The Washington herald., 1909-02-07

premiership vas so reIniss IN his obliga-
lions 10 the King that he actually con-
sented TO attend several Republican meet
ings on the plea that his government rep
resented all parties.
Police protect the abusers Of the royal
family from any interruption al the Yio-
lent antI-monarchist public gatherings
which are constantly being held in the
Avenida da LIberdaG, and the MUdo and
the Lucia. teeming with the most AFRO
cious indecencies in word and picture
concerning the young King, his widowed
mother and grandmcther. and his mur-
dered father, are on exhibition and on
sale even in the very entrance halls OF
the government Offices. Of the Hotel de
Vile. and Of the Palace of Justice
II all this contempt OF the authority Of
the Crown were at least to perrait the
expectation that the disappearance Of the
monarchy would bring about the estab-
lishment Of a stable and honest republ-
can regime upon the reorganization of
the government upon a sane and eco
nomic basis there might still be some
hope for Portugal But this is not the
case. The foes Of the monarchy are just
as much without definite plans for the
future as its nominal adherents. They
that is. all those who III one way or an
other are playing a role at court, in the
Official world, and in pOlitics-are living
a sort Of happy-go-lucky existence con-
cerned only that opportunities OF graft
should continue 10 enable them to live
al the expense Of the pessGntry, who fur
nish most OF the revenue and VINO con-
stitute three-ffths OF the population.
These grafters at Lisbon have. as !
have stated above. much in common with
those of Fort au Prince. which IS prob
ably Que 10 the strain OF African blood
in their veins For there have been
times when the African slaves imported
for agricultural purposes in the depOpu-
lated southern provinces became so nu-
merous that they even Outnumbered the
whites in lisbon itself When freed
they did not remain a race apart, as
here in America. but inteTmaTried and
stamped facial. and especially mental
| traits upon the population
To this must be attributed the indol-
/ ence. the love Of tomorrow. the lack OF
/ enterprise, the inprovidence, the absence
/ Of moral sense, and the obstinacy prevail
I ing az Lisbon. The ignorance Of the peo-
! PIE is appalling. almost as bad as IN
I Hayti. about 50 per cent OF the p0pula-
I ton being illiterate-
/ Slavery still fourishes II the Portu-
/ guese African colonies. which she de-
cIines TO sell. and whsh she viii neither
3 develop herself nor permit any other
/ power 10 develop. and while her foreign
I trade and commerce show a heavy de-
/ cline. the annual deficit continues 10 In
/ crease by leaps and bounds. her national
! debt having doubled within the last twen-
/ tv years. being lOw IN the neighboThooc
! OF Sg0Q00.0o0
The population is about 5o00oca What
I under the circumstances the future has
/ in store for Portugal Il is difficult 70 pre-
dict The outlook IS very somber. and
/ as ia the case of Hayti since salvation
: from within is not 10 be hoped for. i
viii have to come from without in the
( shape Of foreign intervention which ap-
4 pears inevitable
/ Copyright. I99 b. the BreutEoOi C0nT1nyJ