The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-08
FRON OTHER PENS
PORTUGAL's TROUBLES.

With Portugal as well as Spain in the
throes of political strife, the Iberian
Peninsula is in aSferment more violent
than common. While PortugaPs trou-
bles are in a measure similar to those
of Spain, the two cases are not exact
ly parallel. 1t is true that there is
some contest between church and
state, and the. Conservative party is
allied with the clericals in opposition to
the existing Liberal ministry, but the
real underlying causes of discomfort in
Portugal are excessive taxation, cor
rupt government and the intense in
difference of the great mass of the
peasant population to all public mat
ters.
The franchise in Portugal is exercised
only by a small fraction of the popula-
ton. A voter must be able to read and
write and pay small tax. As very
large proportion of the total population
is illiterate, the franchise is left to a
comparatively small electorate. The
iandholders, nobility, big merchants
and officehol6ers are divided between
the two monarchiai groups, while there
is a strong SO-called Republican group,
tradesmen, laborers and professional
men of advanced ideas. Their idea of
republicanism is merely the extinction
of royalty. They know nothing OF
purely representative and free govern
ment enjoyed by the whole people; In
ldCL, In0 great IldSS VI lll0 L VI I0S OCSC
people are not fit for republican and
representative government, hence 1t Is
probable that even if republic were
formed 1t would be short-lived and de-
generate speedily into dictatorship
New Orleans Picayune.
THE SPIRIT OF UNREST.
Nearly every intelligent observer
has noted the wide prevalence OF the
spirit of unrest manifesting itself IN
countless different ways. This spirit
of unrest is not confined to any one
country. or to any one class within the
country The spirit of unrest per-
meates the world of business as well
as the world of politics; it is felt in
religious fields and in social circles; II
is general and elusive rather than
well defined and of fixed purpose. The
word unrest probably describes it as
clearly and as sharply as it can be
described.
If this spirit of unrest is nebulous
and intangible, yet really potent, to
| locate it's origin and identity, its NOV
| ing causes, is a difficult, If not an i'm
] possible task. Unrest is plainly a con-
comitant of human progress 1t is like
the eddy that follows in the wake OF
| a moving boat. In his classical work
| on political economy John Stuart Mil
Sdevoted a chapter to the economies OF
| the stationary state-a chapter thai
|
no social organization can remain a.
an economic standstill. If. the con-
ditions imagined by Mr.. Mill were pos
sible we might hope some day to ex-
! tinguish completely the spirit of un
rest, but with constant and never
| ceasing changes in our mutual rela
lions in all human activities. unrest il
bound to be present and to vary from
time to time only in degree.-Omahs
Bee.
AMERICANS, CHEESE EATERS.
The Germans, according to strang
| jokes and the humorous periodicals
are the greatest consumers of cheese
the taste for it being embedded in tn
national digestion, as 1t were. But, s.
| far as concerns one brand of cheese
| Americans eat more than the Germans
indeed, more than the people of an,
other nationality. This is the Rogue
/ fort cheese, the making of which in
wolves almost the entire population o
/ Aveyron, France.
Il In this section there is made NOR
than 100000 pounds of Roquefor
cheese every year. It has a tota
value of $3,S60,000, and most of
exported. The United States Dough
$3SS.522 worth Of it in the last f1sca
year, showing a consumption in ex
cess of that of any other country
Popular views and conventions
} humor are not always in harmony wit
4 fho statistical "a h1aa -Tole6N Blade.