The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-05-03

| ing that it would not be long before many
| of those engaged in the new political move
ment would return to the support of the
government and that the government forces
would soon stamp out such of the revo-
lutionary party as might remain in arms.
This may be taken as the official declar-
alton of the government of Venezuela of
the outbreak of revolution. The last ma
tional congress and the legislatures of all
the states of Venezuela authorized a
change in the constitution, among other
things extending the term of the president
from two to four years
President Palacio claims the first duty
of the new congress is to proclaim the new
constitution and to then elect president
and vice president for a term to be named
by him. The opposition declare the first
duty of the congress to be the election of
the two officials and the second to pro-
claim the constitution. This would result
in giving the new president a four years
term. The difference in their views pro-
duced a deadlock, and as neither party
would give way the opposition members
of congress left Caracas, the capital, and
General Crespo raised the standard of re-
volt. In the meantime, no president hav-
ing been elected, President Palacio holds
over, and his enemies say be has taken the
first step to the dictatorship. In the con-
test now begun both parties are confident
of success.
The politics of Venezuela are curiously
complicated by the expressions of England.
GuZman Blanco, at one time the dictator
OF the country, sold the right TO mine gold
IN the wonderfully rich Yaguma country
to an English syndicate for s. 000, 900. The
employees Of the syndicate took possession
of the country, and with the connivance of
the English officials in British Guiana an
nexed the land. England now claims the
country between Guiana and the Orinoco
river, territory larger than the states of
Connecticut and Massachusetts,, and prob
ably the richest gold bearing territory in
the world. Tothis England it is said, has
not shadow of claim, except that of be
ing stronger than Venezuela. It is prob
ably only a question of time before the
United States will be forced to interfere in
accordance with the Monroe doctrine
The outbreak of revolution in Venezuela
brings forcibly to the mind the extraor-
binary number of revolutions which have
taken place or been begun in the Span
fsh American countries during the pres
emit century. 1t really seems as though
there was no instant of time when revo-
luton was not going on somewhere among
these republics. The most important in
its effects was that in Brazil, which re-
suited in change in the government from
that of an empire to that of republic.
Dom Pedro had paved the way for this by
antagoniZing the shareholders in his final
ly successful efforts to free the slaves.
Probably no revolution is on record in
which there was less bloodshed than in
that of Brazil, and although there has
been trouble since, notably in revolts of
the state of Rio Grande do Sui, which has
brought fighting with it, the change of
government has been almost wholly peace
full. This fact shows the service Dom
Pedro rendered his country in educating it
up to the point where self government was
possible.
But the other revolutions in South and
Central America have not been bloodless
by any means. The echoes of the guns of
the civil war in Chill have scarcely vet
died away. That revolution was brought
about by the desire of President Balmaceda
to seize the whole power of the country
and proclaim himself dictator He defied
the congress, and the revolutionary party
was quickly formed. Troops went into the
field, the navy Joined the insurgents, and
after war lasting some months the gov
eminent troops were defeated and the Con
gressional party was successful, the de-
feated conspirator against the freedom of
the country dying by his own hand. One
of the results of that Gillian civil war