Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1893-12-29
HIM Hist.., - SOM th America.

llnn LIiisto,,ea, -..'ll - sonth America
Eigiisssn. Eigii.eal Society and ninety.thrss.
closes onin onsly for the cause Of rspub.
slicanism ins Central and South America.
For more than SO years the people 81
these two Americas have been trying to-
govern themselves. and the experiment
is apparently as far from being asuccess
as it was in the beginning. Nicaragua.
had her semiannual revolution il July.
She not only had revolution, but
also q war with Honduras on her hands.
The rebels were successful by the mid
die Of September, and after a form Of
election General Santos Zelaya was in.
stalled as president Zelaya viii be
president for Ave years. always with the
saving clause il he is not overthrown!
by revolution. I.
Though president in name. Zelaya Is
really q military dictator. So Is Presi-
dent Vasquez Of Honduras, and tho two
viii fight IL ont between Honduras and
1 Nicaragua. Two Of the other Central
American states are involved IN the
brawl between Nicaragua and Honduras.
Barrios, president Of. Gnatemala, has
promised to help Honduras IN the war,
while Ezeta, .presid dential dictator Of Sal
vador, will aid Nicaragua. So the polit-
ical pot boils and seethes in Central
America. Good, old fashioned, decent
heathenism, such as existed In that part
of the country before Columbus discov-
cred America, would be better for the
common people Of Central America than
this state Of things. OF course, every
complication in which Nicaragua Is in
yolved viii affect injuriously the Mic
aragua canal and It's prospects. It is
time the United States government laid
it's hand on the making of that canal.
A standing cause Of irritation and
temptation to revolution likewise is the
law prohibiting president to stand for
reelection, a law in existence in all the
South American republics. It was
thought by the legislative bodies pass
ing the law that it would prevent presi-
dents from proclaiming themselves die
tators and holding the reins Of govern
ment permanently. But it did not say
in SO many words that q vice president
raised to the presidency should not sue
ceed himself. Therefore when Peixoto
succeeded to the Brazilian presidency on
the resignation of Fonseca, he tried to
get himself elected president after serv-
ing out Fonseca's unexpired term. "
The Brazilian congress would not have
this, and that is the main cause Of the
trouble in Brazil. First the state of Rio
Grande do Sui revolted from the CEN
tral government, then the navy, with
Admiral Mello at it's head, joined the
insurgents. Peixoto is plainly wrong in
his construction of the law, for vice
president becomes the actual president
in case of the death or resignation of the
person elected president. If Peixoto had
one spark of patriotism might al
most say Of common decency-he never
would haveset up his preposterous claim
to be reelected. But even after he had
done SO that was no sufficient cause for
revolution such as has been distract
ing this vast and beautiful country and
disturbing the commerce Of the world
for the past six months. Annarantly all
the South American leaders Of any class
care for is their own self seeking ambi-
ton, always excepting the high minded
patriot Salvador de Mendonca, minister
of Brazil to the United States. The next
presidential election in Brazil takes place
in March.
In the Argentine Republic four states
have been in revolt since June. The
president of Argentina is an old man,
Saenz-Pena. The shallow Drained, jeal-
ous little political leaders in the four
states thought he was too much under
the influence Of his son, Dr.. Pena, a
prominent member Of the Modernista
political party, SO they up and rebelled.
It is impossible to say which side will
whip, and really it does not make par
ticle of difference. But suppose our peo-
pie should start a revolution every time
some Of them do not like PRESIDENT
Meantime a revolution probably is on
the point Of outbreak in Peru. The de-
cline in the price Of silver has made the
mines of Peru Improbable. So it has
those of the United States, but we would
never think of going to war about It.
Peru. however, is different. Ex-Presi-
dent Pierola is taking advantage Of the
hard times to foment political disturb
ances, which he hopes will put him at the
head Of affairs again. -
Such is the state of the Central and
South American republics up to date
unless new revolution break ont be-
fore this gets into print, which Is quite
possible. The South American states
are steady, awful warning to us Of the
United States. 5:.s.