The sun., 1899-09-24
CONDITION OF PARAGUAY.
People, RESOURCES AND OUTLOOK
Or TIE REPURLIC.
stll Suffering from tho Effects OF tho
Drspotisni of Lopcz-Its Government an
Oligarohy-Povcrty and Indolenoo of the
People-StatIstics of Commerce.

ASUNClON, Paraguay, Aug D. In no pal
Of South America have greater suferngs | &C
endured IN n Consoq quorce of dospotsm than in hi
small country placed ini in the interior Of tn
South American continent The first Paraguaya
90 arrogatc 10 himself diCtatorlal powers wa
DR. jose Francia in 1915. and his rul
continued until his death In lS4O The esteem
in which FTancia was held can I've Judged by TN
tradition that whenever u choJhd the species o
turkey buZzhrd found In numbers around Asun
Ctun, passed over tile house Of tho dictator Of az
evening an execution invariably followed the mex
day. After the death Of Francia his two ncphews
Don Carlos Lopez and Don Mariana Alfonso
were nominated as Joint Consuls: two years late
the former chosen President. continuing IL
this Office until his death IN 1862 and being ther
succeeded by his son Don Francisco Lopez who
was born in 1927 II is with this last dictator
that the modern history Of Paraguay il most con
cerned In 1854 Lopez quarrced with the Gov
eminent Of Brazil and marched an army through
q section Of Argentine territory 10 invade the
southern PROVINCES Of tho Brazilian Empire Join
action was thch taken by Brazil Argentina and
Uruguay TO suppress the pretenslons Of the Para
guayan dictator. The struggle lasted for five
years, only ending by the defeat OF tho Paraguay.
ans and the death OF Lopez at the battle of Aquida-
ban on March !, 1870 AZ the outbreak of the
war the inhabitants Of Paraguay numbered /, ,337,
430 souls at the close Of hosilites the total pop-
lation consisted of 22l .O79 persons these comprs-
ing 28,746 men, lO6, ,254 women over the age of
fifteen years and SO, orc children. The death
during the Ave years Of warfare from wounds in
b,iuc diseose and t.n,iro n,a,. nm .,sa.,. -,
1850 persons, rather more than eighty.
four per cent of the total numh., ~ irho ohi,.n,s
IN pa,.ru,v Nohody vac .no,od q, ,ht, 49,,
Aic+ Rove ~ ,,ys,v, rs.,s 81 400 asa, 80. :,
were forced into IN. 6gb,ipe r,nts ,,,,or 49,
ulitizcd ne c,rricra fnr r,i,;,,,v st,,,s .,d ,,
visions and whom NJ mn fur,b., Tia, N. hoo,,, -,
burden were ,e,, ., s,.rvo by III. ,o,Js,I. ,rh.
country and the pconl. wsr,, ,ho,, sa,,r;o,,,I ,s
uphold the ambi,ions desi,,s -, ., W.
pcoce fn,,lvco,c i, ,s7o Ri, po,ar,a,,,, ,ha
Porogu,vens yerc .h.olu,o,,. ,,,,s,.a,,
After The restoration NJ n.occ an ott.n,,, ,,,.,
made to reorranzc the poli,icol conditinn nf p,,s
euay. and on Nov, "a 1s7o -, nex constitution
was proclaimed. tho executive power being vest
ed in the hands Of a President elected for term of
four years Vice President being also provided
10 act in case Of the death absence or resignation of
the President Of the Republic By the constitution
the Legislative authority was exercised by a Con
gress Of two chambers the Senate and House of
Representatives nominally elected by the people
in the ratio Of one Senator for every l2 600 inbab
itants and one Representative for every @ 600
Senators and Representatives were TO be paid at
the rate of 81 900 gold annually Provision was
also made for the appointment Of a responsible
cabinet Of FIVE ministers, viz. interior finance
worship and instruction, war and marine and
foreign affairs. Senior Crilo Rivarola was then
nominated President Of the Republic in place
of the triumviratc TO whom the supreme power
had been delegated after the fall Of Lopez who
had been instrumental in converting the meeting
for the formation of the new constitution for the
g..a..~ -N...--