Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-25


than the military murder Of Francisco Fer
rer at Monttuich October Is. 1909. That the
court-martial proceedings that led UP to
the execution did not constitute a trial
in the commonly accepted sense Of the
term, and that Ferrer was doomed to
death from the date Of his arrest. IL q
fact that is not now disputed by any
one who has conscientiously investigated
the case.
Opinions as to the character and cali
Der Of Prof. Ferrer may differ. and do
differ. among sincere and wholly disin-
terested observers in Spain and elsewhere
But that he was denied a fair trial and
was "railroaded' to his death, and that
there was never the slightest intention
upon the part Of his prosecutors to give
him a chance to defend himself, is beyond
cavil.
The fragrant violation Of a Spanish law
VIGOROUSLY unfair to the accused added
a touch Of travesty to the trial. The fact
we'll recognized by church and state OF
Spain today Those who put the noted
educator and agitator out Of the way
deeply regret the course they then deem
ed expedient and safe.
In Spain one hears from one source that
Ferrer was a vulgar criminal, pro-
fessional agita-
Varying Statements tor and an ex-
Regarding Ferrer. and 1 murder ID From
another source one hears that he was a
high-minded patriot. an educator, a
champion of the oppressed. From one
source comes the statement that he was
keeper Of mistresses and q swindler
who cozened a too-conf1ding French
spinster out of her fortune. that he was
q participation in an attempt to murder
the king and queen. that he instigated
the Barcelona revolution to make
money gambling In stocks and that he
countenanced murder, arson and sacri-
lege in the interest of his schemes for
personal profit
From another source comes the state
ment that Ferrer spent his life in altru-
istio endeavor as an educator in the
most benighted and oppressed country in
Europe. But no matter how widely dis
interested persons may differ as to Fer
rer. they agree that he was not tried
and sentenced in accordance with the
principles of justice or even under the
provisions of Spanish law. The disposi-
ton Of this undesired il not undesra BILE,
citizen by the Maura government, with
the acquiescence of a complacent king,
throws a flood of light upon the manner
in which courts are conducted In Spain.
Ferrer was not tried upon the charge
that he was bad man who advocated
sedition and neglected his wife to spend
his money upon other women. The
charge was that he promoted the BARGE
Iona uprising, popularity known az red
week" His character does not, There
fore, enter into the case. although 1t is
have never looked into the question OF
how the man was tried and on what evil
dence he was condemned
When Ferrer was arrested for alleged
completely in the plot to murder the king
and queen by
Acquitted by throwing bomb
Civil Tribunal. suite, e ~ tb ."a dsa ~,
of fifteen persons in the streets Of Ma
drid-a civil tribunal failed to connect
him with the conspiracy and he was ac-
quilted. When the Barcelona riots fol-
lowed the calling out Of unwilling militia
reservists to fight In the unpopular Me-
lila war in the interest. It was generally
held, OF certain capitalists holding mins
ing concessions from a pretender to the
throne of Morocco 1t was possible to try
an alleged revolutionary plotter under a
law made a few years ago. This law
provided that persons accused OF offenses
against the army. the flag or the country
may be tried by court-martial. Primarily
1t aimed at imprisoning or exiting a
journalist who should cartoon an odious
general or comment on a scandalous con-
tract graft, but it is elastic in scope.
A leading conservative journal express
ed the hope that the case would not be
tried in a civil court because civil courts
stnsist upon clear proofs of guilt while
co,rts-martial need not depend upon
concrete proofs, but are satisfied with
moral conviction formed in the conscience
of those who compose them" This jour-
nal's understanding of the spirit and pur-
nose of the anti-liberty law was COM
plete. It aims at suppresstng annoyance
without awaiting proof OF the guilt OF
the annOyer
Francisco Ferrer, author OF school text
hooks, writer on questions Of govern
ment. proprietor OF publishing house,
organizer Of a system OF schools teaching
revolutionary doctrines. was undesirable
from the point of view Of the church and
the state. His educational schemo Was