Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-02-12

call it, which gets something out of
every government expenditure. The
government has monopoly of the
rum and tobacco trade. All producers
are compelled to sell these articles to
the government, and the government
sells the tobacco and rum back to the
people at an enormous profit. The
tobacco trade has almost been destroy
ed by this monopoly. Business is de-
pressed by the excessively high taxes
levied on imports. The taxes are out
of all proportion to the size, wealth,
and needs of the country. If affairs
were honestly administered there
would be no necessity for enormous
taxes. The shameful and unwarrant-
ed curtailment of the right of free
speech ard the forcible silencing of
the liberal press are two acts which
the people will never forgive. The
standing army restraints the people
now, but if the government were just
and satisfactory there would be no
standing army, or only very small
one, and the people would be relieved
from the payment of the tax which
the support of the army entails upon
them. The government has a arm
grasp upon power. The deputies APP
point all of the judges, and they select
tools of the president to occupy the
bench. The consequence is that the
courts are corrupt, and a man who
sues or opposes the house of Chamorro
Sc Zavala never gets justice. This
house often persecutes business rivals
and causes their failuere.
''They control the executive, legis-
lative, and judiciary departments of
the government. The army is com
manded by officers of t.eir selection :;
they are almost absolute in the exer-
else OF their authority and wishes. 1t
is this tyranny of wealth that the peo-
pie object to and against which they
vii lrebel. These men are growing
rich at the expense of the people, and
every body ia the country knows it.
The discomfort is increasing, and [
shall not be surprised to open the
newspaper tomorrow and read that a
revolution has been commenced. The
present government can not live.
These men have controlled the gov.
eminent for ten years, and the am CUNT
of discomfort that has accumulated in
that period is enormous had hoped
for quiet revolution at the polls, put
the government has made that i'm
possible"
"How is the proposed treaty regard
ed in Nicaragua"
"Tbe treaty is very popular. The
people would like to see it ratified,
but they hope that the ratification may
be delayed till the present government
is overthrown, because they feel that
it would afford its officers a great OPP
portunity to steal. The route which
the canal would take is through a
salubr1ous country. Our people see
that it would be an advantage to them
to have the canal. Our trade with
this country would be considerably
increased. At present we buy all of
our -four, soap, and machinery here.
Our manufactured articles and sap
plies are purchased from England,
France, and Germany. England has
the bulk of our foreign trade. All of
our cotton cIotn is brought there. We
buy wherever the market is the low
SSb Ii bLlS C61ndl WtIS ORCAEo VIC
would buy more extensively in the
United States, because the cost of
transportation would be little, and
enough would be saved IN that way to
enable us to purchase in The United
States most articles now bought in
Europe. There are no manufactures
ia Nicaragua worth mentioning. The
government does not encourage theH,
neither does it encourage immigration.
Agriculture is not fostered, and the
people complain that they can get no
assistance from the government to aid
them in introducing new implements
and methods. Trade is also restricted
and heavily taxed. If these griev-
ances were removed Nicaragua would
be happy country.