The record-union., 1891-03-15

ing-stock for the world by again chang
ing his Cabinet; and further, that if he
acceded to that unjust requirement, there
was no knowing what the next demand
might be- and he might just as well let go
the reins of Government at once.
Congress was importuned by numer-
GUS petitions, but doggedly maintained
its attitude, judging rightly that Balma-
ceda would finally yield to their terms,
rather than ruin the country-though one
day hungry rabble collected around the
Chamber and gave some of the Deputies
as they emerged well-deserved beating.
Then strikes and incipient revolutions
sprang up all over the country, mostly
carried on by workmen whose families
suffered most from the non-passage of
the appropriation. The roustabouts,
launch-men, freight-haulers, seamen and
other irresponsible men who had nothing
to lose, paraded the streets of Valparaiso
and other ports in drunken bands, sing
ing and bowling like demons, throwing
stones at unshuttered windows, firing
shots right and left without any particu-
lar target, occasionally cutting shop or
store and threatening to pillage every
house and burn it over the heads of the
terrified people. Valparaiso is mostly
wooden city, with long, narrow streets,
occupying cramped space between the
hills and the sea, and would burn like
tinder, and nothing but the prompt ar
rival OF government troops prevented it
from being served in the riots of last July
as Iquique was six months later. At last,
to save further bloodshed, the President
yielded the point and changed his Cabi-
net third time.
But, as he had foreseen, the opposition
party were not satisfied, and became more
pronounced in their hostility toward the
Government, until at length, hoping to
better their condition, portion of the
unpaid army and navy went over to their
side, with the disastrous results of which
the telegraphs have told you. In the late
purposeless but sanguinary conflicts sew
eraI thousand men have been killed, a
host of children orphaned, and millions
Of dollars worth OF property destroyed ;
there have been business failures innu-
merable, and Chile has lost more than she
can regain in fifty years of prosperity
all for no good reason except that the
spirit Of revolution is in the Spanish
blood, and, like murder, Twill out"
President Jose Manuel Balmaceda was
lnaugurated on September Is, 1856, for the
constitutional term of five years, and
consequently his time has nearly ex-
pired. Previous to the election he had not
figured much in politics, but was quiet,
well-to-do citizen of the wealthiest and
most aristocratic capital of Spanish Amer
lea. The questionable greatness" was
not particularly Of his own seeking, but
was in Il measure thrust upon him."
His private fortune has been completely
wrecked in this disastrous five years, and
he will retire from office poor man. with
fewer friends than when he went into it.
Chile boasts that within her patriotic
borders there are no peculations in high
places. and loves to point to the case of
former President who was immensely
wealthy in private life, but through some
unfortunate speculation lost all his for
tune while in office, and being too honest
to help himself from the public funds
as he might easily have done in hun
dred ways undetected-gave up his splen-
did casa and horses and carriages, and at
the close OF the term retired to cheap
little rented house in the suburbs, where
he still lives
President Balmaceda is not yet 40 years
old-a tall, handsome, well-educatedm man,
who has travelled good deal and speaks
some English, but not enough to carry
on an easy conversation. His family
consists of wife and several pretty chill
dren, among the latter being three nearly
grown daughters, who had already begun
to pose as bellies before their flight. It is
not known to a certainty where they are
gone; some say to Europe, and others as
sert with equal confidence that they were
sent over the mountains to the Argentine
Republic: At any rate, the President has
succeeded in spiriting them away to some
place of greater security, while he re-
mains to face the storm, in hourly danger
OF threatened assassination. What q sad
parting that must have been between the
harassed father and his gentle wife and
daughtersl Mrs. Balmaceda is spoken
OF by all as the most womanly of women,
a devoted mother and a model home
keeper. |
Meanwhile, life in Santiago is "a queer
mixture of anxiety and social pleasure.
Nobody knows what terrible things may
herlr rpf. IL
ing rumors of war and narrowing ac-
counts of atrocities perpetrated in near
py places, the majority OF these proverb-
tally light-hearted, happy-go-luckyS Span
ish-Americans disport themselves in the
same old ways. The theaters are all well
attended, and as usual the boxes are
filled with bare-headed, bare-armed, be-
jeweled ladies, dressed in the hight of
Partisan fashion. On New Years Eve,
according to long established custom,
there was magnificent open-air concert
in the Qut,ata No3mal--a spacious and
beautiful garden in the suburbs of the
city-assisted by several fine military
bands. The entire space, with its splen-
did lawns and beds of flowers, was hung
with Chinese lanterns and ablaze with
electric lights, while its commodious res
taurant building Ia second Delmonico's),
and numerous dancing pavilions, were
crowded with happy people. The sweet
Spanish Dolores aud the French "Je
tai1ne," sung by hundred voices, was
charming, but more welcome to the ears
OF exiled Gfingos (as all Anglo-SaXons
are called hereabouts), were strains of
God Save the Queen" sung at the
English Club, where the young fellows
made night of it in memory of far-away
friends, and even the occasional shaky
briated Yankee, shouting "Hail Column
bla," on his winding way through the
streets.
On the 4th of January, as an expression
of popular sentiment against Balmaceda.
all the Cabinet Ministers We're expelled
from the Union Club, the most swell or
ganization of its kind in the city, by
vote of nine to one. On the 9TH a decree
was issued forbidding coaches and street
cars to ply after midnight, an order which
has highly incensed the society people,
because nothing begins here until nearly
the time OF going home in the North.
Santiago is like Washington, a city of
magnificent distances" and the bare
headed bellies will be compelled to re-
main at home, or walk many mile in
their satin slippers. Policemen, mounted
and on foot, patrol at all hours, and no
gathering of any kind is permitted on the
streets. So vigorously is the order en-
forced that If three or four well-known
citizens chance to stop in group for con-
versation, as is daily done in every COM
munity, up steps policeman and orders
them to disperse. In view of existing
circumstances these extraordinary pre-
cautions may be necessary, but are
nevertheless extremely irksome TO we'll
disposed people.
"Who has seen tomorrow 2" is ia
vorite Spanish proverb, particularly ap-
plicable at the present time, for any hour
may bring shot and shell and carnage
into this proud old capital.
FANNIE B, NFs.s3zsB.
vesuvius and Etna.