The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-09-30
POLICE OF SPAIN
In AndaIusia They Are Seen In
All Their Shabby Glory.
kRSENALS ON MOVING LEGS.
They Will Put a Pistol to Your Head
With the Greatest Politeness and
Lock You In a Cell With Infinite
Courtesy-Mnes of Misinformation.

|
courtesy-Mines Of Misinformation.
He is polite, is the Spanish police
man. There is live and let live air
about him. He possesses neither the
easy and kindly dignity of the police
man of London nor the turbulence or
the policeman of New York, but he is
I very. very human. And he has the
blessed gift that no other brand Of
policeman seems to possess of appear
ing to be 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 fly.
like him.
And here I must say that he is not
to be confounded with the guardia
civil. The guardia civil is quite an
other person altogether. He is stern
and austere, and he patrols country
districts and lonesome mountainous
places. He was used to put down the
bandeleros, those adopts in the art of
swift. forceful borrowing, whose pres
ence did so much to heighten the ro-
4
civil killed off these gay financial art
lists, but now. even after his job has
been finished, he still wears a cold.
austere air. He is indeed not to be
confounded with my friend the police
man.
| The first time l met the Spanish po-
liceman was one night in a certain
town in Andaiusia. Truth compels me
to state that l met him in profes-
sional way. I was 'indulging with
others in a row when he appeared-in
force. | was gathered in by FIVE of
him. But how polite he was! He put
his pistol to my head, or, rather, the
FIVE of them put their pistols to my
head, and made me feel that would
be doing him the greatest of favors by
coming with him to the police station.
The whole affair was courtliness it.
self. To be arrested in such manner
was to have privilege conferred upon
one. At the police station was again
treated with politeness and in the end
with locked door.
The Spanish policeman is not too
well paid. He sports not an ambas-
sadorial salary. All he gets is 2 pc
setas day. He is therefore anne
nable to the friendly and considerate
tip. This, ! must hasten to say, how
ever makes him none the less
worthy and effective guardian of law
and order.
He is shabby of uniform. But that
Is not his fault. It is the fault of a
frugal government In appearance he
looks something like an English post
man and an impoverished Spanish
officer. But there is artistry about his
shabhiness. He fits into the picture.
Very often. especially in Andalusia,
he is old and rather infirm. One is
often sorry for him as he humps along
with his sword trundling behind him.
But he has the wisdom that goes with
age. II he sees row he looks at 1t
with his blind eye and allows it to
simmer down--a very good thing with
rows.
If You ask Spanish policeman
question he is politeness itself. But
his answer will be wrong. He is a
mine of misleading Information. He
doesn't know. Indeed, what he doesn't
know about the names of streets and
the way to get to them and things
generally would I'LL an encyclopedia.
If you want to know anything you
must not ask a Spanish policeman.
Respect him, for he is of the best, but
don't ask him questions.
In the nighttime he sometimes car
ries Il lance. He is then called n
serene. presumably because he brings
serenity upon troubled waters. He
looks very picturesque on a clear, star
lit night and makes one think of the
times of old-the times one reads about
in historical romances. But he Is al
ways harmless. always peaceful and
ready FOR friendly gossip He is
really seren0-a serene person. His
lance Is merely there to round of his
artistic and romantic appearance. And
II is not sharp lance know, for
] have often felt the edge of it-when
the sereno cOurteously handed 1t to me
for inspection. But IL looks artistic
when seen in the distance ON a star
lit night.
The policeman of Catalonia Is some
what different from the policeman of
Andausia. He is alert. pushful and
interfering. He is apt to want to know
who you are and what you are and
what your business may be, But Cata-
lonia is not Spain. II is place where
the people rush about doing all man
ner Of things. They like work, and.
what is worse, they like other people
TO work. And their policemen take
after them.
No, the Catalonian policeman cannot
truly be called Spanish policeman.
II yOl want to see the true Spanish
policeman you must go down to Anda-
Iusia.
4 And you will like him. You will feel
FOR him the friendliest regard. You
will see him ambling casually along
with stopped shoulders and trundling
sword. And should you have to make
his acquaintance in professional way
you will find that he will deal with
you Ms an easy and kindly father