Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-11-26
HAD FEW CHANCES
Premier CanaIejas Was Brave
and Honorable.
RULE WAS A BRIEF ONE
Stood Between Countrymen and
Power Of Spanish Church.
GREAT SKILL AS A DIPLOMAT
His Murder Put Fresh Power Into
Hands Of Those Who Favor
Rigorous Repression.
GREAT SKILL AS A DIPLOMAT
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
LONDON. November II. 1912.
A brave, hard-workins and honorable
man, liberal in theory, albeit reacttonary
by compulsion. has gone to hts doom, and
the name of Senior Don Jose Canale1as is
added to the list Of SPANS murdered
statesmen. His rule was comparatively
brief. and his chances have been few. He
came into Office at q time when Senior
Moret, the ex-Cacique. or party boss. had
made Spain too hot to hold conservative
cabinet any longer. and it would appear
that Senior Moret's judicial murder of
Francisco Ferrer has been paid for by his
successor.
1t is lamentabe that this should be so,
for Canalejas was an honest man--edu-
Gated. progressive and patriotic-and
though he did many things in Office he
would have preferred t. 1--WE undone, he
never deserted altogether the principles
that had brought him to prominence. He
did his best to stand between his coun-
trymen and the destructive power of the
Spanish Church.
The government of Senior Moret, to
which Canalejas succeeded, was badly
tainted. 1t had lent itself to sordid finan-
cial intrigues, had embarked on a fero-
cious war with the Moors in the Riff
country at the instance of company pro-
motors, and for the private profit of men
in high places who moved hand in glove
with as questionable a crew as ever die
tated the politics Of great nation.
Triumph of Light.
Moret's downfall and the coming of
Canalejas appeared to many Spaniards as
an event to be compared with the
triumph of light over darkness Liberal
ism was at last to have a chance. The
power of the church was to be curbed,
the industrial activity of Catalonia was
to be encouraged. and the extreme in
dolence Of the central provinces and Cas-
tile penalized.
Canalejas came into Office, but nothing
happened. To be sure. he started to
take decided acti.n against ecclesiastical
privileges. but instead of finding himself
supported, he discovered that the hostil
ity in royal circles was an obstacle
against which it was impossible to make
an effective advance. Compromise be-
came inevitable. In other departments.
too, it was found necessary to abandon
or to postpone progressive legislation
The establishment of a republic in Por-
tugal caused immense uneasiness in royal
circles, and it was increased by dis
agreement with France on the subject of
the division Of Moorish territory. 1t was
feared in Madrid that If France remained
unfriendly she would help the republican
element in Spain. and there is no doubt
that the threat was made by a section of
the Paris press.
Relations Were Strained.
Relations between Spain and Portugal
also were strained. and it became i'm
possible in these circumstances, for
Senior Canalejas to respond to the hopes
of his earlier supporters. At the same
time he did enough to offend the con-
servatives, even if he did not succeed in
placating liberals. From his place in the
house Senior Moret denounced not only his
successor in Office, but the famous pacto
del pardo arranged some years ago by
Senior Sagasta to enable liberals and con-
servatives to share the spells of Office
i've forces. This arrangement was reach
ed at a time when there were fears of a
Carlist revival, and before the late Dom
Carlos entered into a solemn agreement
with Sagasta.
| Senior Canalejas was destined to have
less than three years in Office. to be faced
with rather more than the usual measure
| of dicult1es associated with 1t. to alien
ate a number Of friends. to add consid
| erabiy to the ranks of enemies and, as
| far as we know, to expiate with his life
| the offense of the man he succeeded. 1t
| is impossible, with the best will in the
world, to say that he made his mark as
liberal premier since 1910. The times
| were against him; many circumstances
| forced him along the road of reaction
| The republican elements In eastern Spain
| which have for so long been clamoring
| either for Catalonian republic or a re-
| public throughout the Iberian peninsula,
| have been stirred to new hope and ac-
tivity by the downfall Of the throne in
Portugal.