Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-01-03
PORTUGAL UNHAPPY Under DESPOTIsM, SAYS WRITER
DECLARE CONDITIONS WORSE Than when MONARCHY

turbulent Portugal II he did not have
behind him other powerful Influences.
First and foremost there is the Gag.
bonario. that dread secret society
which seems destined to play as large
a part in the affairs Of Portugal as
did the great secret organization from
which 1t takes its name in Italy. Mem.
hership is, like many of its affairs,
o mystery, being varIously estimated
at from 5000 to 10000. Probably the
smaller figure Is nearer the truth, yet
It undoubtedly owes q lot of its power
to this very ignorance Of its limita.
ton. In the opinion Of large sec.
tion of even the intelligent conspira.
tors Of every ilk there Is an active
member Of the Carbonate in every
household. ready to cbnVey the first
hint Of plotting to the leaders.
Society 10 Active.
This is, of course, absurd, yet the
society undoubtedly is extraordinarily
active and has really played an i'm.
portant and not altogether unheroic
part In establishing and maintaining
the republic. All who went through
the revolution of 1910 will not forget
the splendid services rendered by its
members. For two weeks following
the flight of Manuel there was no cen
trail authority in Lisbon and little or
no official control over the lawless
riffraff who were constantly on the
watch for an opportunity to sack and
pilfer; yet 1t is remarkable eircum-
stance that, because OF the vigilance
cf the Carbonarios, who acted as po-
lice, not single shop was broken
into, hundreds orSthousaHds Of dollars
lay safely in the vaults of dozens Of
banks and millions of dollars worth
Of loose property was apparently las
safe as IL no revolution with it's at.
tendant evils had ever disturbed the
sun.baked calm Of the city. And In
judging the Carbonarios it must not
be forgotten that, although the Neces-
Shades palace, with all its many
treasures, with all its fabulously valu-
able plate set out on its immense din
ing table, was invaded by turbulent
mob flushed with the taste of blood,
enraged by years of royal injustice.
hot on the trail Of the fleeing Manuel
not single article of value was miss.
ing when an official inventory was
made a few days subsequently,. - -.
From all the evidence that can be
CLEANED, Costa il not q member of
the Carbonarios He has said as much
But the minister OF public
works in his cabinet us one OF the
protested leaders and the actual head
of the s0clety Is one of his closest
and through these two he
pulls the strings. : "a
Another circumstance that makes
for his continuance in office or at
least in power for whether in or out
Of Office he is likely to pull the wires
for many months to come lis his con.
nection with q great secret order.
Every member W the present Costa
cabinet Is d member OF this society,
and their infiuenee throughout Portu-
GAL as in Countries Ike Italy, is en-
ormous. s".'% 800 -
Undoubtedly they were behind the
anticlerical law that disestablished
he Roman Catholic church and prae
tically drove the priests out of Portu.
gal: indeed, Costa, who is a free
thinker, was the author of it. Afteri
The busting Of the royalists and their
disappearance from thel
ieId as the cause of all PortugaPs
Ills, Costa concentrated upon the /
priests as the wicked villains of the :,
piece. a, Il. zs55st 49, II