The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1891-09-11
ORIGIN OF CniLI's WAR.


: prime cause Of the revolution IN the re.
public OF Chill.
Under the constitution, which wa,
adopted In 1888, the president Was en-
powered TO make a large number OF APP
poinimenls to important and lucrative
posts, such as the Mayoralies Of cities and
the goyernorships OF provinces. A clause
had also been inserted In the constI.uiIon
inteuded to chec1 any abuse OF this power
making II unlawful Tor the president TO ac.
oept second term.
Shortly after the election of president
Balmaeeda, IN 1886, the dangers OF this
system or Capitalization became felt, and
IN attempt was made to enact reformatory
election Laws This step was opposed by
Balmaeeda, and the accusation was there
upon made that the president was using
she power OF his patronage to elect rs bis
successor senor Enrique Saniuentes,s man
wl.o was completely under his control.
Out Of this grew the various compIiea-
tlons that eliminated on Jan. 7, 1891, IN the
, proclamation In which Baimaceda declared
himself dictator Of the people OF Chill.
The system Of government adopted In the
constitution Of Chill divides the power be.
tween the executive vested In the prceI
dent, whose term OF Office Is five years.and
the legislative. which IL controlled bv the
senate and a house Of deputies. The term
OF senator Ia six year,, that OF deputy
three years.
The bodies together form the cortcs, and
the members are elected BY the people.
A. the outbreak OF the recent rebellion
the senate was composed Of forty-six
members, two from each Of the provinces,
and the house numbered i96 deputies. each
deputy representing constituency of 7o.-
coo. No member Of the codes received
any remuneration for his services.
The eabIne: is composed OF Ministers
OF State, interior. War. Finance. Justice
and Industry. and they are appointed by
the president without the concurrence OF
the Cortes.
The Cortcs is empowered 10 vote annn-
ally the appropriations, 10 fix the taxes and |
to regulate lie members OF the army and
Eayy, The president cannot be impeaehed |
but, on the other hand, no order Of the ex- ]
eculiye IL valid ~lihout the signature Of
cabinet mInIAier, who becomes responsible |
for such order aud Is lmpcaehable.
DalIa Ieeia was Ina,igura,ed president on
Sept. IS. 1850 lie was a, that time iilly-
. &c years ht age and hal served as deputy
Ia five legIsla.uie es aud had occupied sInee
1851 tho post Of minister Of the interior. |
lie was a member OF the Liberal party.
For the frat two yeerA his administration
Was satisfactory, but Ut this time he began
10 make wholesale removals from such OF.
fees as he controlled and 10 appoint party
workers pledged 10 hls per- onai friend,
Sanfuentes, who belonged 10 the Clerical
party, 10 which Baimaeeda had always
been opposed
The cabinet. being At variance with The
executive Tor his action In thin matter, re-
signed In the early par, of October, and Ball
nsceda appealed TO congress TO support
his course. But Balmaceda'S course In
this affair, eour led with hts failure TO In
t,oduee an electoral. reform bill and bis op-
position 10 free ballot, brought about a
eoalis,ion between the Liberals, conserva-
tlves, Radicals and the Montt varistas, by
which he was defeated In the house by
vote OF IS to 2o and in the senate by vote
OF q to4.
On the a5d OF Of October accordingly
Baimaceaa appointed new ministry
pledged 10 oppose any attempt TO in,erven.
tion on the part Of Dalmaceda IN the choice
oi & candidate for the presidency.
Immediately upon the naming of this
cabIne, the Cortes upheld The executive
and passed The appropriation and army
bills for 1890. Sotwin. standing this, how.
ever, the people dlstrus,ed the president,
and the cabinet urged upon hin. the neees-
sity Of quieting the popular apprehensi.ns
by promising to call ansex,raordinary ses-
sion OF congress In April, 1890, when the
e,ecioiiai reform questions should be In
trocuced
This promise Balmaccda willingly gave
and the announcement was made To both
the senate and the house.
On Jan. 10, 1899, congress having ad-
journed TO December, the designations Of
these ministers were Unexpectedly demand
ed by the president, with no excuse offered
for such action, and he thereupoa appoint
ed new cabinet composed of his personal
| friends.
This act was, of itself. an attack upon a
national institution. for the cabinet depends
upon parliament for It's existence, just
as the ministry does In England.
From thIs time until April efforts were
made to win over congressional majority
and, failing In that, no extraordinary ses-
sion OF congress was summoned, notwith-
standing Balmaceda's expressed promise.
And to further irritate the opposition, on
the goth of May Sanfuentes was made
chief of the cabinet.
The regular session of congress Is held
on June /, and Immediately upon the as
sembling vote of censure was passed up
on the cabinet. This should have had the
effect OF causing resignation OF the mem
bers composing 1t, but Balmaceda refused
to accept any designations, and Sanfuentes
declared that In future the ministry would
be presidential and not parliamentary. .sa=d
that vote of censure wolud be regarded
as a vote of honor. The indignation caused
by this insolence was so great that the
cabinet fed without word of explanation,
Al the iises the Cortes exercised the strong
est privilege in its power and refused to dis
cuss the appropriation bill. and the tax as
, sessment.
During the month Of July no taxes We're coli
lected, and strikes and riots at Valparaiso
and Iquique were instigated by Balmaceda
with the hore of intimidating the congression
alists. This state Of affairs continued unit
the news OF the republican victory in Argen-
tine reached Chill, and then on the 9TH ol
August new ministry was appointed CON-