4 ANDREW J. SHIPMAN MEMORIAL 



sists of from five to thirty-nine regidores (supervisors) or con- 

 cejales (aldermen), according to the size of the municipality, 

 and by an Alcalde (mayor) who in large places has one or two 

 Tenientes Alcaldes (vice-mayors). The entire municipal gov- 

 ernment, with power of taxation, is vested in the Ayuntamien- 

 tos. Half of their members are elected every two years, and 

 they in turn elect the Alcalde from their own body. Thus it 

 may be seen that Spain has a pretty fair local self-government, 

 one which would be completely effective were it not that pres- 

 sure is frequently brought to bear upon the local elections 

 by the central government, conditions which are not wholly 

 unknown in the United States. 



Spain is chiefly an agricultural country and has no largely 

 populated cities or industrial centres. The total population 

 in 1900 was 9,087,821 males and 9,530,265 females, making a 

 total of 18.618,086. The estimated population on January i, 

 1909, was 19,712,285. The largest cities in Spain are Madrid 

 and Barcelona ; the former with 539,835, and the latter with 

 533,100 inhabitants. Valencia follows with 213,530, and Se- 

 ville with 168,315. Two other cities, Malaga and Murcia, have 

 over 100,000 inhabitants. It is in the cities of Spain that the 

 modern radical, socialistic, and revolutionary elements are to 

 be found, and not among the great mass of people in the 

 country. 



It is difficult to explain the politics of Spain to the outsider, 

 one may live long in Spain before they are fully grasped. 

 They are somewhat on the group system ; one or two ideas in 

 common for a particular purpose, rather than broad platforms 

 of action such as our great parties use. First of all there is 

 the Conservative party, now out of power and filling the place 

 of the Opposition in the Spanish Parliament. It stands for the 

 old order of things in general, the "make haste slowly" prin- 

 ciple ; its adherents are of various shades of opinion. The 

 majority of them are heart and soul for the present monarchy 

 and for a Constitutional Spain. Others are Carlists and hark 

 back to the older regime : others still want to see no change 

 whatever — they are the "stand-patters" of the party. Others 

 are strong clericals and see in any change an attack upon the 

 vested rights of the Church. This party was in power for eight 

 years and accomplished much — much more proportionately 

 than its successor seems capable of doing. It passed the laws 



