
American boss" He was appointed by
the gobernadores ciyieS or projects, and
may be likened to the grand electors of
other times. His role was to force the
elections by stuffing the ballot boxes ar
tistically and in such way as not to cast
more votes for the government candidate
than there are electors in the district or
ward, as the boss oftentimes has done
in our cities when his ideas of mathe.
mates have been confused by the necesSi-
ties of the case.
The cacique is given orders to prepare
false electoral lists, challenge voters who
are known to be hostile to the party in
power, vote the absent or the dead, pre-
pare false bottoms to the electoral urns.
advance or retard the hours of voting in
order to favor, when necessary, the In
terests Of the ministerial candidate. The
caciuue is the special agent of the minister
of the interior of whatever party Is in
power, and he receives his orders directly
from the minister. The cacique is not
changed in Spain when there is change
of administration, but he serves alike
monarchist or republican and changes his
camp and flag with automatic facility.
This regularity is said to be based upon
the experience of the cacique, his lack
of convictions being guarantee Of his