The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-28
AFFAIRS IN BRAZIL,
Concerning Freedom of the Press-Con-
spiracy Against the Government.

Concerning Freedom of the Press-Con-
spiracy Against the Government.
Rio JANEIRo, March 31.-The government
has at last taken official notice of the many
false reports and alarming rumors which
have been frequently circulated, and Mar
shal Fonseca has issued lengthy decree
regarding these reports, which, he says, are
highly injurious to the foreign credit of
Brazil, besides being intended to cause
alarm and panic at home. The decree de-
clares that all persons who originate or aid
in circulating such reports shall be subject
to the decree of December %, last. which
provides that they shall considered guilty.
of military sedition. From this provision
is excluded written or verbal criticism of
the governments acts for the purpose of ex-
posing, correcting and preventing admins
tratlve errors, provided it be free from
personalities and defamation. When the
decree of December 23d was issued the
editor of Tribuna, the liberal organ of the
last monarchisl ministry, discontinued pub
lication of the paper, alleging that the de-
cree was destructive of the freedom of the
press.
Other papers, already guarded in tone,
become more SO and the discussion of polit-
ical matters was almost exclusively confined
to privrte circles, In these, however, it be-
came more and more lively and all sorts of
reports were kept in circulation, causing no
little annoyance to ministers and friends.
Then there arose feeling favorable to the
freedom of the press and shortly after two
members of the ministry gave open express
February the official paper published
the declaration of the provisional
government that the decree of De-
cember 2Sd was not intended to
restrict the liberty Of the press. Since then
the tone OF the press has become much
bolder and some very violent articles
against the government have been published.
Rumors of all kinds have continued to cir
circulate and some of them have found their
way into the press.
DIR. Pedro Tavores, editor of the paper at
Campos, was arrested yesterday for publish
ing an article against the government, but
was afterwards released. Tavores ia an
original republican. When the republic
was first proclaimed he was appointed GOV
ernor of Maranhoa, but resigned shortly
after because the government annulled his
decree separating church and state, and
then established an opposition paper. One
notable article. published in q San Paula
paper, by Ex-Minister of the Interior Lobo.
says in part: 'Let them say what they
please, there must exist, enveloped in a
cloud of mystery which the provisional
government has not been able to penetrate,
oA cAeAucAt tEdt Is COAspAIluS against our
present institutions and against the future
of the republic
There is something singular in the re-
ports, which, from time to time, spring |
into circulation and which are becoming
more and more frequent. They originate
in distant points and |
spread over the country as if conveyed by a |
network of wires. The celebrated and la
mented lnsurrection of the soldiers was |
previously announced at different places. |
The provisional government could perceive |
that some hidden hand was touching the |
springs of plot against it, but this hand it |
was never able to discern.