The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-12-23


has SO unique constitution as this. 1t
claims to have been mostly patterned
after ours, of the United States, but in
some respects is vast improvement upon
it. For example-to hold any important
office in Costa Rica, a man must be mar
ried, or at least be the head of house
hold, and own real estate to consider
able value, or be master of some recog-
nized profession Universal suffrage is
the law of the country, but no election of
any kind can be made directly-only
through a body of electors chosen by the
people. Every male citizen of Costa RIGA
who is twenty one years old may come be-
fore the junta, or board and cast his
vote for the persons whom he desires to
appointed time and place and choose, also
by a majority of votes, the President of
the Republic, the members of Congress,
and the municipal officers of their respect
full localities. No one is eligible to be an
'elector' unless he is over u years of
age, can read and write, has his domcile
in the place where the vote in his favor
was taken, and owns property to the value
of -. 600. and has 40 connection with
the ecclesiastical profession. There is no
such thing in Costa Rica as Vice Plesi-
dent of the Republic. The constitution
provides that in case OF death. or absence.
or inability of the chief executive, he
shall be succeeded by one Of three per-
sons, who are designated by Congress
during it's first session i'll each presiden-
tiai term. This trinity is known as clos
Designados. The President may call
dental. functions, pro TEN, if he 50 de-
sires; but if a Desgnado is to become
President on account of the death or in
ability of the President, the order in which
the three We're placed in Congress must be
followed. The property qualifications
must also be observed. to the amount of
s. 600, q believe, and bachelors are de-
barred. Our southern neighbors seem to
recognize the fact that if man amounts
to much, barring unusual accidents, he
will have accumulated comfortable
property by middle age, and some good
woman will have loved him well enough
10 marry him; and also the older fact, as
old as time, that the possession of home
and tireside, wife and children, gives to the
Il
If his country, upon whose judicious gov
eminent their freedom and value depend
The Costa Rican constitution has other
points worthy of imitation Besides pro
hibiting slavery, privileged classes, the
violation of correspondence, etc, and re-
stricting capital punishment, it also pre-
>cribes hospitality to strangers as a sacred
duty, and declares citizenship to be for
feited by ingratitude to parents, the
abandonment of wife or children, and neg
lect of the Obligations due to the family
and homestead.
Tie President is assisted by tour Secre-
taries of State, whose respective depart
meuts are as follows: First, Secretary of
foreign relations. Justices; Worship, Pub
lie Instruction, aud Benetcenee. Second,
Department OF the Interior, Police, and
the promotion Of the Public Welfare
Third Department OF the Treasury and
Commerce. Fourth, Department of War
and of the Navy. There is only one
House Of Congress. known as the Congreso
Constitutional The members Of this
body are called ''Diputados, and are
elected for four years. Under the present
law, there is one deputy tor every 5, 600
inhabitants in each province; but if the
population OF the province is such as to
show an excess of 4, 600 or more above
the rate mentioned, one more deputy may
| be elected. Thus there are now seven
Diputados from the province of san Jose,
four from Carriage, etc. making twenty
six in the present Congress. 1t meets
only once year, and during its long re-
cess is represented by committee of its
own choosing, called the Comision Per-
manente, whose duty is to attend to every
thing of urgent character
Costa Rcas' %, 900 square miles of area
is divided into five provinces or two
comarcas, equivalent to our States and
Territories and these are subdivided into
conons, Countess and again into districts
The two territories, Limon and Puntare-
mas, are represented in Congress, each by
one dipudado. At the head of each
province and comarca there is a Cover
nor, appointed by the President; and in
each conon a local executive authority,
subordinate to the Governor, and also APP
pointed by the President. who is known
as the Jefe Politico.
Justice is administered in Costa Rica by
a we'll organized system of courts and
tribunals, and under written laws as wise
and we'll suited to the necessities of civil
ization as in any of the nations of the
world. Capital punishment eannot be in
tiicted-a wise improvement on the United
States with its bungling hangmen and the
unknown tortureS of the electric chair;
private property cannot be contiscated for