Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-11-02
NICARAGUA MISRULE.
PRESIDENT ZELAYA KEEPS AN IRON
HEEL on THE PEOPLE.
ne REIGNs HAs. A. DICTATOR.
MERCHANTS ROBBED BY MEANS OF
50 FINES AND F0RCED LOANS.


y
sonal Benent-People s...
a. - =. Are Leaytns.
81 - ------
Manatua. Nicaragua. Nov. lit Is un-
derstood that the diet of the Greater Re-
public of Central America. now In session,
has refused to agree with the arguments
put forward by Secretary Sherman In sup
port OF the appointment of Captain William
l.. Merry. of San Francisco. as minister OF
the United States to Nicaragua. Costa
Rica and Salvador. while partly recogDiz-
ing the diet. 1t Is claimed here In certain
quarters that this step was taken in order
to force the United States government. II
possible. TO fully recognize the diet. al
though 1t is claimed that body may be over
turned almost any day by successful
revolution in Nicaragua. Costa Rica or
Salvador. or by the withdrawal from 1t Of
any one of the presidents governing the
state II represents.
1t may be here pointed out that the feel
Ing of opposition to the presidents. also
termed '"dictators." Of the states OF the
Greater Republic Of Central America Is
steadily growing In bitterness. and in this
country the people are suffering greatly
under the rule Of their president. General
Zelaya. In fact matters have reached such
a stage that the United States government
must either continue to submit as hereto
fore, on the ground Of sympathy with these
republics, to the caprices and misruie Of
each successive dictator, or else recognize
the true end of these republics and energet-
ically enforce a line of policy recognising
the people and raising them to the level OF
actual, and not nominal. self-government.
Since the disbanding Of the revoluti0nists
Of September last, who attempted to achieve
political and personal liberty by attacking
the forces of President Zelaya, and. failing
in this effort. were driven to seek refuge in
Costa Rica, the masses here have been
made to feel the weight Of the iron heel.
ana their resentment has been intensified
bv the merciless acts Of Zeiaya and his fol-
lowers. l. d. Gomez and NJ. G. Matusa,
who, it is claimed, have acted like bandits.
going SO far as to shoot men who were
accused of taking part in the revolution OF
September on the decision of hastily formed
ccurts-martial composed Of men Of lower
intelligence, imprisoning hundreds OF re-
srectable citizens without trial on suspi-
cion Of having been In sympathy with the
revolutionists. exacting large sums Of
money, from natives having valuable prop
erty, either as fines or forced loans"
ana otherwise depressing the people to such
an extent that. during the past two years,
it is asserted on good authority more than
10000 native Nicaraguans have been COM
PEELED to abandon their homes and expa-
triate themselves. Those who have left the
country include representatives OF some Of
the Oldest. most patriotic and most distin-
guished families of the country. Finally,
1t is asserted that nearly all the foreigners
in Nicaragua are anxious to collect fhe
money due them and leave this republic for
better governed localities.
To make matters worse. nobody seems to
know where all the money collected by
forced loans goes and the current belief Is
that Zelaya and his friends have been send
ing large sums abroad In order to feather
the nestsS TO which they may eventually
fly. No national debts have been paid and
no Internal improvements have been made
which wifi account for the excessive fines
and forced loans imposed upon the people.
Those who cannot or will not submit to
the extortions Of Zelaya's government are
thrown into prison and their belongings are
confiscated and sold by the government.
For Instance, Senior f. Elesonder. a vener-
able native merchant of Managua, has been
imprisoned in the penitentiary and hts
large stores have been closed by the gov
ernment because OF his failure to pay
forced loans. This merchant has not been
tried, although he is suffering from paral-
ysis and the confinement in jail must en-
danger his life and the only charge against
him Is suspected OF sympathizinR with the
revolutiOnists Of September II. 1897" Senior
Elesonder Is heavily in debt for his stock
OF merchandise to commission houses In
New York city. London and Hamburg, but
II looks as II his goods would be sold by
the government for the 1atter's benefit.
The government officials in previous
case. that of ChammorrO and DiaZ, Iner-
chants of this city, without taking an in
ventory of their goods. commenced tho
salo under police surveillance. Of all their
belongings. the amount realized being cred
tied to the large fines and forced loans
demanded of the firm because they were
suspected of favoring the revolutlonists.
The firm Is said to be largely in debt to,
G. Amsinik & Co.. OF New York city, and
to bankers In London and Hamburg 9th
er large stores belonging to merchants in
Grenada and other places are, II Ii re-
ported. to be sold at nominal prices by
Zelaya's officials unless the fines or forced
leans demanded OF their proprietors are
paid. Other merchants whose stores havo
been closed by the government, have es-
capped having their goods sold at ruinous
prices by borrowing money to meet the
of the government In the shape
Of forced loans and fines. All the native
merchants in Managua have paid heavy
fines imposed upon them by President
ZelEya: otherwise their stores would have
been closed. When the term "alr' Is used,
II refers to the merchants In Managua as
n body. but a few have escaped being VIC
timized by processing devotion to President
ZelEya.