Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-08-17
FATS ABOUT COLOMBIA
Liberal Party Sympathizer Dis
cusses His Countrymen.
NOT EAGER FOR REVOLUTIONS.

Senior Perez Says Chief Bone of Com
tention Between the Two Parties
For Many Years Has Been the
Question Of Embracing Advancing
Civilization.
1T is unfortunate that the people Of
tie United States do not better UNDER
stand the South Americans" laid
Senior Perez, an active sympatlizer
with the Liberal party in the republic
Of Colombia, the other day to ID re-
porter of the New York Tribune. Eou
think that we are anxious to fight to
engage In constant revolutions Ills
Is not so. We simply struggle against
the Clerical party to obtain freedom )f
thought and action. We should rather
die than endure physical and morll
slavery. Colombia is large and rich
country. 1t consists of nine states.
and Is more than double the size Of
Spain and Portugal On the Atlantic
ocean 1t has coast line of over LOCO
miles. The national government Is re-
publican, the main basis of the con
stitution being scheme drawn up in
1868 after the model Of the United
States of America. The executive
power is exercised by the president and
four ministers or secretaries. In 1911
the war of independence began, and a
struggle was begun with Spain which
lasted until 1927. In 1919 Bolivar ef-
fected a union between Ecuador, vene-
zuela and Colombia. but this federation
lasted only II years. 1t was In 1927
that the two parties which now exist
had their origin. We first believed In
the Spanish method of government, or,
rather. in the despotic power of the
church. This party, the Conservatives,
was composed chiefly of the Jesuits,
but was supported by priests of all de-
nominations. The other party was the
liberal organization. These men be-
lieved in free institutions, progress In
every respect-railroads. telegraphs,
free and compulsory education, and so
on"
whether or not Colombia should en-
brace advancing civilization" he con-
tinued, has been the principal bone of
contention between the two parties for
the last 10 years, not only in Colombia,
but in Ecuador, Venezuela. Peru, Boz
livia and elsewhere in South America.
In the Argentine Republic and in Mex
leo the clerical element has been over
come sufficiently to admit of enlight-AI
eued advancement in those countries,
but in Colombia and Venezuela theI
Clericals resist the establishment of
free institutions. They know that IL
education becomes general the people
will not pay their tithes and contribf-
tons to the church. They want THE
masses to be kept in an ignorant stslte
in order that they may exploit thetm.
We simply cannot endure their tyr4n-
ny, and so we fight We have HOPED
for a better state of things. but I'VE
have been forced TO resort to arrnf TO
protect our lives and property
There is q no more peaceful people
in the world than the ColombiansJ but
we are now desperate and would rfther
die than submit to the eapricesj and
cruelties of the Clericals. The Vdnezu-
clans are not naturally so peaceful as
the Colombians Twenty years ago the
Liberals who had been in powerlf for "a
years. lost control of the government.
This would never have happeYed but
for the treachery of our president, who
sold himself TO the Conservatives. or
Clericals, in order TO make sure| hls own
succession. He pledged himself to look
after their interests if they wbuld sup
ply him with arms and amjmunition
with which to kill his former adher-
ents.
THE head of the Conservatives is the
pope. We have no regular header, be-
cause our best men are constantly be-
ing killed in battle. Our old leader
was General Vargas Santbs, who is
now 81 years old, and so inirm that he
can no longer take TO the field Cen
eral Tribe Tribe is now commander in
chief Of our armies Hei has fought
steadily ut the head of OUT troops since
the present revolution bea ban two years
ago. Last April he is1ed peace
manifesto. when the fthung ceased
temporarily. We askedIat that time
that the Liberals simpl'l be allowed TO
exist, but the Clericald continued 70
shoot and imprison o9r leaders and
sympathizers. Because of this tyranny
we were forced to continue our fight
ing.
II do not know the present strength
| of the Conservative or government
! army. | should say it numbers about
/ $4,000 men. In order to fully under
stand the recent operations it Is neces-
sary to know that there is a Liberal
party in Ecuador Venezuela aud Co
lombia and AZ opposing Conservative
or Clerical party in the sane eoun-
tries. This is natural, because 20 years
ago the three countries We're one. Ihus
the Liberal party Of one country helps
its sympathizers in another SO 1t IS
with the Conservatives. When the
large number Of Clericals. or govern
ment sympathizers. entered Nenezuela