Omaha daily bee., 1898-05-29

try. They had about %, 900 men, and they
laid Peru waste, demanding ransom of vari-
Gus sections and destroying everything
when it was not granted. At Chimbote,
north of here, there was a sugar
factory and railroad shops filled
with fine machinery imported from
the United States. The Chilean
general demanded that the owners should
pay him 500, 900 in three days. They could
not and he blew up the machinery with
dynamite. destroying the beautiful house
of the haciendas and killed 500 sheep,
which his soldiers could not carry off. The
Chilean army destroyed the magnificent
residences at the summer resorts below
Lima In their fights they gave no quar-
ter, bayoretting not only the wounded SOL
diers, but the defenseless civilians as well.
They looted Lima, taking the university
for a barracks and destroying the archives.
They also sacked the public library, which
contained $1,000 volumes and many val
liable manuscripts. They even robbed the
geological garden, sending an elephant to
Chile. They cleaned out the palace, and
the treasury and collecting millions in the
way of customs, getting $2S, 900, 900 in one
year from that source alone. The war
lasted for nearly three years and when it
was closed by the cession to Chile of the
nitrate territory, which she coveted. Peru
had been raked by the Chilean soldiers as
with a fine tooth comb and nearly eIery-
thing of value taken away. / understand
that the Chileans have now about used up
all that they stole and that they are max
ing trouble with the Argentines in the hope
of another great haul. Since then Peru
has had a number of revolutions such as
l have described and between the upper
and neither mill stones of personal politics,
the people have had little chance to do
anything but keep out of the way of the
bullets.
President and the Church.
Since Pierola has been president, how
ever, the country has been remarkably quiet
and the general belief here Is that this will
continue. Business is steadily growing bet
ter and there are a number of movements
under way for internal development. For
eign capital Is coming In and the president
is doing what he can to encourage 1t. He
is improving Lima, repairing the great ca
thedral, building a new city postofice, and,
as far as possible, recognizing the army.
The president of a South American republic
has far more power, in some things, than
the president Of the United States. lie
practically decides everything, although his
cabinet ministers must approve his acts to
MAKE tHtlh Ndiiu- Hc piaNtiSoiS NSh''S''
Congress, to a large extent, grants the con-
cessions which are given for public and
private works, and has much to do with the
management of the revenues. This country
is, you know, a Catholic country. Tho pope
sends q delegate to the court of Peru and
there are more priests here than congress
men. All other religions excepting The
Catholic are prohibited by The constitution
though Protestant church services are toler'
ated in Lima and Callao. There are only
1000 Protestants in all Peru, and until las
fall a marriage to be Legitimate mad to b'
celebrated in the Catholic churcn and &C
cording to its ceremonies. The ollspringi
of other marriages were not considered
legitimate, and the average Peruvian looked
upon the married foreigners here as Twins
outside the marriage relation. 1t was Target!
through Pierola that this has been changed
and | am told he would like to ~restric. tn
powers of the priests still further, thougl
it seems to me that the money he is spend
ing on the churches shows he is trying Z
curry favor with the clerical factions.
Congress OF Peru.
, l paid a visit today to the two houses o
congress of Peru. This country has a con
s~titution which Is modelled somewhat atte
ours. The law-maklng power Is compose
OF a senate and house OF deputies. Tn
senators are elected for four years and Il.