Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1910-12-16

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SPAIN SINCE 1893.
Politically Spain possesses four great
guiding forces: "Conservadores." Lib
erales." "Republicanos" and ''Carlis-
tas." OF these only the Republicans
and the Carlists have q clear and def
mite programme, and It may even be
said that only the latter have q real
watchword. Indeed, SO great is the
diversity of opinion between the Re-
publicans and the Carlists that they
are able to effect little. though they
control what 10 numerically strong
minority thirty in the Cortes. The
Conservatives and Liberals are the
governmental parties Of to-day. and
they. thanks to system Of alterna-
ton, or turn about, succeed each other
in power in accordance with the royal
will. But the curious thing about
these political aggresations is, that
they do not have q clear and definite
creed or political programme. The
Conservatives Of to-day are the Liber-
ais Of yesterday. for they. thanks to
an evolutionary movement of the Left,
found themselves ON the Right and
were given the name Of reaction
aries" However. the Liberals. who
now and then use "radicalism" and
"anti-clericalism' as watchwords Of
their party forget their promises when
once In power and in the majority OF
cases continue the policy Of their pre-
decessors.
In spite Of all, however, in the gen.
eral method Of administration Spain
is being regenerated. Opposition or
agreement, for example. has. brought
about guarantees Of stability to the
public functionaries, thus doing away
with the multitude of unemployed
persons which each change of govern
ment used to bring. The type OF
''cssante'' dismissed public onicer) Is
becoming more rare every day, and it
IL to be hoped that this evolution,
having thus commenced, will end by
completely destroying the type.
The life Of the provinces has gained
q great impetus In the last few years:
Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia, Zaragoza,
Valladolid. &C., are establishing new
industries and opening markets within
and without the kingdom. However,
the character distinctive Of each of
these provinces and the necessity Of
defending special interests cause a
certain spirit of discord or rivalry to
exist between them. Barcelona, fos
example, an industrial province pay
excellence, needs to import the greater
part Of the raw material for its. man
ufacturing, and SO q high tariff system
would be the ruin of the Catalan re-
gion. Valencians, on the other hand,
WHOSE greatest resource is agriculture,
are comparatively Indifferent to tariff
questions, for their prosperity depends
In great part on rates of exchange.
Owing to the depreciation Of Spanish
currency they are able to sell their
products In foreign markets at a pre-
MUM which offsets the cost of pro-
duction and handling.
This especial nature of the various
regions gives them also very marked
political tendencies. In the centers Of
industry the body Of laborers is Repub-
lican or Socialist Barcelona and its
neighborhood, Madrid, Valencia. lara
goa, Bilbao. &C.,. The country peo-
pie on the contrary are for the most
part reactfonary, although private in.
terests or the pressure of proprietor
upon tenant may be determinative of
tho farmers vote.
Feared BY the great and powerful,
frequently of but little education but
of . cunning sagacity, an entangler; of
the clearest questions and an inter-
prefer of the most difficult the "ca-
cdQue" manages and upsets the govern
ment Of province. Mayors. Govern
ors, Deputies, high and low oficials.
all owe to him their posts and are his
instruments, going from Ministry to
Ministry dancing attendance while at
home In his little corner the 'cacique"
with shrewd imagination prepares
the strokes Of local politics. The
Province Of Castellon. which elects
seven Deputies, was managed by
wind of committee called the cost, d.
rected by person Of the middle class.
The political education of the citi-
gen Is coming more and more into evil
dence. and with its advance the in
fluence Of the "cacique'' political
chief" or 'boss') Is growing less. so
that at present the regions in which
the viii Of the latter dominates are
very few. A new political power has
been constituted since the loss of the
colonies and has been greatly aug
mented in the last elections: la soli-
daridad." the principle Of solidarity.
This is the concentration of diverse
political tendencies of section for the
defence of its interests against policy
Of GENERALIZATION. Nowhere has the
central power been 80 hated as In
Spain, an effect without doubt of the
heterogeneity of the nations compo-
nent parts. A Catalan does not de-
sire to be classed with Galician or
an Andalusian: Valencian or
Murcian is very different from a Ma
varrese or a Basque; and the diversity
which exists in the legislative system
in regard to privileges accorded to the
various provinces has had the hardi-
hood to show itself In the political
system. II Is rno- n'sble tnse.