Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-23
Nom,nally Alfonso XIII, a gentleman of

NominAlly Alfonso XIII, a gentleman Oh
high culture, a man of engaging personal
ity. q horseman. q sportsman. a motorist,
is the ruler of Spain, with constitutional
Limitations upon his power. Actually the
country is ruled by political bosses
''Caciquism'' In Spain is what "blossism
IS in the worst governed American cities,
save that bossism in America hardly goes
so far in corrupting government. The
word "cacique'' comes, OF course, from
the West Indies. where the chief Of Carib
and other Indian tribes were SO called. The
caciques exercised absolute power over
their people, and the lives of the Ind ans
under them were theirs to make use Of
or destroy at will. When the word was
brought back to Spain by the conquista-
dores, possibly by Columbus himself, it
became the slang term for the Spanish
political boss. Nowadays the average
Spaniard knows that 1t means pol teal
boss, but does not connect it with the In
dams, and does not know that 1t had an
American origin. The political cacique
has been an institution under that name
for so long that there are doubtless hum
dreds OF thousands or even millions of
Spaniards who would say. If asked about
the matter, that the word was Spanish.
King Alfonso lives in one Of the hand
soonest palaces in Europe, and maintains
the tradit onal dignity
KING Busted of the Spanish court.
xr.x r., He is an active and
Iva busy young man. who
arises early In the morning. keeps good
%
routine work nearly every day when he
is in his capital Even when he goes to
Seville to enjoy the quiet Of that ancient
Andalusian city. and the peace of the
Alcazsr. no takes along the material for
keeping up his desk work. Even when he
retires from active duties to rest at San
Sebastian he is not wholly idle.
But despite his devotion to detail
work the King Of Spain has very lit
tie to do with the government Of his
country. The throne has less power in
important matters than the men be-
United States took so small a part in
the government as Alfonso takes he
would be cartooned In every independ-
ent newspaper from Maine to Califor-
MIA as a backboneless ncompoop.
dissracing his high office by allowing
the political bosses to run it for him.
Upon paper Spain is rather we'll
governed. A great deal Of difference
exists. however. betwer the govern
ment upon paper anc the government
In fact Tho difference is. in a word,
"cac Quism." Because Of what q dis
tinguished Englishman once called the
American habit Of getting under a
sounding board and confessing the ma
tional sins through q megaphone, the
United States Is widely exploited as a
country In which politics IS corrupt
Spain would create an upheaval in
The watchword Of the Spanish
bosses might be what is the constitu-
ton between friends?"
Elections Nominally Spain enjoys
n universal suffrage. Actual
ly the elections are held
by and for small cliques. who scorn
the will of the people and make the
election returns what they wish them
to be. Caciquism, spelling rottenness
In every branch Of administration. made
the government of Spain's American
and oriental colonies as bad as 1t
could be- It gave ground for discon-
tent that created revolution. When
war was made upon the insurrectos,
caciquism weakened the strength of
armies and made campaigns Intellectual.
Il finally cost Spain a great deal of
territory 10 well as an enormous