New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-24

hotels with bedrooms, dining-room ana Da'"s
on the ground floor, and several open courts III
the interior, planted with choice ho"eiS anu
kept cool and spotlcssy neat. HOW charming
is the retirement of these fragrant pauos aI'er
the cattlc-shed posadas of the mountain How
wholesome and refreshing are the dinners al'er
those inscrutable mysteries-the chicken sopas OF
the post-houscs. How clean ana inviting Is uhe
bed-lincn after the dog-mats of Punta Las Vacas'
One may revel here in thoughts oil mlserlcs eS-
capped at Mendoza, of mercenary guides bafed IN
their attempted exacti0hs, and of eXhilarating
experiences and sublime spectacles stored IN the
memory TO remain a delight forever. The town is
the usual Spanish board with the four CEN
trail squares reserved for the plaza the brass band
the church and the hotels, and there IS little TO
see in the lanes crossing one announcer al r9ht
angles; but how glorious is NE vista OF the
Andes and the maritime ranges Acencagua
with its triple peaks piercing the clouds is seen
once more, tranquil and rcstful now in It's shape
" beauty and no longer awe-inspring in its
stupendous power and sublime majesty. The
frowning ravines where the Colorado flows from
IFS riven side can be dsccrned. and the APP
breaches 10 the Guardla, the startlng-polnt for
the Journey eastward. are easily recognized.
Mountains are cncampcd on every side about this
Andean outpost exchanging their signals and
countcrsgns during the watches of the night
and marshalng their battalions for early in
spcction at dawn.
The dav following my mountain ride was Sun
day. and as strolled through the plaza in the
forenoon. | found it filled with back-heoded and
black-gowned women their way TO church.
In Chill custom requires women to go to mass
dressed without ostentaton and with severe
simplicity in plain black. There are no seals in
the churches and nearly all worshippcrs take
rnrs or bags of carpet. or at least large silk hand
kerchicfs on which to kncel and sit during the
hour Of service. Attracted by the novel sight Of
hundreds of women in black entered the church,
which was already crowded with dense throng
of worshippcrs. The black costumes masSed IN
the nave and asles intensified the Spectacular
effect of a lavish display of altar-ligh's. An
eloquent priest with fine face and an earnest
impressive manner. preached from the pulpit his
mclodious voice with a note of warning in il
filling the church like trumpet The Roman
faith is found at its best in Chill, where the
closest approach has been made 10 a separation Of
Church and State and where absolute religious
tolerance is practiscd. The clergy still receive
stpcnds ont of the State funds, but the appro-
priations for this purpose have gradually been
reduced and il is generally conceded that com
plete disestablishmcnt Of the Church cannot be
deferred many years. Civil marriage alone Is
recognized by law as valid. In orddV 10 be legally
married man and woman must appear before the
Register. When they leave his presence they are
husband and wife If they then choose - have
a religious service in a Roman Catholic Church
or in a Protestant chapel they are at liberty 10
do So The enactment of the Civil Marriage law
was hcrccly but unsuccessfully resisted nv the
Clerical party. In like manner the Burials Act,
IDr..fn .v.n
Roman Catholics. was passed in the face Of
fanatical opposition. Subsequently attempts
were made in Santiago and elsewhere 10 remove
bodies from what was considered desecrafcd
ground and to bury them in churches. but the
authorities promptly suppressed this practice.
Protcstan ism is protected by law and has clear
field. Presbyterian churches have been C,fab-
lished in Valparaiso. Santiago and Conception.
the late Rev DR.. Trumbull having been pioneer
in the work. The American Mcthodists entering
the field at more recent date. have done an in,-
portant work, opening chapcs and schools in
lquique Copiapo and Conception. and college
in Santiago.
In the political ycar-bools much attention is
paid TO the constitutions Of tie South American
states The various points Of analogy 10 or d-
vcrgcnce from the fundamental republican char
ter adopted by the thirteen Colonies 40 The close
If the last century are enlarged upon sometimes
with lucidity, and then again unintcllisihly. Not
one Of these manuals has word 10 say about gov
eminent by brass band. which is the charac'cris-
tic political institution Of Spanish America. The
constitutions in these countries are rough copies,
more or less faithful. Of that Of the United States
These are the outward forms which impress the
political student favorablv when he turns tie
pages Of the year-bookS The practical observer
10 f.frfD
that tie inward spiritual grace of enlightened
self-govcrnmcnt is lacking; that pubic opinion
is not brought 10 bear upon state affairs; that
powerful families, military dictators and domi-
nccrng 0ligarchics usurp the supreme functions Of
democracy and that Chief Executives while pro-
hibited from serving a second term, either per
pctuatc their own power or promote the fortunes
Of ruling families hy virtually nominating their
own SUCCESSORS and then having their decision
officially registered by legislature or AN electoral
college. as the case may be The political cabals
govern. and the people kept IN good humor
and constantly amused. This is where the brass
band comes in. 1t is political government Ic-
| duccd to a system Of TREMENDOUS simplicity.
| In the leading Argentine towns through which
| | have passed in cr0ssing the continent brass
| bands play in the plazas every evening Al No-
sario Coydova and Mendoza there were orcn-air
| concerts attended 10y thousands OF sann;eIcrs +;
and my first evening in Gillian Santa Rosa was
spent in the plaza fronting the hoici. where q
| lively band of perhaps twenty pieces rt'led on
| Strauss waltzcs and sEatchcs from ffcnch opera.
| am told that there is hardly a landine-place on
| the dcsoatr. rancss coast of Chill where band
| IS not employed nightly in entertaining the public.
| Mr.. Mulhall, when | was in Bucnos Avrcs pub
| llshcd in his journal comparative c\hlbt Of TIE
| expenditures for brass bands and schools IN the
| interior provinces Of the Argentine. In San Luz,
| the drcary adobe capital Of n province east OF
Mendoza. brass bands cost as much rs schools, and
| in Kioia further north. three and half times Hs
| much. Even in provinces where the Governors
are paid the smallest salaries, there j. always an
elastic margin in the annual budgets for appro-
priations for brass bands In the hourishine
province OF Santa Fc. where most of the aeii-
cultural colonies are planted, and where there is
| nr0rut need of education. brass bands cost one