Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-02-12
GOVERNED BY A BANK.
HOW President Cardenas and His
Business Partners Dominate Near
agua-Dx-Mayor AryueIlo. of Gram
rda. a Political Exile. Tells of His
COuHtry.s WRONGS.

agua-Dx-Mayor AryueIlo. of Gram
rda. a Political Exile. Tells of His
Country's Wrongs.
Senior Alexandra Arguello, ex-
mayor Of Granada, ex-membcr of the
Nicaragua house of deputies, and now
a political exile from his native
republic, has for two years past been
an object of interest at the Continen-
tai hotel, says The Philadelphia Press.
The stranger has full, brilliant black
eyes, a swarthy complexion, and a
graceful address. He belongs to an
ancient bidalgo family, and was
educated in Paris. He is wealthy,
and has long occupied a conspicuous
place IN Nicaraguan politics.
When seen by the Press reporter
Senior Arguello willingly assented to
discuss the affairs of his country.
''The government of Nicaragua, said
he, speaking with a marked Spanish
acccrt, sis nominally a republic, but,
as a matter of fact, the power is held
and welded by business house con-
sisting of four men. Chamorro &
Zavala is the style of the firm. The
president of the country, DR.. Car
denas, is member Of the firm, and
Zavala, recently IN this
country, is another. The firm is COM
posed of the four wealthiest men in
Central America. They have bank
ing house and control a large foreign
trade. For several years they have
been acquiring political power. They
elected DR.. Dardenas president, and
have made a stool of him, but In the
ha2ads of his partners he is like wax.
They mold him to suit themselves.
He has filed ali of the Offices with his
business and political favorites, and
by the practice of the most outrageous
despOtic measures at the election ia
October last he has secured a majority
of the deputies or representatives.
The men whom he elected are servile
followers of his, who never question
his. commands, but hasten blindly to
execute them. He draws up appro-
priation bills, and they pass them
without debate, and the press, sub
sid1zed by the money of his partners
praise them for their rapid and
harmonious action. The Independent
press has been siIenced and its editors
are exiles.
..'There is no freedom of speech nor
of the press in Nicaragua, though the
constitution guarantees both. The
president scorns the law and ignores
the constitution. He was elected by
the conservative party, but his admin
istration has been so violent and cor
rupt that his own party has deserted
him and now joins forces with the
liberals to compass his overthrow.
The whole country is shaking with
indignation. We have never had a
more unpopular administration. The
people, with the exception of the army
and persons interested in the profits
and success of the presidents business
firm, are united in their hostility to
the government. Party lines have
disappeared. It is anything to over
throw the president and his ring, who
are robbing the people and filling
their pockets from the public Golfers,
eff there is so much dissatisfaction
with the government, how did it sue
coed ia carrying the elections last Oc
tober?"
''By fraud and an appeal to arms.
The standing army of ten thousand
men was employed at the polls. Hun
dreds of citizens who came to vote
were driven from the polls, and many
were shot. Lenor Lacyo, a merchant
well known IN the country, was pain
fully wounded. In September, thirty
five men who the president feared
would be powerful enough to cause
the defeat of his candidates were ar
rested and banished. I was exiled at
that time. Henry Guzman, son of
the man whom we might call the
father of the republic, is one of my
fellow exiles. We were sent from the
country by decree of the president,
who charged us with being conspira-
tors. Our term of Punishment is in
definite. We do not expect to be
recalled till the present government is
overthrown. Cardemas was elected
for four years, and his term Of Office
will not expire until 1887. His official
career will terminate before that time,
however"
"You mean"
SPY revolution.
"Will the people resort to force?"
Eyes, if they cannot overthrow this
hateful government in any other way
and I do not see that they can. There
would have been revolution before
this time if the army had not been SO
and vigilant. Y on cannot form
even a faint conception of the state of
feeling in Nicaragua. The country
is in 9 ferment. Wealthy and dis
people who have never
mingled in politics are lifting their
voices in opposition to the govern
ment, and demanding its overthrow.
Guzman, and other old
leaders have emerged from their re
tirement TO assail the government.
They will be banished. The press,
controlled by the government, is
daily demanding the Punishment of
all prominent men who are opposed |
to having the people robbed. The on
~ reason that more men are not exil- |
ed is because the government is afraid
to send any more of them away at