Graham guardian., 1901-02-15
Revolution is a perennial institutiol

Revolution is perennial institution
in Central and South America. The
southern republic that does not have
| its uprising once a year feels that it is
losing something. IT is not always nee
essary that there should be just cause
| for political upheaval, but only that
come general may experience banker
| ing for the executive Office, or that
~ome president may wish 10 become
| dictator.
In such cases the agitator gathers a
| following, issues a proclamation and
seizes the reins Of government, if he
can. He kills as many of his enemies
as he can, in the name of the republic,
| and holds sway until some other fellow
| comes along and Gusts him. Or, if un-
successful after few skirmshes, fees
| the country and later is found starting
a revolution in some neighboring state.
The revolutions are not joking mat
ters, however, for those engaged in
them. They mean business while they
last and are usually attended with
scenes of butchery and the utmost tyr
amy. They cause great deal OF
trouble for the United States govern
ment, too, as the upstart revolutionist
leaders usually think it IS incumbent
upon them to tread upon Uncle Sans
coat tails at some stage of the game,
says the Chicago Chronicle.
! Revolutions have been so frequent in
Central and South America in recent
years that they are looked upon by this
| government as a matter of course. The
United States consul teIegraphs the
ST ate department that revolution has
broken out. The secretary of state,
with sigh of WEAKNESS, walks over to
the navy department and asks that a
ship be sent to the port nearest the
scene of the trouble. The navy depart
ment complies, and the senior naval
officer brushes up on the instructions
made and provided for such cases. He
knows just what he will have to do,
for if he has been long upon the sta
tion he has been through many such
Instructions.
He lands few marines and then de-
votes the rest of his time to seeing to
II that the belligerents do not ransack
The American legations and consulates
and seize American merchant vessels
in their search for fleeing officials
The weaker parties often make a break
for protection under the folds of the
American flag when affairs become
critical. and it requires great deal OF
watchfulness to prevent the pursuers
from violating the right OF asylum.
They are not always successful in
this. fci the victorious generals have a
way of shooting their victims frst and
then discovering afterward that they
have infriuged the rights Of neutrality.
IProfuse apologies and salute to the
American flag and damages follow
But that does not help the dead man.
It has long been study with officials
of this government what it is in the
makeup of the Central and South
American peoples which renders them
30 susceptible to the charms OF the rev.
Iolutionist. OF course. most q the gov
srnments are bad enough, but there are
few instances where taking up arms
has bettered conditions among these
Hery little republics. 1t seems to be
from a natural Unborn desire to fight
and to make trouble. AS soon as the
killing is over they dwell together
again, the opposing sides, in brotherly
love until the next revolt comes along,
and likely as not the contending par
ties then swap positions and fight
against the men they fought for be-
fore.
The tendency to such disturbances
seems to be inherent in the blood of the
Eatin-American people. This is prob
ably in part due to their excitable tenn
sacrament. But men who have studied
khe question are inclined to think it is
70 still larger degree attributable to
sheir race history and tradition. Their
governments are often republics in
name only.
One difficulty with the South Amer
ican peoples is that they have under
taken to erect republics upon the civil
law of imperial Rome and upon mon
nrchical traditions. They have framed
superstructures in the shape CT writ
ten constitutions, modelled, in many in
stances. after the constitution Of the
United States, but their political edi-
fees have failed to withstand the stress
of time because their foundations have
Been faulty.
The list of revolutions might be ex-
tended almost indefinitely. The his
tory Of South America consists Of little
else. They are all OF the same general
character: A so-called presi ient at
tains power, perhaps by means of
more or less farcical election. He rules
his country as veritable monarch un-
til some military rival can gather about
him enough disaffected soldiers { 0 war
rant him in attempting 10 seize the
chief executive office. Then comes the
revolution. Sometimes it is successful,
sometimes it is not. but il makes little
difference to the people of the country
who are not in the immediate following
Of enc rival or the other.