Spain From Within - free ebook by Rafael Shaw

SPAIN FROM WITHIN

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PREFATORY NOTE

“ Truth is an exile from our political world. Every faction and every group tells only that part of the truth which reflects discredit on its neighbour. Thus our political literature is interesting only as an archive of monstrosities. The other part of the truth—that which deals with the good qualities of the neighbour—is so out of fashion that nobody believes in its existence. To tell the truth to our politicians would be the greatest proof of friendship that could be offered to them. But who h

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INTRODUCTION

While a good deal has been written of late years about Spain from the point of view put forward by the governing classes, little or nothing has been said about the people—the mass of the nation—who, unable, the immense majority of them, to read or write, are more inarticulate than their fellows in any country of Europe west of Russia, but who have, nevertheless, very definite aspirations and ideals, entirely distinct from those of their rulers, at whose hands, disheartened as they are by long ye

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RACIAL AND CLASS DIVISIONS CHAPTER I RACIAL AND CLASS DIVISIONS

The relations between rich and poor, between rulers and ruled, between employers and employed, in Spain are peculiar and not easy to understand. The immediate dependents of a well-to-do family are allowed a freedom of manner and intercourse which is incomprehensible to English exclusiveness, and a sense of responsibility for their dependents, and especially for those who have rendered long domestic service, is almost universal among employers. Thus there is hardly a family of means that does not

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THE RELIGION OF THE PEOPLE

PEASANT WOMEN. [To face page 39 ....

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CHAPTER II THE RELIGION OF THE PEOPLE

If you ask upper-class Spaniards, priestly or lay, about the religion of the people of Spain, you will be told that half the nation are bigots and the other half free-thinkers and atheists, or at best indifferent Laodiceans: a sweeping assertion that has so often been made that it has become a commonplace with foreign journalists and magazine writers. To accuse the nation at large of bigotry, atheism, or indifferentism, is nevertheless as unjust as to accuse the army of cowardice. Small though i

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MORALITY AND CEREMONIAL

NEWSPAPER SELLERS IN MADRID. (At the offices of the Nuevo Mundo .) [To face page 61 ....

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CHAPTER III MORALITY AND CEREMONIAL

That it is a duty to speak the truth is a proposition practically unrecognised in Spain. This is chiefly, if not entirely, due to the influence of the Church, for, as a great historian says in reference to this question, “when credulity is inculcated as a virtue, falsehood will not long be stigmatised as a vice.” [6] I have heard the peasant’s creed on this point put into a nutshell, thus: “Very often it is necessary to lie, either for your own or for some one else’s benefit. There is nothing wr

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THE CONFESSIONAL AND CHURCH ABUSES CHAPTER IV THE CONFESSIONAL AND CHURCH ABUSES

Something must now be said about the way in which the people refer to the confessional, and this I will endeavour to do in their own words, premising that I offer no opinion as to the truth or falsehood of their stories, most of which have been told me by women. The abuse of the confessional is such a heinous sin that Catholics of other nations will not believe what is currently said as to its prevalence in Spain; they hold that such things are impossible, and it is to be hoped, for the sake of

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THE POOR AND THE RELIGIOUS ORDERS CHAPTER V THE POOR AND THE RELIGIOUS ORDERS

My readers may be inclined to think that the Religious Orders are a kind of King Charles’ head, which I, a twentieth century Mr. Dick, am unable to keep out of this book. The truth is that in an attempt such as this to make intelligible the views and aspirations of the working classes of Spain, the Religious Orders are the central and dominating fact which overshadows everything else. Whether we discuss the material condition of the poor, their education, their political disabilities, or whateve

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THE MONARCHY AND THE PEOPLE

THE QUEEN AND THE QUEEN-MOTHER OF SPAIN. [To face page 111 ....

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CHAPTER VI THE MONARCHY AND THE PEOPLE

If Spain at large had attributed the misfortunes of 1909—the war in Melilla, the outbreak in Cataluña, the suspension of the Constitution, the attacks on the country made by the foreign Press—to the influence of Don Alfonso, the throne would have been in greater danger than at any time since the expulsion of Isabel II., for the whole nation was roused to indignation by the general conduct of the Clericalist Ministry then in power. But happily for Spain, and indeed for Europe, since civil war in

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THE REVIVAL OF CARLISM CHAPTER VII THE REVIVAL OF CARLISM

For a long time past it has been assumed abroad that Carlism is dead in Spain, and probably few even among diplomatists in other countries could say off-book what the proscribed branch of the Spanish Bourbons now consists of, where the different members of the family live, and what relations they maintain with each other and with the country from which they have been exiled since 1876. Even so careful an observer as Major Martin Hume wrote in 1899 that Carlism as a political system was dead in S

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THE CHURCH MILITANT CHAPTER VIII THE CHURCH MILITANT

The Church of Spain asserts that its mission is peace, and as has been said, supported the assertion, when Queen Victoria initiated the patriotic fund for the sick and wounded at Melilla, by declining as a body to contribute, on the ground that men of peace would be stultifying their office if they supported a war fund. When it was pointed out that the healing of the sick and the binding up of wounds, however incurred, was as much the Church’s mission as the preaching of peace, the reply was giv

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BARCELONA AND THE LAY SCHOOLS CHAPTER IX BARCELONA AND THE LAY SCHOOLS

I have already referred to the popular belief that the riots in Barcelona in July, 1909, were deliberately instigated by the Jesuits and the Carlists acting in concert, the object of the Churchmen being primarily to provide an excuse for closing the lay schools established by Ferrer, the hope of the Pretender and his party being that the disturbances would spread and assume the proportions of a revolution, “on the waves” of which he hoped to ride to the throne. As the course of events in Barcelo

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THE ARMY, PAST AND PRESENT

A CONSCRIPT. [To face page 199 ....

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CHAPTER X THE ARMY, PAST AND PRESENT

It is allowed that great abuses were committed by those in power during the long war in Cuba, which ended with the struggle in the United States and the final expulsion of Spain from the last of her American colonies, and it is common knowledge that the munitions, provisions, and all the supplies of the Army fell lamentably short of what was required. It may be imagined, therefore, that the survivors of these long years of warfare brought back stories of experiences little calculated to inspire

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THE POLICE CHAPTER XI THE POLICE

The visitor to Spain is frequently struck with the number of persons whom he meets on all sides clad in various uniforms and armed, some with cutlasses alone, others with revolvers in addition. If he asks who they are, he is told that they are the police, and then he is perplexed to find such a large number of distinct bodies, all apparently performing much the same duties. A few words of explanation as to the various police-forces of the country and their different functions may not be out of p

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POLITICS

DON SEGISMUNDO MORET. Leader of the Liberal-Monarchists. [To face page 227 ....

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CHAPTER XII POLITICS

The apparently purposeless and kaleidoscopic changes in Spanish politics are very apt to puzzle foreign observers, who cannot understand what has happened to bring about the resignation of a Minister or an entire Cabinet, for which the cause, if any, alleged in the papers seems wholly inadequate. Internal and external affairs appear to be pursuing a tranquil course: no disputed question is agitating the country or the Cortes, when suddenly comes a bolt from the blue in the shape of an announceme

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POLITICAL PARTIES CHAPTER XIII POLITICAL PARTIES

It must not be supposed that the whole of the Conservative party shares the Carlist and Ultramontane views of the majority. The old school of Conservatives, led by Canovas, supported the Constitutional Monarchy as strongly as do the Liberals, and even now a contingent of strong constitutional Conservatives exists, although it is not easy to detect their influence on the general policy of the party with which they act. Their existence, however, was proved in October, 1909, when some of the leadin

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EDUCATION

A STREET HAWKER DESCRIBING BATTLE SCENES TO AN ILLITERATE AUDIENCE. [To face page 263 ....

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CHAPTER XIV EDUCATION

Of the many evils that afflict Spain, one of the gravest, for it lies at the root of most of the others, is the deplorably backward state of education. It is commonly said that 75 per cent. of the population cannot read or write. This figure may or may not be exaggerated, but it is certainly the exception to find a member of the working classes who can do either. And this ignorance is not confined to the working classes, but extends, in a relative degree, throughout all social ranks. People of g

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TAXATION

SAFFRON PICKERS SORTING THEIR CROP. To face page 285....

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CHAPTER XV TAXATION

Among the sources of the national revenue of Spain there are several which more especially affect the poorer portion of the community, or, by hampering trade and manufactures, put obstacles in the way of the national prosperity. Among these may be especially mentioned the Customs duties, the tax on trades, business, and professions ( contribucion industrial ) the octroi , or consumo , the creation and sale of monopolies, and the national lottery. The total taxation of the country is absolutely c

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THE PROCESS OF REGENERATION CHAPTER XVI THE PROCESS OF REGENERATION

The regeneration of Spain must necessarily be a slow process, for the causes of her degradation are deep-seated, and are not to be removed by mere legislative enactments or alteration of the machinery of government. One of the principal difficulties with which the country has to contend is the dishonesty of the bureaucracy, which paralyses any reform that may be attempted. Of what use is legislation, when the laws are not honestly administered? If what is the common talk of all classes has any f

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POSTSCRIPT

While this book was in the press, the Spanish Government took a step, the ultimate consequences of which may be of the utmost moment for the country. In June, 1910, Señor Canalejas resolved to take definite action in the matter of the Religious Orders. The immediate cause of his determination appears to have been the general discontent created by the numerous cases of clerical corruption and intimidation alleged to have occurred in the recent elections to the Cortes. A great meeting of protest w

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Liberal-Monarchists

When Sagasta died three men were proposed as leaders of the Liberal party, Moret, Montero Rios, and Canalejas, Montero Rios gave way in favour of Moret, in order to secure the unity of the party, but Canalejas preferred to lead a group of his own. Moret. —Was a Republican until Alfonso XII. was proclaimed. He then joined the Monarchical forces, the road being opened to him and many others by the broadly liberal policy of Sagasta. He is English on the mother’s side. Montero Rios. —Also was a Repu

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Liberal Democratic Group

Canalejas. —Was a Republican, but maintained his independence, although adhering to Sagasta’s party, by proclaiming himself chief of a group of progressive Liberals with Republican sympathies. The main plank in his programme has always been a direct attack upon the Church and Religious Orders. His policy is supported by the Diario Universal , but it has a small sale and is hardly known by working men outside of Madrid....

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The Republican Party

The three most distinguished men in this party— Melquiades Alvarez , Blasco Ibañez and Rodrigo Soriano ,—are all celebrated for their literary and oratorical gifts, and enjoy the respect and confidence of the veteran Liberal leaders, Moret and Montero Rios. Their policy may be described as Republican in idea, but democratically Monarchical in practice, and their demands for vigorous measures of reform have materially strengthened the hands of the Liberal-Monarchists. The organ of this party is E

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The Socialist Party

Lerroux, Pablo Iglesias, Nakens. —The Socialists in Spain have a very small following, and that confined to a few of the industrial cities, chiefly in the north. They formed a coalition with the Republicans to secure the rout of the Clericalists at the Municipal Elections of 1909, but the party is disunited, Iglesias and Lerroux seldom coming into line with each other, while neither of them goes so far as Nakens, editor of the Socialist organ El Motin and a violent revolutionary. El Motin has a

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The Reactionary, Clericalist, or Ultramontane Party

The leader of this party, Maura —for many years a Liberal and the intimate friend of Moret—adopted Conservative principles under Silvela, and on his death was chosen to be leader of the Conservative party. His Liberal proclivities at first influenced him in the direction of reform, and gave him a strong and united following among the true Conservatives. But as time passed he developed so much religious fervour that he has now become recognised as the protagonist of the Religious Orders and the h

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The Carlist, Jaimist, or Traditionalist Party

This party, which numbers many of the richest men in Spain among its adherents, besides all the Religious Orders, with their enormous wealth and influence, is directed from the Castle of Frohsdorf by Don Jaime, Duke of Madrid , through persons whom he appoints in every province of Spain. The name brought most frequently before the public in connection with the party, after the Pretender’s own, is that of Llorens , whose work in the Melilla campaign is referred to in Chapter VII. The Pretender ha

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The Conservative-Monarchist Party

Dato , Sanchez Toca , and Gonzalez Besada are the three leading dissentients from Maura’s policy of reaction, and now stand for the old Conservative-Monarchical programme of peace and conciliation without sensational reforms. Their organ is the Correspondencia de España , an eight-paged paper, well printed and got up, containing the fullest military intelligence and the best foreign news to be found in the Spanish Press. It has a far larger circulation than any other Conservative or Clericalist

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