El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-08-08

II u 7
the span of the bloom and de-
cay of the great Spanish empire the
wreckage of which is modern Spain.
From the camp of Ferdinand and Isa-
bella in the vega of Granada, Chris
topher Columbus witnessed the sur
render of the last great fortress of
the Moors in Europe. Here Isabella
pledged herself to patronize the expe-
dition of the explorer even if she had
to pawn the royal jewels of CASTLE
to furnish him with funds. Columbus
had painted the glory of the empires
of the east, which he hoped to reach
by sailing toward the sunset The
conquest of Granada, followed by the
discovery of America, set Spain upon
a royal road to fortune
Brings Land From Chaos.
Under the glorious rule of the two
great sovereigns Spain emerged from
Chaos, developed arts and industries.
passed from ferOcity and feudalism into
mental and moral culture The power
of the nobility was reduced The
democratic theory that worth should
constitute sufficient warrant for
preferment was introduced and to an
extent allowed to bear fruit. Laws
were enacted to srant the people a
greater independence than they had
previously enjoyed-laws that the Aus
trian dynasty afterward twisted TO
meet its own ends. Domestic tran
guilty and the security of rights in
life and property f1ourished as never
before. Power was too highly CEN
tralized. but the benefits of states
manlike use of authority were exper-
fenced.
The decay that followed as a result
Of gross lmismanagement is in evil
dence everywhere in the ruin of agri-
cultural lands through neglect of for
estry and irrigation. the depletion Of
streams. the ruin of roads and bridges.
the shrinking of once populous cities
to insignificant proportions Charles V,
who succeeded the conquerors of Ora
NADIA, CARRIED the country on in it's
career of prosperity, despite his ig-
norance of economies and the art of
administration. because of the impulse
it had received before he reached the
throne
An Orgy of Economic Folly.
Under the Hapsburg monarchs the
country INDUCED in veritable orgy
of economic folly. Legislation to pro-
mote industry and commerce, passed
during the reign of the constructive
monarchs, was followed by legislation
under Charles that entailed hardships
upon the people and crushed many
arts and industries that had been es-
tablished and fostered
The glory of the conquistadores was
and their daunt1ess bravery
by hideous cruelties prac-
ticed upon peoples whose lack of fire
arms placed them at a disadvantage in
battle and delivered them into the
hands of the white men despite their
The crowns right of prop
erty in the Indians was proclaimed
and Spaniards in the new world helped
themselves to slaves. holding the pow
er of life and death over them and
subjecting them to every ignominy and
injustice.
Loot, Not Development
Spain in the sixteenth century act.
ed upon the theory that newly dis
covered country should be looted and
not developed, and that conquered
peoples should be exterminated if they
should presume to stand in the way.
The ethics of the Spanish bull ring
were employed by a powerful country
toward legions of victims Spanish
possessions were made crimson with /
the blood of natives while a stream of |
gold was poured into Spanish Golfers. !
And the gold of South America was
hardly less blighting in its effect upon /
he robber nation than the manner of ]
squeezing 1t out of the new country |
vas TO its inhabitants Agriculture, |
commerce, arts. manufactures, fell into i
lecay while immigrants rushed to the /
lew world.
The Golden Age Is False.
After Columbus came that splendid
company of Adventures which includ-
d gallant old Ponce de Leon, Balboa
Magellan, Cortes and Pizarro The
reasures of the palaces of the Monte !
umas were brought back to Spain.
nd the dynasty of the Incas was over
brown in Peru But the splendors of
onquest scarcely hid the shame of the
ecline of industries at home The
olden age of Spain was one of false
yell being, like the bloat of a wine
ibber or the hectic flush of the suf-
erer from a lung disease. The glory
T the reign of Ferdinand and isabella
Tas that the movement of the country
nder them was upward from barbar-
SIN to civilization and from disorgani-
alton to organiza ton. Under the
Iapsburgs Spain began a magnificent
eriod of decadence
Next the Casa Real in the Moorish
alace of the Alhambra at Granada
lands the unsightly building that |
harles V. caused to he erected there.
his building, intended as a monument
Y the bigot. merely spells "botch."
he reign Of Charles writes the same |
ord across the pages of Spanish his
Dry. Spain has been the worst gov
rned country in the western world !
nee his time. and is now worse gov
rned than some of those of the
rient. Recognizing the futility of his
eign and life he resigned all of his
lrones and titles and retired, in 1855,
a monastery where he passed his
st three years of life in swinish in
llgence. a prince born to the ruler
Zip of the world-Charles V. of Ger
any as well as Charles I. of Spain
ritten down in history as a man who
ogged the wheels of progress. The
had lost their power in
-vor of the people under Ferdinand
Id Isabella. Under Charles, the peo-
e lost theirs in favor of the throne.
The Three Philips.
The three Philips. ruled Spain, after
1arles. for a century of her decline.
nilip IL. king of all Of the Span
h Kingdoms and both of the Sicilies
Id titular ruler of England, France
Id Jerusalem, ruler of Africa, domin- ,
kcs a manas.n'. I'll get the young
dy a drink ,
Nettled by the old mans officious {