The Dominion. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1910. THE REVOLUTION IN PORTUGAL

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 944, 11 October 1910, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1910. THE REVOLUTION IN PORTUGAL

■ The newspapers received. ; by yesterday's mail show '■ that the revolution,:.inL Portugal had by the, .first week of-. September come to be recognised as an early possibility. The elections had just concluded, and, as the-result of the unprecedented abstention, of the Government from the time-honoured practice", of "working" -the elections,, the Eepublicans; had' gained very substantially. -.-• Although the Government -' profdssed to be satisfied with .the position, -it was rumoured that it might dissolve in order that the King might entrust, the ■■ reins':'of power ,to the : , Clericals pending.' a . new, election/which.) would; be "worked" agamst the Republicans/ , The, Liberalj-and'ltepub-lican ,press,''however, conscious of, the ! 'strength -of?.the.'• Republican,,-gentir mqnt' in • the country, declared that this would me'ah v the--hastening, of: the downfall, of t the already very unpopular 'Monarchy. : Dr/ Costa, the j most..:, popular - : 'of. the .Republican: loaders,- was certain that a,Republic would be established anyhow. "The Portuguese-Republic,'." he-told the' Murido, "will'shortly, be.'an',accom-'| plished; .fact." .What, has surprised .observers-at .this .end. of .the world has. been the completeness ;pf the. sue- ■ cess that has come, to -the .'revolution.: Hatred of;' the/ j could hardly be.'-accepted: as "a sufficient, explanatioh of the readiness;of' the people to get rid of • the-monar-, artogother. The Ropub-' lican . movement .'has ;drawh .'its strength :from 'other sources' this. ''vThe' revolutioh had its' origin in''the'movement of■ labour, against capital,.: and tho reign .of, the late' Caelos.; furnished cans'.with abundant, opportunities to turn the 'growing discontent of; the; proletariat into a sharp /antagonism: to. the - Monarchy, .which-' ' in other countries':than Portugal-is to .by: foolish Socialist loaders as the) mainspring/of ."the: capitalistic sys-. tem-"/ In few C9untries K h6woveri is the proletariat 50... ignorant, .and; thc ; . Socialists and Republicans■: so.' easily, table to push their ideas, as in.-Por-. tugal. The mob believe firmly/that :the Republic, -will bring a: reversal of the;,sqciaTjOrdef,,just.-as .the So- : i ; cialists believe ."fiH'at.':' Socialism, will ;cure all .'the'.ills of society;'. ;. : i,,: ''The'chief interest in the'situation now Hes in thefuturei; of;the . new .Govefnmont, and, if;a'./student; -of, Portuguese affairs' who. writes in the rMomingjPost is ;tp.be believed," thei outlook is not'very pleasant; :In the first place, "Portuguese Republican-, ism-' goes - hand :- in; ' With' Freemasonry, • and for this reason merely, anti-clerical,-but antweligiqus and revolutionary."., :i The': Republican leaders are; of a bad type; They", are fanatically .anti-religious,-and disgustingly bigoted and tyrannical in their treatment of their op- J p.onents/-: The Morning' Post's cqrres-' 'pondent: quotes :as an example ~6f the bigoted that permeates the Repuhlican party the. recent actiotfof the so-called Lib: eral League in.'excommunicating Dr. Cunha/e.Costa, bo cause he' undertook the. defence ,'of a : Monarchist implicated in the robberies at the Predial Bank and; protested against attacks on his;client in, Republican papers ■while the casi "was- sub jtidice.'": In-' - deed,- speaking' generally', We ,are told that "the spirit of hatred and vengeance :■' that, ,'ahimates . many.: of, ; the., :| Republican] "speakers.makes "one r¥ coil." ■ It'.'would be;-.,unsafe: to,, de-, duce from the: lawlessness ,6f- ; , the writings and speeches 'of :the.leaders ah incapacity to 'impose;order,and: discipline upon an' emotional' people. Responsibility: will have its' sobering'effect./ But. they-have taught -the people; how 1 to rebel;, and',they may' in. turn;become' the victims of their', own method. ■ The/ writer whom' we : have been quoting thinks that'under J a Republic the abuses of :the late regime will increase. ;and'< that .'Portugal will resemble' Nicaragua, rather than Switzerland. We...must. leave'•: the future to settle, this': question, but in the meantime .it is interesting to note : that while the " new President has notified the' British .Minister that he will maintain the' friendly relations with Britain, his friends were saying not long ago:" "England governs here politically, and the party is trying to emancipate the nation from this vexatious mortgage."'.