Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-05
The Seal of Approval Set Upon the
Overthrow of Dom Pedro
BY AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY.
Results of the First Brazilian Elections
Under Da Fonseca.
PRINCIPLES OF THE THREE PARTIES.
Bitter War Against the Clergy Outlined and Already
Begun.
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DISPATCH. I


Brazilian Republic. Disturbing elements
had been at work for some time to make the
day turbulent one in this part of the
country, but the military and police forces
were all under arms and ready for moments
notice. As a consequence, election day in
Para was one of the quietest days the city
has ever seen, and passed without single
incident of disagreeable nature.
Returns Of the election will not be very
full for week yet, but the large cities as
far as heard from, have all gone strongly in
favor OF the Government-that is, the Re-
publican party has polled very large
majority over all others. In this city, they
cast more than two-thirds OF the whole num-
ber of votes.
I've not been in Brazil long enough to
vote, but being desirous of learning some
thing as to how it should be done, ap-
pealed to my instructor in Portuguese, Mr..
Justus n. Nelson, who has lived here ten
years, as an American citizen and teacher
in public schools, as well as in private
homes. where he gets the ear of the most
intelligent class. L asked him as to the
issues in this election.
THE REPUBLICS BIRTH.
"Well, Major" he replied, "The fact is
that yesterday was the birthday of the Re-
public OF Brazil. Most people think of our
Republic as already 10 months old; but it
did not break its she'll and get its first peep
until the election. 1t was no bad egg
however. We have had the finest specimen
of military dictatorship that the world
ever saw, perhaps, not even excepting
Oliver CromwelPs, but this election is the
first one under the new regime, and conse-
quently the first opportunity the people
have had to say anything about how the
Brazilian Republic should be governed, ex-
cept as they have expressed their ideas by
their contented and hopeful silence"
"Do you think that the people have really
been contented with the Dictatorship"
"As 80 per cent of the people are unable
to read or write, and as large part of the
other 10 per cent do very little reading,
public opinion groups around certain lead
ers, and is more personal question than q
question of principle or polity. But evil
IDENTIFY
THE GREAT MAJORITY
have been contented with it, because spirit
of republicanism is in the air, and the Pro-
visional Government has, from the very
first, promised to lnaugurate republican
form OF government at the very earliest mo-
ment practicable. That pledge was con-
tanned In the promise to call a Constitution
al Assembly. for the purpose of giving a
Constitution to the nation. Yesterday the
members OF that assembly were elected.
General Deodoro da Fonseca, the Dictator,
has faithfully kept his word with the Bra
lillian nation" =.
"But is there no movement for the resto-
ration of the monarchy? no Monsrchist
party?"
"None whatever, Probably not one man
in twenty in Brazil would wish to see the
monarchy restored"
"But when the people stood and looked
on SO quietly, when the change was made
from the monarchy to the Republic. how do
you know that a small group oil monarchists
occasion, with just as quiet an acquiescence
on the part of the people?"
THE FUTURE IS CERTAIN.
"Well. 1 am not sure that the world may
not come to an end: but don't expect it will
from any indications see. To me there are
many indications that this embryo Republic
isn't going to die in the near iuture. Ten
months ago. when the Republic was pro-
claimed, it was already in the air, and every
body expected it would come, though not
quite so soon. During these ten months the
average Brazilian has talked and thought
more about a republican form OF govern
ment than he ever thought about monarchy
in all his life before
Nothing less than treason on the part of
the men at the head of affairs could persuade
the average Brazilian that the Republic is
not good thing. As a rule, General Fon-
SEGA has gathered about him superior class
of men, not only in his Cabinet, but also in
his appointments OF Governments of the diff
erent States. Here in Para, for example,
we have the cleanest government, with one
or two brief exceptions, perhaps, that Para
has seen in the last ten years. The men
who have come to the front and are in charge
of affairs in the new Republic, are the prin-
cipal guarantee we yet have OF its safe fu-
ture."
"what political parties figure in the cleo
tion?'
THE THREE PARTIES.
"There is great deal of random politics
ahoat; but there are three parties more or
ess organized. The Republican party, the
forerunner of the revolution of ten months
ago, has been filled up with recruits from
both the old parties liberals aud Conserva-
tives) until it is by lar the most numerous
OF all and the best organized.
"The Catholic party has but recently been
organized, and has not vet got into working
order. 1t would more properly be termed
the clerical party, as it is organized for
the declared purpose of contesting and re-
gaining the losses which the clergy have
sustained in the separation of Church and
State, and of contesting also the other re-
forms projected by the Provisional Govern
ment. In most of the States the clerical
party is still so weak that the leaders put no
ticket up, and advise their lew members to
abstain from voting at this election.
THE GoT-LEFT PARTY.
''There is another party, somewhat numer-
ous and composed of the soreheads and
malcontents who failed to get in at the
new distribution of public favor under the
Republic. In Para they call themselves
the Democratic Republican Party In
the State of Bahia, they have taken the
name of the National Party They are
the bushwaekers in the fight whose only
programme seems to be to torment and
harass the party in power as much as pos
sible by means OF all the dirty tricks that
only dark and crafty politicians know.
"The only real issue In the party politics
of this campaign was that between the
Catholic party and the Provisional Govern
ment The former party seeks to reunite
Church and State, and reinstate the clergy
in their former monopolies OF marriage,
burial, etc. They sigh for the good old
times when under the monarchy the
priest was lord of the land, and would hail
with JOY the restoration OF the monarchy, If
that were possible, only so the recent re-
forms might be undone. This hostile atti-
tude on the part of the clergy, with the
foreign allegiance to Rome underlying it,
is one of the reasons whv the clergy were