The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-25
THE MEM PRESIDENT
OF THE ARGENTINE
Who He k What He Is and How He Looks; Queer Things About TIE
Argentine Government Elections Ere Held in tie CHURCHES
and TIE Ballot Boxes IRE Usually Stuffed.

1ES fAESS VIII lbsl A~ssAV Ed1s0A1S
al one time. bas 8 continuous stream OF
water liz Offering through them. 50 that
taey eontAaa usaeh more than this amount
IN a day. 1T vas charged that there WAS
Il big 100 In this building. and that the
government officials who secured the con-
tract were able TO put in the nsighbor-
hood OF 81, Csc into their pockets
Jebb~ry in Railways.
There mas also been considerable job
berry in government railroads. / am told,
and. indeed. the government finds thai it
cannot afford To hold TO IT'S railroad
property. There are annually deficits.
where there should be dividends. The lines
are rarldsy passing into the hands OF the
English. Those which are still controlled
By the government have such poor rolling
stock that tire Erivafe companies viii not
as.G& government ears to pass over their
rails. They prefer TO transsfiip. Appoint
meuts on the government railways are
commonly made without regard to eff
cisacy or previous experience. Politicians
after a JOB apply fer the Places One
prominent man recently ASKED 10 be made
assistant manager Of the Central Argen-
tine system. He vas questioned as to his
experience. He replied that he knew all
about the railroad. FOR he had Travelled over
1t as passenger several times.
The government lines are generally ia
bad condition All sorts Of jokes are made
concerning them. common charge being
that they should pat cow catchers on the
rear Of the trains TO keep the cattle from
Running over them. TIE private lines, on
the other hand, make money. They are
se.i na1sagsd and economically run.
The Matter of Justice.
Theoretically the judicial system OF the
Argentine republic is a beautiful one.
There Is a supreme court OF five judges,
which IL also a court OF appeal There
Is an attorney general. who Is supposed 10
bring criminals to the bar, and there are
number Of inferior and local courts. Ac-
ccTlng 10 the constitution trial by jury
must be given In criminal cases and each
state has its own judicial system In 1926
i513 criminal cases were tried in Buenos
Ayres. and there were during this year
1900 arrests for breaches Of the peace.
You find policemen on every corner in the
Argentine capital They are we'll dressed,
carrying sWorda with which they are
ready to cut down any one who resists
them. On opera nights a company of
mounted police upon praneing steeds
guards the streets leading TO the opera
house. and generally you will find that
order in Ru@Hos Ares Is as well kept as
in any city i'm the world. The matter Of a
police appointment, however. is one OF
political influence. and the police are very
careful. wE1om t9ev arrest One Of the dis
tinguidos or upper class OF young men may
get as drunk as he pleases and 1t Is rare
THAI he viii be arrested. while a poor
Italian or Spamard will be quickly taken
10 jail. In the courts the rich stand "A
much better chance than the poor. There
are. OF course. some just Judges bat the
mar who viii accept a bride Is In the
majority. Prominent Argentines ara
awarded the preference in the courts where
the matter of right is at all equally bal
anced. and as Il rule the man who seeks
the Judge first has the best chance of a
decision in his favor. There is no lack OF
lawyers, for the young ArgentInes of good
families as "a rule adopt the law as a pro-
fesSion many OF them not expecting to
practice. bat only TO have the title of doc
tor before their names There are some
that are very good at the law and many
have large Incomes from this source.
Ii Was All I'm the Signature.
Speaking OF the morality OF high Argen-
tine officials. heard the other day a story
Of President Celman i'm connection with
the national hank, Of which have already
written. The influence OF the president
was such that a note from him would
us1aIiy result !u the holder getting the
loan. The president WAS overwhelmed with
such requests. some coming from men
whose iil-wil he could not afford to have.
lie never refused 10 grant such favors
He would receive the men cordially and
tel them they coul3 have the money He
would even write letter to the directors
OF the bank. saying: II know this man
s. al right and I wish yOu would grant
him the loan" He would sign such a let
ter and INC man would so nj once to the
hank and zee surprised 20 find II refused
The truth was that President Celman had
an understanding With the directors OF the
hank 80 - his signature. according as Ger
tain curves were made this way or that
" Tire fEnai n FOR instance. was elon-
gated into "a sefawl. II meant that the man
was To have the money whereas II +, was
est OFF short. the directors would know
.hat rae president meant ~ am Just writ
ing this aetfgr - got Ri ~ the man anf
it wou1 be q favor u IRE II you would re-
fuse him
FRANK q CARPENTER
IN