The Portland daily press., 1900-01-04
A SOUTH AMERICAN OLIGAR-
CHY.
ChiIrs Landed Proprietor Rule the
Country 20 the Great Detriment ofthe
Middle and Poorer Glasses.
fChiIinn Letter IN New York suu.l


(ChiIian Letter In New York SUM-
In no south American state are GLASSES
mora clearly defined than In Chill. lbe
richer element Of the population is. for
the most part. composed OF families who
have Inherited rial estate from Spanish
ancestors, and those form the ollgarchy
which for generations past has controlled
the political dtssinies ct.the country ana
jcaiously maintained an altitude OF ex-
elusiveness In dealing with the remainder
Of the Gillian people. Attempts have
been made from time to time,to break
the power Of the aristccratic circls, nota-
bly, so during the presidency OF Bnlmscda
In the years from 1888 20 1891, whom the
president Of the republic used every effort
to prins to the front msn of fair ability,
but obsoura0ofigin and without family
associations to support them In public
life. This erdeavor to Gust the olisarchic
arlstocracy was unsuccessful then, as
on former occasions, and today the same
names appear In all influential Offices as
was the case half century ago, when
the fathers and grandfathors Of the pres
ent generation held the reins Of COVER
Modern civilization has, Of course, to
some extent toned down the sharper
angles OF this aristocratic class. and many
Of the rrembrs Of the old families are
now to be found engaged In various
branches Of oommerSial business instead
Of being absolutely dependent on the rent
derived from landed properties or the
Income from official Tots. BY marriage or
other chance circumstances q few Of the
middle GLASS have become absorbed into
this arisocratic element. but these are ex-
oeption to the general rule, and are ~ no
mt an comm on at the present time. In
this upper stratum Of Chilian society
there exists a great deal Of narrow
minds d method of thought, and this tends
TO retard the material progress OF Chill
In the direction Of the adoption OF models
and manners In vogue In more advanced
countries. The Roman Catholic ohuroh
has real and increasing influence among
ths Chillan aristoorats. and 1t Is through
this part OF the population that the
church mairains powerful hold over the
political IFS oi:the republic. The clerfoals
are unosasing In their endeavors TO ex-
tend the sphere.cf power they already pos
sess, and no means are neglected to attain
the desired enc. In the matter OF APP
pointments In the universities and other
posts at the disposal of the state the
church party Ia steadily gaining ground
and foot by foot is winning a predomi-
nance for Its nominees. In private life
the church is also working more actively
than has been ths case for many years
past, Clerical Interference crops out In
somewhst startling eyidsnca In the q uss-
ton OF marriages between members OF
the rising generations. Mixed marriages
bet vsen Roman Catholics and persons of
- has Cot ana rannanftv ynaAa Inn
poss BILE In cons squsnce OF the r,fusal on
tie part OF tine ecclesiastical authorities
to permit the marriage oere mony to lie
soIemnized in a Catholic church.
1t is the upper class in Chill which
stands in the way OF the extension OF
education throughout all sections Of the
population and bitterly opposes the es-
iablishment of an educational system
BASED on pon-sse tartan principles and
compulsory attendance for oil children,
President santa Maria and hts successor,
President Balm aceds. both attempted TO
break the bounds of these narrow-minded
Ideas CONCERNING education In the de0ade
between 1850 and 1880, and sucoseded for
time In establishing q mobilization OF
the opiuions held In this respect, but this
has since been coun teractsd by the In
creased influence and intrigus Of the clert'
cal party during the last i've years
The Chilian middle GLASS, comprisinR
tn, commercial community, farmtr,
tradesmsn and others, forming this Pre-
ducing seotIon OF the Inhabitants and the
principal employers Of labor, are more
literal In their views than the oligsr chy
controlling the administration OF public
affairs. The opinions of this important
pirs of the population carry practically
no weight in the policy of the country,
notg 18th standing the fact that 1t Is upon
this GLASS more than any other that tbs
haIdships of existing conditions fall.
1t is thsy who are called upon to pay the
taxes that are levied for administration
PURPOSES and they are forced to do so
without repressn tation to any appreoiabls
extent In the national Legislature. Pos-
sibly this state of affairs is largely due 10
the apathy with which the social questions
CT the day are regarded but this apathy
s TO q great Ell tent the direct consequence
of the oligsrchio rule SO long In vogue In
Chill. and to the apparent hopele.sness
of any attempt to create a strong and en-
erSetic feeling Of public opinion In favor
Of u change OF system.
With the middle class the Roman Cath.
olic has less influence than with any 9TH
er section of the population. This msy
be attributed In large measure to the
considerable admixtnre OF foreigners in
the commercial community and the con-
taot with other countries entailed by fer
eiRn business relations. The German ell
sment In Chill has gathered strength OF
ihtb yedfbs anu W1lc hAOos
German residents belong to the Lutheran
church, they may broadly be classified
In the majority as free-rhin kers, without
any denominationai bias, but distinctly
adverse to the in1uenos exercised by the
Roman Catholic. clergy. Among the
British subjects there is very little dis-
tinotion with regard to tenets Of the
different forms Of PIots s.antism. There
exist both churches Of the established
church Of Eng gland and the Scotch Pres
by tsrian ferns, but they are attended
more with reference 70 locality than on
account of theological conviction. SINH
Lar circumstances apply In general
sense to the religious standing OF the
somewhat small colony of United States
citizens scattered over CHILEAN territory.
although In Valparaiso church has been
established where the ssrvice 10 held on
Episcoyslian lines. On any question
connected with religion, experience
shows that all foreign residents In Chill
not of the Roman Catholic faith ara
nearly alwa ys prepared to aid one anoth-
er In q general sense.
The iaboring IAN in Chill. commonly