Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-01-28
WILL GIVE
ALFONSO
A JOLTING
SPAIN READY FOR REVOLUTION
WHICH MAY CONE AT ANY
TIME-SENOR SORIANO WILL
BE AT ITS HEAD.
(By Charles p Stewart, European
Manager of the United Press.)

(By Charles P. Stewart, European
Manager of the United Press.)
Madrid, January 2S.-Their minds
at last definitely made up that under
its present so-called Liberal govern
ment their country is making no more
progress than under the old Con-
servative regime, Spanish Republi-
cans are getting ready to eliminate
Premier Canalejas, who is frequently
referred to as King Alfonso's last
chance. Premier Canalejas' elimina-
ton therefore means a long step in
the elimination of Don Alfonso In
fact, it is hardly possible that Senior
Canalejas can be politically killed
without endangering the monarch.
Rodrigo Soriano is the Republican
chosen to fire the first shot in the
revolution. Senor Soriano is owner
of the radical Madrid newspaper
"Espana Nueva." He is a member
of the Chamber of Deputies from the
Spanish capital And since Alejan-
dra Lerroux has suffered in credit by
the mal-administratio of the Re-
publican municipal government of his
home city of Barcelona, Senor Sor-
iano is the most influential Republi-
can in Spain, If the revolution should
occur very soon he would probably
be president In fact, it is not un-
likely that he will be president, in
any case.
Senor Soriano's attack upon Prem
ier Canalejas will take the form of a
demand for a revision of the hearing
of Francisco Ferrer, who was put to
death in the summer of 1909 after a
military court had convicted him of
participating in the Barcelona riots
of that year. A revision of the case
will certainly mean a decision that
Ferrer was judicially murdered. This
will do Ferrer no good but it is
bound to start such an outcry against
King Alfonso's government as, in it's
present unstable condition, it simply
cannot stand.
Premier Canalehas commands a
majority in the Chamber of Deputies
and can prevent Deputy Soriano's de-
mand for the Ferrer revision if he
likes, but if he does this he will have
to concede that he wishes to shield
Former Premier Maura, under whose
administration Ferrer was killed-in
short, that he is as much of re-
dictionary as the ultra-reactionary
Maura himself
Which ever way it goes, the Repub-
licans will be satisfied. If the Fer
rer revision is granted they count on
a scandal which will upset the throne
If it is refused, King Alfonso will be
convicted of cheating the country by
pretending to give it a Liberal gov
ernment which is really reactionary.
And they do not think the throne can
long survive that, either.
1t is true that the Republicans want
the Ferrer records overhauled, but
they would not have insisted on it If
Premier Canaleias had convinced
them that he meant business in his
Church and State" campaign. But
they are satisfied that he does not,
and for his lack of good faith in the
Church and State" matter, they are
making weapon of the Ferrer case
to kill him,
81 believe the Premier would real
ly like to do something toward limit
ing the Church's power" said Senior
Soriano, in an interview to the
United Press, "but King Alfonso and
the Clericals back of him will not
allow it. At any rate, he is accom-
plishing and will accomplish nothing.
Everything he has done has been in
effective. 1t is bound to continue So"