Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-17
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE p1srArcH.l

SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE pIsPATcH.l
NEW YORK, August 16.-Information re-
ceived to-day from San Jose. Costa Rica,
dated august 4, is as follows: The Presi-
dental campaign goes on with many anus
ing features. To-day being the first Sun
day of the month, was the day for the regu-
lar military roll call; that is, the roll call of
the reserve force of young men from the
country, all of which, in case of necessity,
are subject to military duty. Early in the
morning, however, large political pro-
cession came marching into the city to have
a demonstration in favor OF Rodriguez, the
Conservative candidate for the Presidency.
This procession of countrymen. all attired
in their best dark Sunday clothing, and
wearing alike the finest white Panama hats,
presented decorous and orderly appearance
asit passed in front of the cathedral and
turned the corner Of the square where the
new Quartet (or barracks) stands. Then,
all of a sudden, those in the foremost ranks
MADE A SUDDEN DASH
to enter the Quartet main door. They were
instantly repulsed by the soldiers, and al
most simultaneously with this act a platoon
of police appeared through side street and
charged upon the crowd with drawn swords
1t seemed as if trouble had been antici-
pated, and the police had been held in read
mess. The Rodriguez crowd, who were all
unarmed, took to their heels and made off
like lot of galIoping colts. A curious
phase was the humorous view with which
they seemed to regard the police and their
swords Nearly every one was laughing.
Only one or two-these obviously affected by
liberal draughts of aguardiante imbibed
before beginning the march-were disposed
to wrangle and cry, 'Muere, the other can
didate.
One man had his hand badly cut, another
lost his ear, eight were conveyed to the car
eel (prison). including gentleman related
to someone high in authority.
ALL SORTS OF STORIES
foated about. Some said that Rodriguez
had been dealing out money in q princely
wav, and that his house was stacked with
arms which he had bought and stored up
for such an emergency. Others appre-
hended the crowd getting hold of blasting
powder belonging to the railroad company.
Others pooh-hoohed all this, and said it was
only the Rodriguez men hurrahing for their
candidate, as they had a perfect right to.
Others still declared it high-handed work
to cut off mems ears because they did not
agree with you in politics.
Acting President Esquind was off in
Alajuela, attending municipal junta, and
calmly unconscious of it all. Candidate
Rodriguez was surrounded by a few of his
staunchest friends, discussing the situation.
The President of Costa Rica receives $1S,-
600 salary, Sc, 900 extra for state outlay, and
the Government bears certain of his house.
hold expenses. 1t is
A PRETTY GOOD OFFICE,
without question. The real issue, it would
seem, of the present contest is the question
of the school system. Rodriguez, it is said,
has pledged himself to place the Bishop of
Costa Rica at the head of all the schools.
This is a serious matter. 1t would be ut
terly unjust to consider Bishop Thiel as the
personifcation of bigotry. He is, on the
contrary, a man of remarkable breadth and
scholarly attainmeuts. Costa Rica is in
debted to him for literary work that could
hardly have been done BY any one else; as,
for example, his encyclopedia of Indian
languages, previous to the preparation of
which he visited almost Impenetrable settle
ments in Talamanca and other almost
wholly unexplored sections, and with great
difficulty succeeded in gaining the conf
dence OF the Indians and learning their Ian
guages.
SHOULDN'T BE DISTURBED.
lBut on the other hand, the present school
system of Costa Rica, which is a marvel of
excellence In organiZat ton and a constant
pride and honor to the country, should not
be disturbed. Don Mauro Fernandez, to
whom is due the credit of this perfect Or
ganization, is pre-eminently the man to con-
troll educational matters Dispassionate and
preiudiced minds regard the possibility of
Don Mauro Fernandez ceasing to be at the
head of educational matters as a yeritable
catastrophe. "The Bishop" they saw, "has
enough to do with all the churches and
church matters"
The Central American Union is again
talked OF as something more than probable
The tangle between Costa Rica and Nicara-
qua at the present moment, in the matter of
canal, limits, territory, etc., would be effect
ually and
SIMULTANEOUSLY SETTLED.
People who should know say that it was
a mission closely connected with the posi-
bic immediate union that took Don Tobias
Zuniga, Costa Rica's Minister of Public
Works, to Guatemala by the last steamer.
Ii the union be effected Guatemala will
insist upon having the Capital, and Costa
Rica, it it comedies that much, will not be
satisfied unless permitted to supply the
President. General Don Bernardo Soto is
talked of as the man. Don Mauro Fernan-
dez, WHO is decidedly one OF the ablest men
In Spanish America, would also have
large support. Don Ricardo Jimenez, who
was President of the Central American
Congress, held few months ago, has a GER
tain popularity among the Conservatives,
no less than among the Liberals. He is the
son OF Don Jesus Jimenez, who was Presi- |
dent of Costa Rica in 1868-1S72.
BUT TWO HONEST ONES.
Ex-President Jimenez is said to be one of |
the two only strictly honest Presidents |
that is, the two who went out OF office as |
poor as they went into it. The other one is |
DR.. Jose Maria Castro, whose daughter is |
the wife of Mr.. Keith, the great railroad |
man of the country
As TO the fixing of the capital, should the |
union be effected, it will be a thousand |
pities if it is not placed in Costa Rica in
stead OF Guatemala. Anyone who knows
both these divisions and can compare them
impartially, would say so. Guatemala,
with double the territory and four times the |
population, is out of the world in compari-
son. Opposed to foreigners and foreign
enterprises, jealous of the slightest inter
ference, backward in thought and march. il
more closely resembles certain portions of
Mexico. Its northern neighbor, Costa Rica.
easy of access by both the Atlantic and |
Pacific coasts, in close communication with
the United States, Europe and South Amer
ica, is constantly advancing. To remove
the seat of Government several hundred
miles TO the north west, to a section far less
would be unwisdom for all con-
cerned.
Reducing Lumber Freight.
OTTAWA ONT August 16-The Cana