The evening times., 1900-01-24
REVOLUTIONS DARK side
Nothing Funny About the South
American Uprisings.
Outbreaks Accompanied by Much
night TerrOrs of an UprOar i'm the
Streets-The Shocking Experience
of an English Woman in Peru.

VI w IN g u'
The Anglo-Saxon is always ready to
smile at South American revolutions, un-
less he happens to be engaged in the
South American trade. But il one looks
more closely into these never ceasing po-
litical eruptions of a volcanic race there
is much in them to weep over. civil
war in which 1900 lives are sacrificed in
one city within few days, as happened
some fifteen years ago at Baranquilla, in
the Republic of Colombia, is a melancholy
spectacle for philanthropists. II is OBJ
vious to remark that this is a heavier loss
of life than the whole of the late war with
Spain entailed. 1t is also obvious that the
recklessness with which South Americans,
on what seems to Northerners small prov
ocation, will stand up TO shoot and TO be
shot considerably dims the glory OF the
game men of the Southern and Western
States of the Union. The indifference 10
death seems to proceed in both cases
from an inability to appreciate the ad-
vantages OF life.
Those who have lived in South American
countries sometimes tell of horrors which
the natives seemed TO consider as neces-
sary incidents OF their revolutions, and
therefore in their view, of free govern
ment by the people for the people To
be awakened at midnight, for instance, by
an uproar in the streets to have one
marrow chilled by the screams and ap-
peals for mercy OF a newly found victim,
and then to be coolly informed that they
are only going to hang" this or that mem
Der of an unpopular government; all this
is not pleasant TO persons, especially OF
the gentler sex, who have been reared in
quieter political surroundings.
One English woman, who had long re-
sided ~ CalIao Peru, received during 4
revolution there twenty years ago shock
from which she never recovered, ana she
was not by any means a weak minded wo-
man. An unpopular leader having recent
" been hanged and burned in the public
square. a Young half German man about
town cheerfuly showed this woman what
looked like a small piece OF bog oak,
which. the young man said, he was going
10 have made into a cigar holder. Inc
English woman took it and examined II
closely but failed to make out Wnat the
material was. At last while she stlli heid
il. the gay youth informed her that II was
a finger bone of a charred hand-one or
those lately belonging TO the unpopular
statesman-which the enterprising young
man had picked out Of the black heap IN
the square.
This side of the South African Tevolu
ton habit is ugly and grim enough, no
doubt. and il is a mistake. too. 10 suppose
that revolutions. at least those which
reach out beyond one city or province,
make no difference TO the commerce OF
those countries.
ITO the planters In the interior revolu-
tion is generally q reason for not fulfilling
their contracts" New York merchant
whose business is with Venezuela lately
said. and even II the coast towns
are perfectly quiet, the stoppage OF trade
with the interior must result in stop
page Of imports. At the same time there
is something comical in the idea OF regu-
larly organized firms, or associations, Win
headquarters at the capital of the republic,
under the very nose OF the Government Ad-
ministration. always ready to supply money
and arms to any responsible party OF
parties who will take the field against the
Government anywhere within the Republic
II was in this way that the beginning OF
the present Venezuelan troubles we're To-
mented at Ell Tachira, Zamora. and cara
hobo To be sure the revolutionists had
a good political excuse In the almost no.
torIous fact that Andrade's election was a
rank swindle throughout, but in the ordin-
ary course OF South American events an
equally serious revolution could have been
got ND with a much less serious ground OF
complaint under it.
The oldest thing about Venezuelan
revolutions considering the lavish outpour-
ing of blood which signalizes their course
is that their conclusion is not marked by
the infiiction of the death penalty upon the
unsuccessful party. The people OF Nene-
zuela are TOO humane TO tolerate capital
punishment by law The punishment for
getting I'D q revolution, like the punish
ment for killing a citizen. is imprisonment,
and. as happened with Hernandez, who
stirred up the anti-Andrade revolt last
wear. the legislature Of the republic some
how generally manages to pass an act OF
indemnity in favor of the unfortunate lead
er which frees him and is supposed TO
conciliate his political following.
So that supposing the hero OF the oeca-
sion fortunate enough. or knowing enough
to escape death on the field OF battle, he
either gets off with brief term of i'm
prisonment in case OF failure, or enjoys an
opportunity to put his fingers into the
revenues of the country until some other
revolutionist succeeds in Ousting him. For
certain natures enterprises like this nave
an irresistible fascination.
A New York business man who once
lived in a Latin American republic. and
who has since visited the southern half of
the continent on an average oftener than
once year. recently summed up the pros
meets for cessation of these internecine
struggles In about these words: viii the
South American republics ever become
decently settled? Ny answer is. they have
two chances. Their peoples may become
imnregnated with Northern blood. as is
happening in Chile and Argentina. and that
NAV reach them practical moderation, as it
seems to be doing in the extreme south.
The only other chance ] can see for them is.
if some strong man imposes himself on
each republic; that has been done in MeHi-
On with good results and Mexico may be
counted as morally a South American re-
nublic II neither of these two things hap
nsus then somebody from outside Will
have TO interfere sooner or later. No,
didn't saw the United States, ] only said
ssomebody'-whoever is most interested.
But YOU can depend upon it. the Spanish
Americans don't understand freedom as we
do. their freedom means downing every
body that doesn't agree with them. -
New York Tribune.
Tramps Too Numerous.
IErop, tho Pittshure Dispatch.)