Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-07

affairs than all others. King Manuel, IL
says. has resisted. all counselS xor an nnk
mediate dissolution OF the cortea To EnG4
fish ears there is a fine democratic rinaL
about an appeal to tho people. out for1
tugal was Portugal In England the parity
which wins most seats at general eiec-
ton supplies the ministry. but in Portu~
gal new ministry makes the elections
so to provide itself with majority oc
seats. This is the surest way. and there
are no risks. When Senior de Vilhena.
whom the king sent for prior to Senhor
de Souza TO form a regenerador cabinet.
he repeatedly insisted that the king
should dissolve the chamber so as to IN.
sure him what he called in an admirably
pointed phrase parliamentary viability."
The king saw in this relic OF rotatav-
ISM and refused to accept it.
Senior de SouZa has declared that IN
the general election which is TO take place
during August he VIII employ every
means to thwart electoral tricksters. and
thus obtain the true verdict OF the people.
The past elections were a mere sham. in
which the sober. honest. Woodworking
peeasantry counted for little. and Were
given bare representation in the national
councils. The electoral law. IL is an
swered by those who have profited by this
situation, DISTINGUISHES iliterates, and IL
Hteracy predominates in the scattered
rural districts where the poverty OF the
state after n half century of invasions
and civil wars has contributed nothing
to the establishment of schools. In tho
cities. on the contrary, the schools abound
and every child is given instruction. The
republican strength is centered in the in
dustrial districts, and il follows that re-
publicanism can bring out every voter,
while great part OF the peasantry. with
their monarchical sympathies. are dis
barred.
Senior de Souza in his program prom
ises to reform the judiciary and the laws.
Portugal has been sub
De Souza's jected during the nine
D~. teenth century successive
ly to absolutism, French
domination. British interference, dictator
ship and more than fifty years OF inter-
mittent martial law. The constitutional
regime was inaugurated only in 1888 Up
to this time the magistracy was corrupted
and became the flexible and subtle in
strument of the executive and the in
strument Of injustice and tyranny my
first reform" says Senior de Souza a
few days ago. will be the reform OF
the house of peers. But" remarks the
Saturday Review. this need not make a
single conservative shiver. The Portu-
guese upper house is not a venerable
and successful institution. like our own
house of lords; 1t is senate which has
been reformed several times within liv-
ing memory to suit momentary partisan
exigencies. and it is time to reform it
again
Senior de Souza does not propose to
embitter the nation by bringing In his
anti-clerical crusade He is aware that
the Catholic party does not love him;
but when correspondent of LIE Matin
compared his program 10 that of Senior
Canalejas, the Portuguese statesman
promptly declared that there was no
religious question in Portugal, and that,
hnr f1n
free of this unfortunate issue which ex-
listed in Spain. The Saturday Review
declares that the present Portuguese min
istry awakens hope The Review does
lefts; but in this abnormal instance an
honest radical seems to be the best man
to take the wind out Of the republican
sails and to steer the country into calm
water.
The Review asks English sympathy fcp
the high-minded and prudent youna
king, but adds that un-
English happily he does not al
ways receive IT, Tho
article from the Daily News .own cor
respondent in isbon''-correspondencs
which it insinuates may have been writ
that the republic for Portugal is an AFFAIR
arranged. The Daily News sug-
gests that Bourbon families should sub
scribe money to ''gild another crown for
one of their girl folk" The Review con-
strues this as an allusion to King Man.
uels marriage
In connection Herewith the republican
party has issued veritable manifesto, of
which the following is an outline:
monarchical crisis exists in Portugal.
The divorce between the nation and tho
monarchy is imminent. The monarchy
is failure. Nevertheless the country
Is progressing; agriculture the principal
economical force. is developing; also
commerce. Portugal possesses marvellous
colonies in Africa, laurence Marques
Delagoa bay, the province of Angola,
which assure commercial markets of an
exceptional character. The relations OF
the country with Brazil are notorious
There is already an immense Portuguese
colonization there. Historical tradition,
identity of language and community OF
interests are ties which unite the two
people and form guarantee of their
cordial and sincere understanding. The
action of the state of Portugal is con-
tinually blocked by the necessity OF de-
Tending monarchical institutions
The cause of the monarchical crisis Is
thus resumed:
History will hold The monarchy re-
sponsible for the great caIamities which
have happened. its indif-
cause OF ference to national In
rr;r;s terests often absorbed by
the only thought OF the
defense Of the throne. king ignorant and
inexperienced, subject to the reactionary
and clerical influence of his courtiers the
augmentation Of debts and taxes, all I'M
equally distributed to the profit of great
electoral influences. the heavy taxes of
the octroi, the criminal neglect of popular
education despite the law Of obligatory
the dictatorial laws of Franco
and an electoral law made to vitiate the
elections condemned alike by all parties,
the laws concerning the press and the
rights of aSsemblage and associations i'm
violation or all liberal guarantees.
The monarchy is weakened by the scan
dals like that Of the affair Vinton and
the crash OF the Credit Foncier, in which
almost the entire capital was swallowed
up. The monarchy has become by its ira.
which separates II from pop
ular aspirations, incapable Of serving tho
interests of the nation.
With reference to foreign relations the
republic cannot but respect all the
financial and political engagements to
which the nation has subscribed. Thus
the republic Will become a government of
order In the Interior as we'll as the ex-
terror. 1t will have but one object, that
Af sar-s..