New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-22
THE ARGENTINE REVOLT.
POPULAR UPRISING AT BUENOS AfRES
AGAINST PRESIDENT CELMiN.
Rio de Janeiro, July 81.


the period Of PARTISAN warfare is at an eho III te
Argentine Republic, bat the events OF the Paat
week must now compel us 10 modify that hope
Tho leonard has not yet changed his spots, nor
has the SDanish- American turned his knife into
mining hook The sudden burst OF passion, the
eavaec hand-to,hand struggle in the streets OF the
Argentine metropolis the ruthless destruction OF
propcrty, and the cool negotiations OF terms OF
peace on the almost exclusive OASIS OF one inahs
withdrawal from power, show now strong ana
dominant still are the partisan feelings OF inc
Argentine people II was not contest pe'"eeh
rival proyinces. nor did il spring from any con-
,.stcd nrincinle or measure of government But
IL arose almost exclusively from the passions
aroused by the corruption Unsuitable greed ana
notify intrigucs of one man-thc President OF mat
Republic.
II is not easy 10 outline the causes ana events
Of this sudden revolution at this diSHhce ana
with the mcagre and often contradictory "ic-
graphic details at hand. According to the pest
oh,a;rob'c however. the immediate cause of the
revolt was the duplicity OF President Celmah IN
the matter Of financial reform, which has been
domonded by some Of the most influential men Of
the country and also in that affecting the choice
If his successor. Naturally, the President wants
n successor who will not expose his own corrupt
nroctiees. while the new party of reform want
man who will put an end to corruption
Some months ago. when the price OF gold went
nm IN over 800. the wagc-earners Of the city found
themselves unable to live upon their salaries,
and among day laborers strikes became common
and exceptionally desperate. All thls' however
made no impression whatever on the HoVerhmehu
of President Ccman even hunger and national
discrcdit did not check the selfish schemes OF
mon whose ONLY aim was TO enrlch thcmsriN'S
and their friends at the cost OF the country.
A large number Of the best and most lnnneh'iM
citizens of Buenos Ayres, led by General Nitre'
c.ro,or Del Vale and others then resolved 70
vi. = ponulor protest. and public meeting,
,,o,dod nv fully $4,000 citizens, mostly armed,
IT, is said was held in Buenos Ayres on ApNl lJ
% rive the most forcible expression possible 10
the protest. and to demand a radical change OIL
nolicv on the part OF the Government ror'u-
natcly a collision was avoided, as the AuhlS'fS
resigned collectively the evening before ana as
surances were held out that the PRESIDENT "o"lu
,icld As the director of the Banco Nnconal
had also seen fit 10 resign the retlrlng minister
Of Finance was at once installed In that important
office. and then President Cclman graclousS "o'
coded 10 the popular demand and appointed two
rcformcrs 10 his new Cabinet, one OF them 10
,bc portfolio Of Finance. The immediate effect
~ this change was a rapid decline In the price
Of gold, which plainly showed how intimately
the national credit is connected w!th popular
confidence in the Administration.
One of tbc first and most important results o.
this manifestation was tie organization oil per
mauent citizens committee or asSoclhu"h' uh'''
tLc title of Union Civica, tie purposes oil WHICH
were very similar 10 those OF our popular CON-
mittees' in cities where corruption coihi"iN u''
peoplc 20 act for themselves. Inns c"niihi'"c
took an active part in all subsequent euor'S -
reform public administ ration and was eventually
,be centre Of the conspiracy which LED Ia the III
snrrcction II first procured the RESTORATION ol
General Mitrc 10 his old place in the army, ana
then through the medium Of Senator Del N"lc 1t
SOUGHT 10 expose the financial corruption when
vas rapidlv CARRYING the nation into hopeless o"hN-
ruptcy.
The influence Of the reform element In the gov
crnm,.,t, however, very brief freSiheh'
Celman was not inclined 20 change his purposes
nor 10 submit long 20 the diotation OF me 'h'on
Civica lie warily led his new Minister oil FINANCE
10 believe that he would support certain meas
rre- and then when the hour arrived for carrying
il into effect he went back on 1t 50 promptly tha'
the Minister had no other recourse left but rcSig-
nation. and he had barely left his Office whch we
pr,sdcn, appointed Senior J. A. Garcia 10 the po-
eiflOu. who, ~ pitSluful VI p'i' W ''''
issuing banks, represented the most dangerous
financial ideas of the day. This, Of course, de-
teatnd all cxpectations OF immediate reform, ana
,bc price Of gold again went up.
Tho contest WAS then transferred 20 the Cham
her Of Congress, where Senator Del vale startied
the country by exposing an Illegal issue OF some
49,. 900 900 Of paper currency from various hanNs
| principally from the Bank of Cordoba, located IN
Cclman's native city. which had been made with
| the knowledge and connivance Of thcHovetnnent'
Driven 10 bay, the Government then had tine
hardihood 70 asl, Congress 10 legaze the ira'du-
| lent issue and So we'll were the two Chambers
| under the Presidents control that TINS measure
| would have been passed almost without debate
had it not been for the eoqucncc OF the opposition
and the vigorous dcnuncation Of two Of tie lead
| ing newspapers Of the city. The distress caused
by tie enormously enhanced cost of living, the re-
,tric,ion Of business the inability 10 borrow more
money, and the insensbity Of those who had
brought tie country 10 50 low ebb, all con-
| spjrcd In arouse an an;agonism 10 the Government
which long since Threatened 10 end in violence.
Then came the political agitation preliminary
| 10 The. nomination of President Cclmans successor
Much Of this, OF course, can have no interest NE
yond the boundaries of the country II Is charged
| however that President Celman had broken his
word by secretly intriguing in favor of one OF the
candidates after all the Official candidates had
| Withdrawn their names and had promised not To
use official influences 10 secure the nomination.
one of these candidates Is Celman's brother Mar
Gus Jua:cz another is his brother-ln-law General
Roca ex-Prcsdcntl, and another his Nicc-Prcsldcnt
Senor Pclcgrnn All Of these men are obJcction-
able 10 the members of the lniSn Civlca, be-
cause they not likely to carry ont the reforms
desired As the Government had recently in
| ~ In daft nc ION
in elections held in the Provinces of Entire Rios
the Union Civica had good reason 10 fear the
intrigucS and interference Of President Ccman in
the approaching national elections. As his word
could not be relied upon, and as his intrigucs were
,rclI Lnn..ll the only ncans IN scclIc LGtlnr