The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-01-15
SPANISH CABINET
RESIGNS DUE TO
CRITICISM
Trouble Over Communication Of
Sentences.
PREMIER AND KING DIFFER
King Was In Favor of Yielding t,
Wishes Of People in the Riot
Cases

Madrid, Jan. 15.-The Spanish cab.
met of which Jose Canalejas y
Mendes was premier, resigned yes
terday. The cabinet resigned as the
result of divergence of views with
King Alfonso as to the ACCESSIBILITY
of committing the death sentence of
one OF the rioters who murdered a
Judge and wounded several court Of
Ecials in the town of Cullera, prov
ince of Valencia, last September.
The general strike at that time in
Valencia and other provinces involv-
ed a plot to assassinate Gen Weyler,
and the king was compelled to sus-
pend the constitutional guarantees
The trial of the strikers concerned
in the Cullera murder has engrossed
public attention to the exclusion Of
all else for some time past, thanks
to the skilful campaign of the radi.
Gals, who seized upon the affair as
a weapon to attack the government
In. the same way as they utilized the
refusal to reprieve Francisco Ferrer,
director of the modern school, who
was executed in 1909, to bring about
the downfall of the Maura cabinet.
Realizing that II was a sordid crime
and that the accused men were i'm
possible objects for sympathy, the
radicals raised a false issue, accus.
ing the government of all sorts of
tortures of and of cruelty toward the
prisoners. Consequently the agitar
ton spread with great rapidity and
caused grave concern to Premier Can
alejas.
The rioters were first tried before
military court last month, and six
Of them were sentenced to death
The case then went to the supreme
council of war and marine for revis.
ion, and the council condemned all
seven prisoners to death. Numerous
petitions for a reprieve have flowed
in ever since the first trial, and II
was evident that the whole nation
earnestly desired that the mer
should not suffer the death penalty
Premier Canalejas advised the king
to exercise his prerogative in the
case Of six of the prisoners, but helt
that the seventh, Chato Chuquets
should be made an example of in the
interest OF law and order.
The agitation had by this time
reached formidable proportions anC
the Barcelona radicals issued a de
cree calling for a general strike i
| Chuqueta were executed today, thu
date fixed for his death. The prem
Ter, in his own words, then realized
| that the exclusion Of Chuqueta from
a reprieve was a political blunde
and, learning that the king was o
the same opinion, he went with hi
colleagues to the palace, where the
king declared that he favored a re
prleve for Chuqueta. Premier Canal
cias said that he deferred to his ma
| jesty's judgment and would prepar,
a decree to that effect without delay
but considering as he did that tn
ministry had made a mistake, It wa
his duty to hand in his resignation
King Alfonso urged him to reconsid
er his determination. but he remain
ed firm.
The king received Senior Canaleja
last night and again asked him u
resume the premiership assuring hin
1of continued confidence. Senior Car
alejas asked for time to reflect
promising TO give his reply today
On leaving the palace. the expremie
said that II he decided to accept tn
Office he would retain the same mil
listers.