The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-09-02

vaStated without his knowledge, and occu-
pied by soldiers, policemen and forced
laborers, busily making lime and trans
porting it to the new park, where they
We're carrying out the work which the
President of the so-called Republic had
SO much at heart. He ordered them off
his premises; but the soldiers laughed in
his face. He asked them by what right
they We're devastating his property, and
was answered, ''by superior orders.' De-
handing to know at least the authority
by which these orders were given. and to
whom he should have recourse to stop
this high handed usurpation of private
property, he was still answered in the
same way and could get no other explana-
ton than the invariable reply, by SUI
pelior orders The half distracted
owner then went the round of all the au-
thorities to whom the police and soldiers
are supposed to be auswerabe; he visited
the Chief Of Police, the City Project, the
/ General Military Commandant of the
place. the Minister of War the Minister
/ Of the Interior and the Minister OF Public
/ Works; every one of whom told him the
| same story that they knew nothing what
ever about the matter. In desperation,
1 and not knowing which way to turn. the
unfortunate foreigner. who less than
year before had spent 500, 900 in the pur-
| chase OF the tinca, consulted some of the
best lawyers in the country. They ad-
vised him this way: If you appeal to
the Tribunals, you will never get to the
end Of the matter. 1t viii take years to
make even a commencement, by finding
out who issued the arbitrary order. As
the property is undoubtedly yours by
clear title and undisputed purchase. go
ahead and demolish the furnace thus I'M
lawfully constituted"
The proprietor proceeded to act upon
/ the advice. One morning early, before
the arrival of the soldiers and policemen
with their prison laborers, he gathered
his men and began to tear down the
works of the usurper. But presently the
police arrived, reinforced by squad of
soldiers from the Quartet. and dragged
the unhappy owner and his men off to
prison like common malefactors. after q
time be managed to get word to the Con-
sui Of his native country, who ran to the
Minister of Foreign Affairs, threatening
international complications unless his in
nocent countryman was Immediately re-
| leased and full restitution made for the
| damage he had suffered. The Minister
listened with the utmost politeness,
recognized the justice of the claim, and
promised that right should be done. But
it happened quite otherwise. Weeks of
continued and repeated ministerial coun-
ills with the head OF the government,
Dictator Barrios, brought about the fol
lowing results: First, the Minister Of
/ Foreign Affairs was invited to send in his
resignation. which he did; second, the
/ poor proprietor OF the inca. after long
/ imprisonment was obliged TO institute
costly legal operations for the possession
/ OF the property of which by that time he
had been entirely deprived and last, but
by no means least the policemen, soldiers
and forced laborers continued and are
still continuing, to make lime for the
government, without offering any recon-
pense therefor, on the land OF the unfor-
tunate proprietor who has thus dearly
paid for the pleasure of owning a Guate-
mala plantation,
Commenting upon this case, which is
but a sample of many others, the Diario
de Centre America, published in Guate
mala City says: 'Agents of the police
acting under superior orders, frequently
take forcible and illegal possession of a
piece OF private property, obliging the
lawful owner to sustain a case at law TO
recover his own and if he accomplishes
it-heaven knows when and at what cost
being in the meantime deprived of his
earnings
Said another paper: 1.-The Tribunals
and the National Legislative Assembly
will either indefinitely postpone a decis
ion OF will finish by sustaining the Presi-
dent unless there should in the meantime
come a change of administration. In
all such cases concerning citizens of Qua
temala those injured by decree of tie
President dare not press the matter, know
ing we'll that they will only be drawing
upon themselves other and greater perse-
cutions. They would rather resign every
thing than get into a contest with the
government
A resident consul, who represents the
country of the foreigner above mentioned,
unburdened his mind freely, as follows:
''Certainly in no other country of the
world, however uncivilized, would gov
eminent dare to commit such an act of
despotism; but Guatemala is so accustom-
ed to tyranny that the most petty tyrant
can do what he will with impunty. In
fact, Reyna Barrios, whose courage
amounts to about as much as the imta-
ton trapping of his regiment of rapa-
dores, does not hesitate to outrage public
| opinion by the pronunciation of anv meas