Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-10-18
POLICE OF SPAIN
In Andalusia They Are Seen In
All Their Shabby Glory.
ARSENALS ON MOVING LEGS.
They Will Put a Pistol to Your Head
With the Greatest Politeness and
Lock You In a Cell With Infinite
courtesy-Mines OF Misinformation.

lie is polite. is the Spanish police.
man. There Is live and let live air
uiumt Tim He Possesses neither the
en~t aud kindly dignity of the police.
man of l.oudon nor the turbulence OF
the policeman ~ New York. hut he Is
very. very human Aud he has the
blessed gift TINT no other brand Of
pulic"man seems to possess Of appear.
ils 10 bc more than an ordinary person.
True. he Is armed He is an arsenal
moving on legs But something tells
you that he wouldn't really hurt a ny.
| like him
And here | must say that he is not
to Ice coniuundcl with the guardia
civil The gurdia civil is quite an.
Other person altogether lie Is stern
aud aaSterc and he patrols country
districts aud lonesome mountainous
places lie was used to put down the
handcleros. those adopts in the art Of
swift forcrfnl borrowing. whose pres
oner did 80 much 10 hcighten the ro.
mnucrof old sunny Spain. The guardia
civii Killed of these gay financial art
lists. hut now. even after his job has
been finished. he still wears a cold.
ansiere air He Is indeed not 90 be
cuuiuundrd with my friend the police
man
rhr first time I met the Spanish pc.
lieeiuan was one night In certain
town in AndauSia Truth compels me
10 state that | met him in n profess
sinnal WHY was indulging With
Others in row when he appeared IN
force was gathered In by five Of
him Rut how polite he was. He pnt
his pistol to my head or rather. the
five Of them put their pistols to my
head. and nadr me feel that | would
hc doing him the greatest of favors by
comm. with him to the police station
The whole niair was courtlincss II.
sell To he arrested in such n manner
wns to have u privilege conferred upon
one NJ the police station was again
treated with poliicness and in the end
with locked door
The Spanish policeman is not too
we'll paid He sports not nm amhas
sadnrial salary All he gets Is = pc.
Srta> u day He Is therefore anne
nahle 20 the friendly and considcrnte
tip This. I nus, hasten 10 say. how
ever makes him none the less
worthy and effective guardian of law
and order
He is shabby Of Uniform But that
Is tot his fault IL Is the fault OF
frugal government In appearance he
looks something lilr M English post
man and an Impoverished 2
officer liui there Is artistry about his
shuhl,inrs~ lie Its into the picture
Very often ESPECIALLY In Audulusla.
he Is old and rather infirm one Is
often sorry for him 49, he humps along
Win his sword trnudllng behind him
lini he hrs the Wisdom that goes with
AGE II ne sc,sS row he looks ~ II
with his hliud eve and allows II to
simmer dawn u very good thing with
rows
II van ask Spanish policeman
question he IS pulii"neSS itself Hu,
ms answer VIII be wrong lie is
MINI ~ misleading information lie
d"r-uI EuoW Indeed what he doesn't
know nl,uni The names OF streets ana
the way o. get e. them and THINGS
generally would CT an encyclopedia
II you waul 10 know anything YOU
must MOI H~k u Spanish policeman
l,r~l".,i nm Tor he Is OF the best. bnt
deui ask bim questions
lu ;h'- rl.hiime ne sometimes car
rlrS - niucr He Is then called
srr,uu. presumably because he brings
SERENITY ui"n troubled waters. He
lo,k> very picturesque on clear. sta.
~ nishi ana makrs one think Of the
tinn'- pi old the times one reads about
IN hi>inricm romnnrrs. But he is M
waN- hirui,.ss always peaceful aud
r'ad, Tot TREND! gossip lie is
really >rrrno Il serene person His
laurr L. merely there 10 round OH his
artistic ana romantic appearance. Ana
II l. mi sharp lance know for
nave often frii tn, edge Of II when
tn. SERENE cpurtrousiy handed IL Ia ms
fnf Inspection But II looks artistic
when seen "a the distance on star
~ night
The Policeman Of Catalonia Is some
what different from the policeman OF
AndaiuSiH lie Is alert pushfnl and
inipriefln- Tie Is api To want 10 know
whn yIn urr aud what you are AMI
what your business may he. But Cata
lunin Is uoi spain II * place where
the people rush ulIuni doing all man
ner 81 things, They like work. and
whit l. worse. they like other people
10 work And their policemen take
after them
No the Caiaioniai policeman cannon
truly b. rnlird spanish policeman
II yon want 10 see the true Spanish
policeman you must go down TO Andn
lusia
And ,un VIII like him You win fee
ioi MIN, ~, trirndl,.~i regard Won
VIII -" nim nmhliug casually along
with >t"pl"'d shoulders and trundling
swntd And should you have To mak.