PORTUGUESE METHODS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 43, 3 February 1912, Page 4

PORTUGUESE METHODS.

The cable news from Lisbon to-day la nds like a chapter from medieval history. It is hardly possible to credit that such things happen in the twentieth century. Yyt there we have the statement that hundreds of political prisoners are herded in dungeons forty-five feet below ground, and have nothing better to eat than mouldy broad and impure water. Apparently the crimes these people have been guilty of are nothing more than political opposition to the Republic-- in other words, they are Monarchist This Inutal'ty is in itself, enough to show the hollow mockery of the Portuguese rebellion. The Republican leaders were supposed to be fighting for freedom, liberty, justice and a few more things incidental to these revoluucns, but the passage of events since the deposition of King Manuel seems to show that they have instituteci a worse form of fyranny than any which existed under the Monarchy. The Government has shown Its affection for the people by passing a measure to provide for the trial of strikers in batches of 25 without the rigid of preliminary inquiry or appeal. Couple this with the treatment of political prisoners, and we have a sample of what the Portuguese Republican Government is made of. Before now, we expect, the people have begun to realise that in the destruction of the Monarchy they have followed the unprofitable course of jumping from the frying pan into the fire. )