A Spanish Patriot To Americans

The most eminent man in Spain today is Castelar, who is known throughout the world as the leader of the Spanish Republicans and as a patriotic statesman in sympathy with modern political ideáis in a land where the ontworn political systems of the past still hold sway. Castelar is a broad minded citizen of the world, who looks with pity upon the petty devices which the nations in vent to "protect" themselves f rom others. The economie wars which the nations are waging against each other under the name of "protection" are to him but maniiestations of hnman hate and folly. aud as obstacles in the way of human freedom and progress. Castelar is one of the greatest orators of the time, and he is also a brilliant and vigorous writer. He has recently written a strikiig article upon this international warfare in trade which was published in The New York Herald. In this article he notes with regret that America, the land of his politjcal ideáis, should have committed herself to a scheme of ultra protection. He finds fchat our protection is "opposed to the interests of humanity, whose development should be the aim of all free and cultured people. " Castelar has a very positivo opinión of our McKinleyism. He says: "But archseological contradictíons must di8appear, and the canse of human progress imperatively requires natíons to urge on universal exchange, free fcrade, just as cosmic heat compels sidereai motion. Having in every sense of the word outgrown the age when competítion could be fatal to it, as well as the period of economie contradictions, the aew world fights against its own providential destiny and betrays its office by aggravating, as it is now doing, its protectionist ta:Uï, converted by measures which are simply odious into desolating prohibition." His concluding words are earnest and eloqnent: "Nations, lüe individuals, in proportion as they mount toward the highest Bummits of illustrious renown, assume an increased responsibility. The nation within whose frontiers reign peace, liberty, democrrvcy, republicanism, progress and labor must not, beyond those frontiers, represent reaction, race enmity and the retrogTadatdon of humanity. The people who have chained the tempest and subjected the lightoing, who have ötted our vessels with the steam engines which enable them to override ali waves and to brave all winds, who have given to speech the speed of lightning, who have created the power of transmitting the human voice over the whole surface of the earth by means of the miraculous telephone, who by the aid of the magie strands of the telegraphic cable hidden in the depths of the ocean have joined the most difitant lands, who have given the human race the benefit of the electric light, are compelled to forward the cause of universal progress by the adoptíon of free labor and free exchange."