The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-08-19
Columbla's Plight.

| "OR THREE years a revolu-
| tion has been in progress in
| Il the United States of Colom-
bia. 1t Is one that deserves
more notice from Americans than 1t
has received. In it is involved the de-
termination of some problems which,
while directly of vital concern to the
| participants, are in a less direct man.
ner interviewer with the broad future
Of the three Americas. There are in
this city a number of educated Colom-
| bians whom the intolerable conditions
In their native country have driven
| into exile. They are watching with in
tent interest and anxiety every report
ed move on the revolutionary checker
board, and are hopeful Of the ultimate
victory of the insurgent cause.
What the trouble is about was re-
Gently explained briefly in the New
York Tribune: apart from personal
disputes over the presidency, which
afford pretexts rather than causes, the
quarrel Is the age-old one between
Conservatives and Liberals, dating
back to the days of liberation from
Spanish rule. In our own time the
Liberals were In power from 1860 to
1884. Then their president, Nunez, be-
trayed his party to the Conservatives
for the support Of the latter in his ten
years dictatorship. He abrogated the
constitution, repudiated the public
debt made deprecated paper money
legal tender for gold debts at par, and
made banking state monopoly. Thus
he started the country on that down
grade which has now carried it far
toward complete ruin. In his day pa
per money was worth sixteen cents on
the dollar. Now 1t is worth only two
or three cents, and Is run off from COM
mon printing presses, being considered
not worth engraving.
1.-THE Liberal indictment of the Con-
servative government is an appalling
one. Among it's counts are an enor-
nous and unwarranted increase of
taxes: the imposition of burdensome
export tax; the establishment of mo-
nopolies in salt, matches, liquors,
cigarettes and certain fisheries; the
licensing of lotteries. gambling houses,
bull fighting and cock fighting; the let
ting of public contracts without COM
petitive bidding; the preventing of ju-
dicial auditing of state accounts; the
squandering of public lands and con-
cessions; the delivery of the country
to clerical control through a contract
with the vatican, under which all the
functions of government are put under
clerical supervision, the state pays a
large subsidy in gold to the vatican, all
schools of all grades are put under
Jesuit control, civil marriage is an
nulled, right of sepulture is denied to
nom Catholics, and all clerical supplies,
industrial as we'll as ecclesiastical, are
admitted free of duty; the abolition
Of freedom of the press and of public
assemblage, and the violation of the
privacy of the mails.
"With all possible allowance for the
exuberance of sub-tropical fancy and
for extreme presentation of the case,
we must believe that Colombia is suf-
fering from many abuses and is in an
uncommonly bad way. The country
is vast one. 1t has a fertile soil and
incalculable mineral wealth, and one
of the finest climates in the world. 1t
Is likely to be traversed by one Of the
worlds chief highways of commerce.
Yet it is commercially and industrially
PROSTATE, and socially and politically
vergng upon chaos. The spectacle is
deplorable one, beyond all express
sion."
Few Americans realize what nature
has done for Colombia. In the fertile
tablelands southwest of the isthmus
there is almost uniform temperature
of 6S degrees; every product of agri-
culture raised in the temperate zone
grows there profusely, often yielding
continuously throughout the year; and
in addition, the rich vegetation of the
= pics is within easy reach. A mod
ed to public education and the utiliza-
tion of these incalculable natural re-
sources, would speedily convert CO.
lombia into close approximation to
garden of Eden. In course OF time
the modern ideas of life and adminis-
tration of government must prevail
over the ideas and practices of
mediaevalism; but the battle Is long
and the eXacted sacrifices are tre-
mendous.