New-York tribune., 1900-12-30
GUATEMALA POLITICS.
n BAD SYSTEM UNDER WHICH THE
GOOD AND USEFUL INDIANS
SI~FEIrER INIIrSTVCE
SUFFER INJUSTICE.

An ObserYant citizen OF Guatemala arrived in
NsN-York in time FOR the last few days OF the
ls1e political campaign. and watched the prog
reSs Of the election with an interest that can
scarcely be appreciated by. those who are not
familiar with the way the gazne Of politics is
played IN the Latin American: republics. Many
o' The election incidents Veslich he witnessed
fQed him With astonishmev,t. In particular he
MS surprised that Mr.. .sicKinley had not or
da-ed out the standine> Army in doubtful dis
triC1s. 10 make sure # his reelection. Another
strange thing was Jhat MI Bryan was allowed
10 travel through the country making speeches
in his OWL behaH; according 10 the Guatemala
system. he should have conducted his campaign
from the safety Of Canada or Mexico, certainly
be should not have put himself within the power
a. ne Administration. on Election Day he was
as oUnded at The apparent secrecy Of the ballot
by which any citizen could deposit his vote
without fear Of being led of TO jail if he voted
against the Administration But the most sur
prising thing Of all was the quiet OF the day
after election, when the results were made
known; according 10 all his precedents. the
troops should have seized upon the Demo
cratic state and National headquarters. and
have imprisoned at least banished the whole
o1-Is of Democratic spellb.u6ers who had been
harslnguius the people TO sedition for weeks and
months.
1t win be long time before We can have
such a peaceful election in Spanish America"
he said. by way Of comment on his new expert
ence. our statesmen do not know how to bear
defeat in this way. and when they are in power
they are not willing to any risk Of allowing
The opposition 10 succeed IN taking their places
Their motives are altogether selfish; they look
for their own self-interest and their own enrich
1ar-f how I.
spirit and even should one Of them announce
his course Of action as based on the public good
nobody would understand what was meant; ii
would only be thought that he had invented
some new method Of growing rich cut Of public
Office.
POLITICIANS A MIXED RACE.
''The ease with which government is conducted
badly in Guatemala is mostly due to our large
mixed race, the Ladinos. in which the Spanish
and native Indian bOods are cOmmingled. Be
ing without honorable position, and equally de-
void Of capital, the only means by which they
can amount TO anything is TO seek minor po-
litical Office and Offer themselves as ready and
willing tools to the schemers Of better position
who grasp at the higher authority in our re-
public. IL is because OF this combination that
we have in Guatemala a republic now
dictatorship. a revolution, but always some
SCI OF men making themselves wealthy out Of
the public revenue and out Of the system OF
forced loans taken blackman from all such
as are in opposition to the dominant power.
THE hardships OF this system Of elected piracy
fall upon the men with money, and. at the other
end OF the scale, upon those who have no money.
but are fixed to the soil as laborers. namely our
Indians. The wealthy may avoid these Difficult
ties by removing themselves TO some other coun-
try and by transferring their property TO for
eigners. for in all political troubles property
standing in foreign names is respected, and is
exempt from the forced loans. Or they may
unite in sufficient strength 10 overthrow the
Government and become pirates on their own
account
''But the poor Indians. our Iaboring class, are