Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-20
PRESIDENT ARCE A MONEY KING.
he Unblushingly Bought Himself Into
Power and May Use His Private
Fortune TO Preserve 1t.
STORY OF AN ATTEMPT TO KILL HIN
EIin Of the Qlinne Industry Through Competition il
India and Java.


United States, are not without foundation,
may be seen In the fact that all public
mention of the revolutionary movement by
Bolivian telegraph or newspaper has been
vigorously suppressed and that most of the
available troops have been sent from La Paz
to various points of danger. 1t is extremely
difficult to get reliable information from
either side, since it is the Presidents policy
to preserve secrecy, and he has absolute
control of the press and the wires; and also
because the towns are long distances apart,
with comparatively uninhabited stretches
of deserts and mountains between.
1t is authoritatively stated that a large
number of La Paz' most prominent citizens
have secretly left to join the revolutionary
forces, and that more than 1000 volunteers
have already come over from Peru,
where President Arce is particularly un-
popular, owing to his actions during the
late war between Peru and Chill, at which
time he was Bolivia's Minister in the latter
country. 1t is asserted that Peruvians, not
the Government, but private parties, will
supply General Comacho, the revolutionary
leader, with funds and arms to carry on the
war, smuggling both over the border in re-
mote and unguarded places.
CAUSES OF Discomfort.
The Bolivians have several causes for
dissfection, the main one being that in
spite of all protests the President keeps in
his Cabinet a most unpopular jesuit, a
sanctimoniOus, but crafty person who is de-
voted to his crder and therefore likely to
subserve the public interests to its good.
The country, too, feels very sore over the
loss of its small strip of sea-coast which
Chill now claims believing that Arce sold
ii to that Government for value received.
Last week two unoffendIng Americans.
mining engineers named Thompson and
Williams, were assassinated near the Boliv-
ian border by a company of Peruvians on
their way to join the revolutionary army
simply because the Americans refused to
shout Viva Comacho!" when commanded.
The other day Bolivian hardware mer-
chant was put into prison for having sold a
lot OF rifles to unknown parties, presumably
rebels. The schemes of the latter came to
naught in one instance, as follows: The
Government has large amount of arms and
ammunition stored at Oruro where a con-
siderable garrison is maintained. Comacho
wanted these to carry on the war, and his
friends bri0ed the commanding officers to
come over to their side. Among the latter.
however, was a traitor of double dye who,
udNlug dCCtDleU IUe DrlDe ana promised
allegiance to the enemy and listened to all
their plans, went to the President and sold
his information for more money, thereby
causing the arrest and probable execution
Of his fellow officers, and rendering his own
life of little account in the present disturbed
state OF affairs.
MONEY POWER IN POLITICS.
The President has one immense advantage
General Conn oanho for NH H. I'D
ter is poor as a church mouse depending for
funds upon friends nearly as poor as him.
self, Arce possesses a very large fortune.
the monthly dividend from his mines alone
being sufficient to carry on the conflict to its
bitter end, should the public treasury fail
him. Comacho may be best described as a
worn-out politician, whose "day" was long
since supposed to be done in Bolivia; a
chronic revolutionist, who has given the
country more than one scare in time past.
A familiar figure on the streets OF La Pax
is President Area corpulent, dark-eyed,
mlddle-aged gentleman, in plain black suit
and tallsilk hat, always attended by BODY
guard of four or five gold-bedizened SOL
diers. He was not called to the executive
chair by grateful country in acknowledc
ment for services rendered in peace or war.
but be seems to take pride in the fact that
he bought his elevation by the power of
wealth. In his electiOneering speeches he
did not hesitate to say: "This is CAM
palgn of money, and ior money alone. He
who has the most money can paw most for
votes, and will be likely to do most for the
people after his election" And he has
done good deal in the way of expendiug
his private means for public worLs-where
his own interests were also involved; as, for
example, the construction of roads in the
direction of his mines, and in other parts
OF the country where he has property.
AN ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION,
Not long ago young man belonging to one
OF the leading families OF the interior, was
sent TO La PaE for the express purpose of
killing the President. Finding no other op-
portunity for accomplishing his mission. he
obtained an invitation to banquet that was
about to be given at the palace; but before
hand iucauhously wrote to his hackers de-
failing the plan, saying that he should shoot
the President in the course of the evening,
and endeaVor to escape in the confusion that
would ensue.
The letter was intercepted, as suspected
correspondence Is certain to be in this coun-
try. and fell into the hands of the intended
victim. Nothing was said about it, how
ever; the banquet came off according to
programme; the young man, pale but reso-
lutte, was there. revolver in pocket When
the guests were seated around the table.
waiting for the first course to appear. the
President courteously sent silver salver to
the would-be murderer, on which Law his
own open letter. "Now," said Arce in a
cheerful voice, sis you opportunity to assas-
sinate ME. Why don't you begin?'
The young man, quite taken by surprise,
stsmmered some inaudible excuse. "Ah,
you talter," said the President in the same
light tone. This is no place for towards.
You have two hours in which to leave the
country. II you are found at the end of
that time, or any time thereafter while 1 am
at the head Of affairs, you will be shot on
sight"
RUIN OF THE CHINcoNA TRADE.
The production of chiueona bark. or
cascarilla, as it is here called. from which
the aikaloid quinine is extracted. was for
many years Boiivia's most important in
dustrY In the agricultural line; but during
the last iour years it has proved uuprofit.sl
able, owing TO competition in Java and the |
British provinces in Southern Asia, That |
class of individuals known at home as |
Smart Aiecks, are found even in this out |
of-the-way corner of creation. One of these |
is a certain Senor Shucroft. who was a
heavy planter OF cascarilla a few Neare o1o |
prosperous and presumably happy. One
unlucky day the idea struck him OF sending
a quantity OF quina seed to mis- home Gov.
ernment-that OF Holiand-thereby getting
himself into the papers and winning the
gratitude of posterity. In uncalled- for
generosity he sent a very large amount of
seed, with minute directions Tor its treat
ment derived from his own experience. and
the suggestion that experiments be made in
Lawn