The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-12-30


washington 81 South America. declared
ne would yet free Cuha. He died in exile.
Nnen only a years Of age, the victim OF a
political party.
ne refused a Dictatorship. Today he
tfisHs supreme a. the greatest hero Of all
1'e countries freed - bis sword. and his
system o. government remains in force
- vas IN 10 that TIE five republics final
- TOOK shape. Venezuela has a constlfu-
ton modelled after thst ~ inc United
states, but with more local independence.
ne country Is governed BY federal coun-
81 u nineteen members. Tho elect a pres
i1ehL Tor two years from their own num-
Ger He has. however. no veto power.
mere are two legislative branches. he
senate Win tHenty-four members. and the
representative with fifty-two members.
Iae Roman Catholic il the state religion.
Dat al sects are tolerated: education Is
compulsory, and there ara tWo universities
aa9 over thirty colleges. eleven OF these
DeIDg Tor girls. The revenues OF the
country amount 70 1850 80 year. and the
public debt Is only So. dso.epo at per cent
iae country has an area Of nearly 60
W square miles and population o. Z.ass3-
Vg vast tracts OF forest land and mines
arc unaeVeloped, nearly two-thirds OF the
entae country Fully oue-hfth OF the peo-
PIE are engaged IN agriculture. and the
varieties or climate permit the widest
range OF crops fron coffee, sugar. cocoa
and tropical fruits TO wheat and past1re
crops. The minerals are the richest in the
world Only last year $6o0).D9 IN gold,
silver, copper and quicksilver was taken
out ami ] 80 miles Of railroad are pro-
JeFted into the heart % the Yuruari region
t1at - almost untouched.
These mines ara the objective point OF
Great Britain. For fifty years now En-
gland has crept on by stolen marches from
70 ~ dec IA
boundary, 10 the SchomDUrgk line, con-
cedIng this, denying that. repudiatlng the
other, declaring territory in dispute"
and then invading It. establishing a status
quo and disregarding X; creeping On,
planting survey stakes. gaining over lfo
railes Of coast line. Selling the mouth IF
The OTlnoco down whose 80 miles Of love
IL length the parrots and scarlet maca"s
stiil scream and the red monkey chatiers,
just as three-quarters OF a century ago
they chartered and screamed and glitiered
when Bolivar went his perilous way down
Jle river IN the heart OF country ne felt
II his mission 10 free from European domi-
nation.
There are now go men II the standing
army scattered through towns, garrisons
and ships. one iron steamer ana thFee
coast vessels to defend a territory ten
times the size of Illinois from Great Brit
ain But i musC be taken INTO account
that the national militia includes all men
from Is 10 Is sixty thousand men nave
been got into the neld at one time. And
That to quell civil rebellion, and PRESIDENT
Crespo claims that oye- "a quarter OF the
entire male popul8 ton would De uhd1
arms in a month after a declaration of war
BY foreign power There would oe ohly
the coast line OF few hundred miles IN
length with few harbors ana the "N'ai'A
frontier 10 defend.
Ra sf her Ia
would have the climate 10 contend
against an undeveioped country win
mountains and forests and unbrldged
streams. venomous reptiles, poisonous M
sects. swamps. snow, ice ara uopical
heat beside the difficulty OF transporting
a sufficient nurlber of troops 10 be eftec-
tive and thereby diverting ships aud men
from Europe and India. Beside, they be-
Iieve that the other South American re-
puhlics are with them. that the Monroe
doctrine counts for something and that
there Is Crespo, who had rather hght than
eat any day.
Crespo is A host. With seven other hot
heads he in his youth. rebelled against
the Catholic church. He was rebel ana
the state troops were called out against
him Two thousand regulars Camped near
him fully armed He had Co or TO- strag-
glers with no equipment but cowboy
knives At midnight, while the regulars
slept. Crespo seized store of cocoa but
ter had cach man strip and grease him
self and slip through the camp 10 steal
arms. the absence Of a shirt and presence
Of a creased skin marked a comrade. rag
Of clothing an enemy, 10 the darkness.
Every man came out armed 10 the teeth,
and the regulars had 20 make terms and
contribute uniforms the next day 10 the
naked men camped on the other side OF
them.
Now he sits in the yellow House" the
presidential mansion of Venezuela. with
"A guard OF white duck uniformed cow
boys who are regarded by the citizens
much as the Turks Of C0nstantiuOpie
mast have looked upon the janizarles
about the person Of the sultan and they
viii tell you that when this terrible guard
is on the battlefield no man stands up
before them.
Term after term has Crespo served the
people and served well in the office OF
chief executive The old inconsistencies and
convents have been converted into a Fed
eral palace. AN opera house and pan
theon in which 90 Law the nations great
men Church is separated from state.
though CrespO IS "A good Catholic. He is
afraid 81 nothing The United States i'm
Diminishing plonipotentiary extraordinary
&C q big power would use much diplomacy.
and when the objectionable person did
take his leave 80 would be with all the ap-
p"arance Of taking a vacation Aith Tn
Gle sam bidding him a fearful sn revolr
40 the dock. when CresDo has enough Of
nation he tells its representative 10 get
out within a week or De- kicked OUT AT
one time u vas confidently expected that
British. German ana French gunboats
would arrive % take on the ministers who
were 50 summarily dismissed. The aston
iahing part Of n Is that nothing hap
penef Crespo shifts ar diplomatic CORE
q e. fv nile ss...