The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-12-26
American roads Of / cent OF les a ton
miIel
where Fault Is Laid.

OF course the Liberal party, which has
been in power since his time, lays all the
blame for this state of affairs upon Guz-
man Blanco, but the trouble lies deeper
than this and is inherent in the character
OF the people Guzman. the iIlustrious
American, as he is called in Venezuela,
Was despite his errors, the best ruler the
country ever had and certainly did de-
Velop its resources, which is mere than
any OF his successors mas ever attempted
to do.
He was extraordinarily intelligent for
his time and race, and knew his coun-
trymen thoroughly. His. methods of gov
ernment utterly unconstitutional as they
were and more autocratic than the most
absolute monarchy, were the only meth
DDS OF governing the country and keeping
IL in order.
To the end of his life he always de-
elared that unlike his predecessors and
successors, he had never had his arms
elbow-deep IN the country's treasury. and
that though he might have bled the for
eigner he never took one cent from his
country One instance OF this. which is
told with great gusto in Venezuela. is
that, at his bidding the Government de-
faulted for several quarterly periods on
the payment of the interest OF the ma
tionaI debt
At the same time his agents OF the Eu-
rOpean exchanges were buying it on each
decline. and at last when he had acCum-
ulated a sufficiently Urge amount to sat
isfy him. the Government not only paid
up ali arrears but even anticipated the
next quarterly payment OF course the
price advanced some 20 or 80 points and
Guzman was the chief gamer thereby.
Saw No Wrong In Conduct.
The story may or may not be true, but
it is entirely in accord with his ideas OF
bleeding the foreigner, and thus it can
be understood that he saw nothing wrong
in demanding several hundred thousand
dollars of bonds in any foreign enter
prise inaugurated in the country and at
the same time did not see how he was
mulcting his country in doing SO.
Other characteristic stories concerning
his autocratic methods of procedure are
amusing enough to be rescued from OBJ
Iivion- 1t is said that living in the yell
los House one block from the Cathedral.
his morning SlumbeTs were disturbed by
the untimely ringing of the bells. He
promptly sent for the Archbishop and
told him the disturbance must cease
The Archbishop resented his interior
ence and the bells continued TO ring. The
next day he despatched a squad of SOL
diers to the cathedral who cracked every
oelI II possessed and they remain cracked
TO this day as q memorial to the wrath
OF GUZman,
= Telephone story.
Illustrative of his peculiar manner OF
treating foreigners is another absolutely
true story regarding the first telephones
installed in-the country. \ certain com
pany today operating in Venezuela OBJ
tanned q concession from him for the ex-
elusive right of operating telephones in
the RepaDIic, the concession containing
clause that the Government would not
grant an equal right to any other indi-
vidua1 or company
Some months afterward a second com
pany applied for telephone concession,
The representatives of the original com
pany waited on Guzmau and drew his at
tention to this clause. He replied with
smile that he could not entertain their
protest, as the concession he was grant
ing to the new company was not by any
means equal" it was very much better
The whole trouble with the country is
that this story is illustrative of its ideas
Of honesty and morality Such subteF-
fuge. instead Of being reprobated by pub
lie opinion, is looked upon as very smart /
stroke of business. The consequence is {
that when a foreigner attempts to do I
business with him the Venezuelan will i'm
Ueediately proceed, instead of making any /
effort to carry out his contract. 10 study
It line by line with view of finding some
technical flaw IN the wording which viii
enable him TO eyade its spirit