The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-03

the Gillian, or under our constitution
the powers of the executive arc limited Il
those expressly conferred in him, Con
gfess. exercising a constitutional preroga
tive, de?osod the president and called upoi
the people to put down the usurper. III,
fight was fairly begun. Leading men o
every class responded to the congresslona
call. The officers and men OF the navy of
fered their services. The cry was almoaI
universal to put down the tyrant.
How. IL may be asked, wa8 Balmaceds
able to stand against such u tidep The
answer is not far to seek. From the day
he proro9ued parliament, Dot. 3, 1890, h.
had been busy preparing for his coup d'etat
He everywhere increased tho force OF police
and placed at their head men on whom he
could depend. The officers OF the army hs
won to his support by threats and brides
The men gave him no concern, for the Chill
ian soldier is a man of the denssst ignorance
having no higher motive than british ODE
to bribs the men. Balmaceda had reokoned
on this. He had counted, also, on the
cupidity of the rich citizens and their I'M
Willingness to risk their fortunes in q revolt
against the ostensible head of the govern
ment. He had expected that the congress,
after an unayailing protest, would yield to
him. In a word, being himself n purely
mercenary scoundrel, he did not count on
the existence i'll Chill of such a sediment as
patriotism.
Balmaceda realized his mistake when the
navy declared against him. Thereupon he
issued q decree suspending all laws and as
Stunning all public authority. He arrested
without warrant and subjected to the gross
est cruelty all who ventured to oppose him..
The supreme court declared his imprison-
ments illegal, and he closed all the courts.
THE property of members of congress
and leading citizens was pillaged and de-
stroyed. Judges, senators and representa-
tlves were imprisoned; ladies and gentle
men were subjected to %indignity." These
are the words of Mr.. Irumbull. They are
confirmed in Il leader published at this
time by the London Times, in which the fol
lowing occurs: He [Balmacedal shrunk
from no severity and no brutality in deal
ing with the upholders of constitutional
rights. There is a body of evidence to
show that, whatever may be the constitu-
tional aspects of the quarrel, it has been
fought on Balmaceda's part with abso-
cruelty"
While these atrocities were attheir height
Ballnaceda ordered an election to replace
the congress which he declared to bs no
longer i'll existence and to reform the JON
stitution.' A popular election in a coun-
CHASTITY farce. 1t amounted in this case to
the election" and installation of men des-
ignated by Balmaceda. This precious
body's first performance was to legalize the
criminal acts of their master, the dictator,
an act which. as Mr.. Trumbull observes,
was "a virtual admission Of their illegal
ity." The alleged congress then proceeded
to confer these tritiing powers on it's mas
ter:
That of arresting. transporting n ban
ishing persons; that of extending the pub
lie revenue without being subject to esti-
mates; that of declaring the. territory of the
republic in q state of siege; that of sus-
~r 1rot{p,r tho rtrhf of ~, onfir ~
and the liberty of the press"
On this delectable platform of principles
has waged his fight. He en-
joyed an advantage from the start, but the
congressional party has grown in strength
and it will surprise few and dlsplease still
less If they do not prevail in the near fu-
ture. Mr.. Irumbull makes this statement
of its present strength:
"Although struggling under great disad-
yantages, the party of congress now holds
the territory extending from the northern
boundary OF Chill to the twenty-ninth de-
gree of south latitude. This territory COM
prlses the four richest provinces, constitut-
ing one-half of the territory of the republic
and yielding two-thirds of the yearly reve-
nue.. There is a regularly established gov
srnment In the form OF a junta composed of
Don Waldo Silva, vice-president of the
Don r. Barros Luco, president of the
chamber of deputies, and Don j. Mont. COM
VI buo navy. Lille JuHtd AHS been
organized sincel last April and has a regular
From a military point of view the
congressional government is certainly as
strong as that of Balmaceda. 1t was a we'll
disciplined army and a navy that is vastly |
to that of the dictator. Through |
out the territory governed by congress
there is peace and tranquility; the courts
Of law suppressed by order of the dictator
have been reinstated and every citizen en-
Joys this fullest liberty"
That such a party should claim recogni-
tion from the nations of the earth seems |
far more reasonable than that their claims
should be ignored.