The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1898-04-23
COSTA RIGA LEADS.
MOST ADVANCED OF THE CEN
TRIAL REPUBLICS.
Married Men Farvoed, They are Given the
Preference for Public Omce-Character.
istics of President Observation-Disclosures
ton of Justice-Rail ways and Telegraphs.

sAoh VI OusCAco-naHW0y00 ana I0lo&f8phSs
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, .-~. 10-Though
Costa Rica Is the least populous of the five
Central American republics, she is in some re-
spects the most advanced. With an area .
little less than the state Of West Virginia, and
only about 263.000 population, she last year
placed on the foreign market $1OO00,000
worth Of her own productions, and imported
SO, 00O, 900 worth Of merchandise, showing q
commercial exchange of SIS, 900, 900 gold. She
was the first of the Central American states
TO have cheap Geographic communication, and
will be the first to connect the two oceans by
rail-. Already some 300 miles of railway are
completed, and about 500 miles of telegraph
wires are in use, the latter service having
been extended all over the country.
Telegraphc communication throughout the
neighboring republics IS charged at the same
rate as that between her own cities and viii
lages-ten words for 20 cents, and,.5 cents
for every five or less additional words. The
postal system is unsurpassed, since Costa RIGA
Is now a member of the universal postal
union; and telephones introduced In 1856
are everywhere. The nearest Office of the cable
company is at San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua,
not far from the frontier and of course con-
nected with f.s:a Rican telegraphs. A con-
cession has been granted European company
to connect Costa Rica with the cable on the
Atlantic side, by means of an Office estab-
lished at Puerto Limon and the government
has opened negotiations for establishing a
new Office Of the Central and South American
cable somewhere on the Pacific shore of Costa
RIGA, probably at Punta Arenas.
The first bank of Central America was
established in Costa RIGA, just forty years
ago. There are now two banks, both in San
jose, the Banco o-Costaricense, estab-
lished in 1868, with paid-up capital of ST.,
100000; and the Banco de Costa RIGA formerly
Banco de la Union), with registered capital
Of 100000 Up to date little Costa Rica has
coined something over $4,OOO,OOO, in gold,
silver, and copper. Costa RIGA gold coins
arranged by the decimal system in ten dollar,
fve-dollar, two-dollar, and one dollar pieces
are worth $ per cent less than English
and 1917 per cent less than American. The
money in general use in Costa Rica, is the
paper dollar. Its value is ncminally 100 cents,
or 5 francs, or English shillings, but in
reality it is worth only about 70 cents, gold
being at a premium of from 80 to 40 per cent.
Audience with President Iglesias.
Having returned to San Jose, on our way
to the Atlantic coast to bid a final adieu to
the country, we desired audience with the
President and readily obtained It. Senior
Don Rafael Iglesias, the present ruler of Costa
RIGA, and sure to be reelected about the
middle of this month, Is in his 37th year,
rather handsome man, with an intel
igent face and great cordially Of manner.
The latter trait makes him immensely pop
ular among the people and is no doubt partly
responsible for his being elected to succeed
himself when the constitution expressly
stipulates that President shall not have
two successive terms. There are ways of
getting around that, however, as Diaz has
n nf nr To1o 10
Poririo Diaz Of Central America-a soldier
as we'll as statesman, and imbued with the
progressive spirit Of the most enlightened
nations. He comes from an ancient and dis
tinguished family and is himself scholar
of note-an elegant writer of his own Ian
guage and also master of French, German,
and English. Though extremely affable, and
so plain and unaffected in manner that every
body feels free to call upon him with scant
ceremony, his every word and action show the
dignity Of his high position.
A formidable, but happily unsuccessful, plot
to overthrow him was lately carried on in
the United States by Don FREDERICK Mora,
an ambitious Costa Rican, who is now
political exile from his native land and re-
sides In New York city. Many are the plots
be and his friends have Matched against the
tglesias government, all Of which, however,
have proved abortive. Banished as an agita-
tor, he continued in the United States the
work begun at home, endeavoring to foment
revolution among the disaffectedCosta Ricans
Inc pamphlets which he sent down for dis
tribution were promptly seized by the gov
.rnment; and then he resorted to subterfuge
TO get his sed1t1ous matter into the country
Late last April he sent from New York a
.arge consignment Of printed matter, packed
IN tin box, hidden in the middle Of cask
Df stear1ne for candles; but the government
Is up to all those old tricks and the addresses
Intended to fire the hearts of the people to
armed revolt never reached their destination
senior Mora, who yet remains in New York, is
about 90 years old and a splendid representa-
tive. physically, of the distinguished family
which has already furnished three Presidents
to Costa Rica.
The most conspicuous object in the national
palace-after the President himself and the
soldiers parading before the door-are the
flag and coat-of-arm of the country. n,imer-
ously displayed. The former is pretty-red
and white and blue, like our own, but minus
the stars. 1t consists Of five horizontal
stripes, the outer one blue the next one white.
The central one red. The coat-of-arms Is
both striking and characteristics: three VOL
canoes ranged in a row, between two seas
with ship on either side; on the left rts-
Ing sun, on the right a group of flags, on ton
i've stars on the bottom a horn of plenty:
and surrounding all scroll, in which is en-
graVeo tnese words America Central, Re-
publica de Costa Rica."
Married Men Are Favored.
NO country outside Of Central America has
so unique constitution as this. For ex.
ample: To hold any important office in Costs
Rica man must be married, or at least ht
the head of a household, and own real estatt
to a considerable value, or be master of some
recognized profession. Universal SUFFRAGE !,
the law Of the country, but no election of q n,
kind can be made directly-only througi
body of electors chosen by the peopie
Every male citizen Of Costa RIGA who is q
years old may come before the iunta. a
BOARD and cast his vote for the person
whom he desires to act as electors. The latte
meet at the appointed time and place an
choose, also by majority of votes, the Pres!
dent of the republic, the members of Congress
and the municipal officers of their RESPECTIVE
localities. No one Is eligible to be an "elec
tor" unless The Is over FL years of age, ca
read and write, has his domicile in the plac
where the vote in his favor was taken. own
property to the value of $500, and has n
connection with the ecclesiastical profes
sion.
There Is no such thing in Costa RIGA as
Vice President of the republic. The consti
tuition provides that In case of death or alb
sence or inability, Of the chief executiv
he shall be succeeded by one of three person.
who are designated by Congress during it
first session in each Prudential term. Thes
are known as "LOs Designados." The Pregi
dent mey call upon any one of them to ex
ercise Presidential functions Pre- TEN. Il :
" desires; but If Designado is to become Presi
dent on account Of the death or inability {
the President, the order in which the tire
were placed in Congress must be followed