Burlington Weekly Free Press

For the past two or three years in spite of apparent prosperity in Spain there have been mutterings of discontent and occasional outbreaks. They showed that the forces of revolution were at work underneath the tranquil surface of Castilian society. The most notable of these outbreaks occurred at Barcelona where the troubles distinctly arose from the discontent of the working classes. The rioters burned the octroi posts, had scuffles with the guards and attempted to prevent trains from leaving Barcelona. These disturbances were accompanied by cries of "Long live the Federal Republic!" The province of Catalonia was proclaimed in a state of siege. Cabinet councils were held at Madrid-one under the Presidency of Senor Sagasta and another under that of the King. "The government resolved to support the financial policy of Senor Camacho, out of which the disturbances arose, and to resign in the event of a hostile decision by the Chamber of Deputies."

When Senor Sagasta took office he resolved to make an attempt to restore the credit of Spain by covering the deficits with which budget after budget for years past has closed, and by entering into a more satisfactory arrangement with the creditors. For this purpose it was necessary largely to increase the taxation. He also resolved to stimulate industry by negotiating liberal treaties of commerce with the countries with which Spain trades. Senor Camacho, the finance minister, earnestly applied himself to the restoration of Spanish credit. To carry out his plans he imposed additional taxation.

It was said at the time that the augmentation amounted to about twenty-five per cent, but, in fact, it appears that it was considerably more. Indeed, the finance minister of the late administration asserts that the increase has been much nearer sixty-six per cent. So enormous an addition naturally created great discontent. The trade guilds throughout Spain refused to pay the taxes, and the government adopted energetic measures to compel them to do so.

For months the agitation grew, and it was generally believed that on the meeting of the Cortes Senor Camacho would either be driven from office or would have to modify his plans. The system of election, however, which is in force in Spain enables every government to obtain a majority, no matter what its policy may be; and, accordingly, it was found that the Cortes supported the government. Senor Sagasta, too, the Prime Minister, declared that he fully adopted his finance minister's plans, and that the government would stand or fall by them. It appeared, therefore, that only by popular agitation could the course of the government be altered, and accordingly since those declarations were made the agitation has spread.

The commercial treaty negotiated with France added to the general discontent. Senor Sagasta perceived that only by a more liberal fiscal policy could he raise Spain from the poverty in which she is sunk. He concluded a commercial treaty with France by which, in return for her reduction of the French duties upon Spanish wines, he consented to a reduction of the duties on various articles imported from France into Spain; more particularly upon cottons and woollens.

A strong opposition was made against the treaty. The whole conservative party headed the opposition, and the employers of labor in Catalonia, to coerce the government, in many cases closed their workshops and threw their workpeople into the streets. The workpeople, already irritated by the increase in the industrial taxes and in the octroi duties, thus found themselves thrown out of employment in consequence of what they are told is a further act of injustice on the part of the government, and of course were ready for mischief.

In some parts of Spain the political discontent is aggravated by long continued drought. The peasants and workpeople, in consequence of the agricultural distress, are also ready for mischief. In the South it would seem that no very great danger is to be apprehended: but throughout Catalonia and Valencia, and more particularly in Barcelona, the state of affairs is critical. The people of Catalonia are of a bolder and stronger type of character than the southerners, and are not ready to submit to what they consider injustice. They are also not very well disposed toward the restored monarchy. Even during the republic these provinces were difficult to manage, federalism having a strong hold upon the work people. It is alleged that federalism counts for something in the present disturbances and that the reactionary party are also making use of the discontent on account of the increase of the taxes and the commercial treaty with France in the hope of driving Senor Sagasta from office and restoring Senor Canovas del Castillo to power. The proclamation of a state of siege is a violent measure, amounting almost of itself to a revolution. The monarchy is not yet so firmly established as to be able to resist political shocks. The fact that the cry of "Long live the Federal Republic!" has been heard has naturally produced a very strong impression in Madrid. If a dissolution were resolved on in the present excited state of public feeling it might bring about disturbances little short of revolutionary.