The Republican journal., 1896-10-29

army uoes not amount to much; it con-
slsts of six batteries of breach-loading
neia- pieces and Is Calling guns. The
navy is tritie behind that of the limited
states ten yearsiago-a single man of war
iron, built in England and carrying four
hrupp guns of small calibre. tits named
the Morazan, and S. is the complement of
us crew. In each company of Honduran
soldiers there are two or three small bows.
IN uniform, who act as couriers and mes
sehgers, because their slight forms en-
able them to penetrate where a man
would be more conspicuous target for
the enemys bullets. A General who was
prominent in the revolution of '94 saws
That during an engagement he sent six of
these lads, one after the other, with dis
patches across an open plain that was be-
ing raked by the rebels rifles; and as each
boy was killed in crawling through the
sage brush, the others begged the General
to let him take his place and have try at
running the gauntlet-jumping up and
down around him in their eagerness and
swapping their fingers to attract his atten-
ton, like school boys asking to ''pass the
water.''
Hondurian revolutions appear to be
comparatively bloodless affairs after all,
because, owing to the frequency of the
tracases, if many men were killed the
country would soon be depopulated, but
the ruin they bring while they last, and
which continues after they are over, is
truly lamentable; and before the country
has chance to recover, the ''outs' are
getting up another. Thus any sort of
prosperity or progress is we'll nigh mpos-
sible. The native merchants dare not
order goods which may never reach them.
and foreigners are afraid to make con-
tracts with men who may few weeks
later be not only out of office. but out of
the country in exile, if not out of the world
via the bullet. Many and many ''revo-
lution' takes place in some corner of the
small Republic which half of the people
of the country do not hear of until after it
has been put down-or maybe has sue
ceeded; as in Brazil, when poor Dom
Pedro was ousted by clique of army Of
| ficers at the Capital the northern pro-
vinces knew nothing whatever about it
until after the monarchy was dead and
the Republic born. Again the Honduran
revolution may spread to every boundary
and all the men employed on the high
roads or in the mines or on the planta-
tions, must stop work and turn to soldier
ing; pack mules are seized, plantations
are devastated, and forced loans are en-
forced upon those who live in cities. so
that none escape more or less suffering.
A revolution is sure to accompany every
change of executive. No doubt Bonilla
the present Dictator, was at one time
elected president of Honduras; but he did
not gain the coveted chair until after he
had invaded the country at the head of
troops from the rival Republic of Near
aqua. During the revolution of '94.
Tegucigalpa was besieged for six months.
and before its capture most of the public
buildings We're badly torn by shot and
shell from the surrounding hills, There
is hardly a dwelling house but shows
where bullets scored the mud and plaster
of the outer walls and buried themselves
in the woodwork Tie victors. who sub
sequently hold the reins OF government
for a time, seldom make any effort to
/ cover up the traces of their bombardment
| but rather glory in them, as the veteran
does in his scars. 1t is a favorite pastme
to trace the bullets from the holes they
made in one side of the room to their rest
ing place in the opposite WALL while peo-
pie tell one another just where they stood
or sat when ball whizzed by OF a bomb
burst overhead. 1t was the proudest boast
OF ex-President Luis Bogran that he main
tanned peace for years-the longest pc
Rod OF comparative quietness that Hon
duras has known since it became Repub-
lic-Heaven save the mark! His term be-
gan in 1888 and ended about years ago.
| When ousted, he remained in exile two
years, and died some time ago. He was
very handsome man, with great dignity
of manner, educated in France and inner
tied vast fortune from his parents
most of which he got rid of in obtaining
the presidency. In the first three years
after his retirement there We're no fewer
than four Presidents and three serious
revolutions The three parties in this
misealed Republic are the Liberals, the
Conservatives and the Progressives, or
Moderates. The latter and newer party
is composed of the more intelligent men
of the Liberal and Conservative parties.
The Radical Conservatives want the coun-
try dominated by the Roman Catholic
church, the Radical Liberals Want to over
throw the church completely; while the
Moderates, Of whom Bogran was the head,
want the state to be entirely Independent
of the church, but would not wipe out the
religion of their fathers
FANNIE BRIGHAM WARD.