The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-01-03
A SOUTH AMERICAN oLIGARCHY.

Country to the Great Detriment of the Middle and Poorer Glasses.
 In no South American state are class
 es more clearly defined than in Chili.
 The richer element of the population is,
 for the most part, composed of families
 who have inherited real estate from
 Spanish ancestors, and these form the
 oligarchy which for generations past
 has controlled the political destinies of
 the country and jealously maintained an
 attitude of exclusiveness in dealing
 with the remainder of the Chilian peo-
 ple Attempts have been made from
 time to time to break the power of the
 the presidency of Balmaceda in the
 years from 1888 to 1891, when the presi-
 dent of the republic used every effort
 to bring to the front men of fair ability,
 but obscure origin and without family
 associations to support them in public
 life. This endeavor to out the oligarchic
 aristocracy was unsuccessful then, as on former occasions and to-day the
 same names appear in all influential
 offices as was the case half a century
 ago, when the fathers and grandfathers
 of the present genration held the reins
 of power.
 Modern civilization, has of course,
 to some extent toned down the sharper
 angles of this aristocratic class, and
 many of the members of the old fami-
 lies are now to be found engaged in
 various branches of commercial busi-
 ness instead of being absolutely depend-
 ent on the rent derived from landed
 properties or the income from official
 posts. By marriage or other chance
 circumstances few of the middle class
 have become absorbed into this arsto- cratic element, but these are exceptions to the general rule and are by no means common at the present time. In this upper stratum of Chilian society there exists a great deal of narrow-minded method of thought, and this tends to retard the material progress of Chilli in the direction of the adoption of models and manners in vogue in more advanced countries. The Roman Catholic church has real and increasing influence among the Chilian aristocrats, and it is through this part of the population that the church maintains a powerful hold over the political life of the repub- lie. The clericals are unceasing in their endeavors to extend the sphere of pow CT they already possess, and no means are neglected to attain the desired end. Tn the matter of appointments in the universities and other posts at the disposal of the state the church party is steadily gaining ming a predominance for It's nominees. In private life the church Is also work ing more actively than has been the case for many years past. Clerical in- reference crops out in somewhat startl- ing evidence In the question of marri- ages between members of the rising generations. Mixed marriages between Roman Catholics and persons of any other faith are frequently made impos- sible in consequence of the refusal on the part of the ecclesiastical authorities to permit the marriage ceremony to be solemnized in a Cotholc church.
 It is the upper class in Chili which stands in the way of extension of edu- cation throughout all sections of the and bitterly opposes the es- tablishment of an educational system based on non-sectarian principles and attendance for all children. President Santa Maria and his success sor, President Balmaceda. beth attempt ed to break the bounds of these narrow minded ideas concerning education In the decade between 1880 and 1890, and for time in establishing q of the opinions held in this respect, but this has since been counter acted by the increased influence and in- trigues of the clerical party during the last five years.
 The Chilan middle class, comprising | the commercial community, farmers, | radesmen and others, forming the pro- lucing section of the inhabitants and | the principal employers of labor, are more liberal in their views than the oli- ,archy controlling the administration of public affairs, The opinions of this im- oortant part of the population carry | practically no weight In the policy of he country notwithstanding the fact hat 1t is upon this class more than any ,ther that the hardship of existing con litions falls. It is they who are called lpon to pay the taxes that are levied for administration purposes, and they are orced to do so, without representation o any appreciable extent in the national legislature Possibly this state of af- airs Is largely due to the apathy with which the social questions of the day Ire regarded; but this apathy Is to a ,reat extent the direct consequence of he oligarchic rule so long in vogue in 1hili, and to the apparent bopelessness f any attempt to create strong and nergentic feeling or public opinion in avor of change of system.
 With the middle class the Roman Catholic church has less influence than with any other section of the popula- ion. This may be'attributed in large measure to the considerable admixture f foreigners in the commercial com- 1unity and the contact with other coun- ries entaied by foreign business rela- Ions. The German element in Chili has adhered strength of late years, and ,hle nominally most German residents elong to the Lutheran church, they { lay broadly be classified in the ma Z prity as free-thinkers, without any de- ominational bias, but distinctly ad- erse to the influence exercised by the ,oman Catholic clergy. Among the ritish subjects there is very little dis melton with regards to tenets of the ifferent forms of Professionalism. There xist both churches of the established hurch of England and the Scotch forms, but they are at