The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1900-11-23
REVOLUTION NORMAL.
South and Central Americans Never
Pleased with Rulers.
AgitatOrs Flourish and often Seize
the Reins of GOvernmep t--Revo-
Iutions Result in Scenes
of Butchery.

Revolution is a perennial institution
in Central and South America. The
southern republic that does not have
it's uprising once year feels that it is
losing something. 1t is not always nee.
essary that there should be just cause
for a political upheayal, but only that
some general may experience banker
ing for the executive office, or that
some president may wish to become a
dictator.
In such cases the agitator gathers a
following, issues a proclamation and
seizes the reins of government, if he
can. He kills as many of his enemies
as he can, in the name of the republic,
andholds sway until some other fellow
comes along and Gusts him. Or, if I'M
successful after few slirmishes, fees
the country and later is found starting
a revolution in some neighboring state.
The revolutions are not joking mat
tiers, however, for those engaged in
them. They mean business while they
last and are usually attended with
scenes of butchery and the utmost tyr
amy. They cause a great deal of
trouble for the United States govern
ment, too, as the upstart revolutionist
leaders usually think it is incumbent
upon them to tread upon Uncle Sans
coat tails at some stage of the game,
says the Chicago Chronicle.
Revolutions have been so frequent in
Central and South America in recent
years that they are looked upon by this
government as a matter of course. The
United States consul telegraphs the
state department that revolution has
broken out. The secretary of state,
with sigh of WEAKNESS, walks over to
the navy department and asks that a
scene of the trouble. The navy depart
ment complies, and the senior nava
officer brushes up on the instructions
made and provided for such cases. He
knows just what he will have to do,
for If he has been long upon the sta
ton he has been through many such
instructions.
He lands few marines and then de-
votes the rest of his time to seeing to
1t that the belligerents do not ransack
the American legations and consulates
and seize American merchant vessels
in their search for fleeing officials.
The weaker parties often make a break
for protection under the folds of the !
American flag when affairs become
critical, and it requires a great deal of
watchfulness to prevent the pursuers
from violatingthe right of asylum.
They are not always successful in |
this, for the victorious generals have a
way of shooting their victims first and
then discovering afterward that they |
have infringed the rights of neutrality.
Profuse apologies and salute to the
American flag and damages follow.
But that does not help the dead man.
It has long been a study with officials
Of this government what it is in the
of the Central and South
American peoples which renders them
so susceptible to the charms of the rev.
olutionist. OF course, most of the gov
ernments are bad enough, but there are
few instances where taking up arms
has bettered conditions among these
iery little republics. It seems to be
from a natural Unborn desire to fight
and to make trouble. AS soon as the
killing is over they dwell together
again, the opposing sides, in brotherly
owe until the next revolt comes along,
md likely as not the contending par
les then swap positions and fight
against the men they fought for be-
fore.
The tendency to such disturbances
ems to be inherent in the blood of the
atin-American people. This is prob
Ibly in part due to their excitable tenn
But men who have studied
he question are inclined to think it is
o still larger degree attributable to