Evening star., 1898-12-31
But Central American Governments
Are Military Dictatorships.
HONDURAS is ONE OF THE WORST
People Have No Idea of the Real
Meaning of Liberty.
KEPT UNDER SUBJECTION
Written for The Evening Star.

ing monarch-ridden countries with a desire
for liberty. His plan was. however, never
acted upon. friend pointed out to him
that such republic as France had even
less of liberty for the individual than En-
gland. and that some of the Central and
South American republics had not even the
faintest idea of liberty exemplified in the
United States. The mere word republic
quickly shown not to mean in all parts
of the world what we cndeavor to express
in it-"Ife, liberty and the pursuit of hap
piness.'
1t is this very faulty idea of human jus
tice and human aspirations that produces
the strange phenomenon of constant revoIu-
tions in the Central American republics.
Costa Rtca is the best: il has not had z rev.
olution in twenty-five years.
The ScOtchman. Keith. head of many en-
terpriseS there, has had much to do with
this happy result, as large blocks of his
stock held by the leaders of opposing
parties, and the thought of endangering
dividends acts as deterrent influence Mic
aragua, though President Leaya has ter
rible reputation for shooting ruthlessiy all
who oppose him, has had three revolutions
in as many years. Guatemala. for a long
time peaceful and really the richest OF the
five, has had in the past two years two rev
olutions. and her president, Barrios, was
murdered for his cruelty during the upheav-
al Of 1897. Honduras has had seven revO-
lutions since 1892 and there are rumors
lndt another Is not FAR distant.
Protest Against Tyranny.
Revolutions. in fact. show that there is
still a spark of manhood left in these trop-
ical countries and so far as they are a
protest against wretched conditions of alb
solute tyranny they are an excellent sign.
Taking Spanish Honduras as one of the
worst examples Of republican government
among the five, brief consideration of it's
voting, legal and military conditions will
give good reason for the apparent quarrel
somcneSs of its inhabitants
Every citizen has to vote, whether he
wishes TO or not and no matter 10 how much
inconvenience IL subjects him. He NAV
even be unaware that any sort of election
Is on bat If he fails to arrive to cast his
five or ten days. AS voting for alcalde
tmayor) is done only at municipal head
quarters, a man may not infrequently be
compelled to travel seventy miles or more
Presidential voting is little more conven-
lent. as a greater number of places and
more scattered are assigned for the pur-
pose.
Called Secret Voting.
Up to four years ago voting was viva
vcce. and many man has been flogged un-
til cCwed into favOring the government can
dldate- Now. however, voting is supposed
to be secret. the secrecy extending merely
to the fact that the ballot is dropped into
box after having been handed to the
voter by a government official one of the
opposing party. The governor in power
tries to see that the alcaldes Cor mayors)
OF the different municipalities are pro-gov-
eminent To accomplish this il not infre-
quently happens that an election is declar-
ed null because antagonstic to the govern
ment. and ! have known one case where
this happened three times the wretched
voters being compelled to come each time
until the government candidate was elected
Each municipality has one Justice of the
peace appointed by the alcalde. He has to
serve without pay and his office is frequent
~ thrust upon him as a punishment for not
voting for government candidate. The
choice Of the justice is not at all limited hv
culture more than half the men l have had
dealings with being barely able TO sign their
names, and. from the very circumstances of
the case, corrupt in the administration of
their office.
Criminal Case.
To follow a criminal case through its
course will explain a vast deal of the rest
lessness Of the population. man is as-
rested. We will say, for applying foul
epithet to another or an authority or for
killing man-both liable TO be punished
with sentences of nearly equal severity
The justice Of the peace holds a preliminary
examination. secures evidence against the
prisoner and sends him down to the tHief
town of the department. There, after wait
ing trial for periods varying from six
months TO year-fOr haheas corpus is
dead letter in their law-the accused man
IS brought before the Judge witnesses
heard witnesses are not allowed To he
cross-eXamined) and the whole matter re-
duced To writing This takes several weeks
more Ihe1 seven men are chosen a
jury. and the judge reads to them what he
viii from the written record before him.
and on their Yes or No 10 the uues-
tons whether such and such a thing Is
proved. the man is condemned or acquitted
The ina hility to crOsS-vXdmine witnesses
or 70 exert any influence other than the
Judge : upon the Jury. will be easily under
stood as giving free play to spite and in
justice Men Of wealth. education and
standing are not on the jury: only the poor
Classes Acquittal does not mean release
as every case must so to the court of ap-
peals sitting IN one of the interior cities.
NhiIe lis decision is waited for-five to
nine months or rnure-the acquitted man If
unable 70 furnish bail is kept In prison
undergoing the same punishment as a con-
demned prisoner. until confirmation Of the
action of the judge is received.
Military system.
Every male has to serve three months of
every ore Of ten years in the active army
If revolution is I'm the air his time may ex-
tend to six or eight months. In the mean
time his crops waste and his family ex-
periences want. As frequently happens the
three months exlcted from him come just
al the time when work Is plentiful. or his
own food supply depends upon his exer-
tions. 1t can therefore he easily under
stood that military service is detested
Hundreds of outlaws dwell in the fastnesses
or the forests, with pickets at every ap-
proach. so as To avoid volunteering" The
captured men are tied with hands behind
thei: backs and marched into the mastering
place One uncOnsciOusly humorous COM
niduodnte, IN transferring troops to another
Department, wrote to the other comman-
GaHte: Here l send you sixty volunteers
Tied Do not fail to return the ropes as |
have more "
In addition 10 the service of three months
each soldier liable to service as also all
Inc reserve men under forty years of age
must come to the headquarters OF his de-
partment the first Sunday of each month.
This entails long. wearisOme journeys in
most cases. In addition. each of the other
sundays he has to report to local com
mandancias The penalty for missing at
tendance is as follows: First offense two
weeks IN jail; second offense, two months:
third oHense, six months, as deserter.
U N v Err SiTY NOTES