The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-10-12
THE TRoUnLE IN coLoMBIA.

1t seems that Admiral casey, VINO IS
! in command of the United States naval
forces in Colombian waters, has been
/ gently warned by the Washington gov
eminent to be careful in mis- manage
| Inent Of matters on the isthmus. Ad-
miraI Casey had prohibited the trans
/ portation TO Panama Of arms and am
munition belonging to the Colombian
/ government That government pro-
/ tested to Washington that its sover-
/ eighty was being trenched upon by
| Admiral Casey's order. The reply from
| Washington was that the United
States would do nothing to impair the
! sovereignty of Colombia, which is
| guaranteed by special treaty pro-
visions; and meantime the American
/ admiral was advised to be careful with
respect to his acts while guarding the
railroad and keeping it open to traf-
| fic. The outcome viii probably be that
the Colombian government will be per-
mitted TO move its arms and amnuni-
ton, since 1t seems to be the opinion
! that Admiral Casey went step too
far in Withholding from the government
the means with which to put down the
insurrection.
The trouble in Colombia, manifested
in this outbreak which has now con-
ti2ued for about three years, dates
| back for eighteen years, to the admin
istration of the late President Nunez
who made himself the absolute and
somewhat tyrannical dictator of the
country. Nunez, in 1884, dissolved by
force a convention elected by the peo-
pie, overthrow the constitution and
two years later procured new con-
stitution under which the President
was given greater power than that
welded by the occupant of any throne
in Europe. The President was alb
solved from responsibility and given
the power to declare the country in a
state of siege at any time within his
| discretion. He was invested with abso-
lutte power over the press, and even in
time of peace to Danish public writers.
In addition to this, laws were enacted
placing the whole election machinery
in the hands of the President and his
political henchmen. Following the
death of Nunez the administrations of
Caro-, Sanclemente and Marroquin each
took steps to still further fasten the
hold of the party in power upon the
people. Every administration for
eighteen years has furnished it's crop
of financial scandals. Disordered
finances and corruption in official cir
cles have characterized the country.
In 1899 an instruction against the
administration of President Sancle-
mente broke out, owing, it is alleged,
to frauds at the polls and corruption
in office. At the time Marroquin was
| the Vice President. Seeing an oppor-
tunity to better his own fortunes, in
July of the next year Marroquin him
self, assisted by Gen. Casa blanca, Min
lister of War, headed a second insur-
rection. This Marroquin uprising cap
tured the President, DIR. Sanclemente,
and imprisoned him, and seized the
government, which 1t still holds with
the aid of the military which Gen
Casabianca influenced to Join fortunes
| with the Marroquin enterprise. The
| present insurrectionists, therefore, are
| those who are fighting against the
former insurrectionists who overthrow
the government of Sanclemente. A ma
| tive Colombian, Mr.. Morales, writing in
the North American Review, thus sum-
marizes the status of affairs in that
troubled republic: "a government de
facto rules the country by the power
of it's bayonets-backed by no political
party, for the Liberal party opposes it
by force of arms, the National Con-
sentative party repudiates it as the off
spring of treachery, and the Historical
Conservative party in a state of disso-
luton, is composed only of the public
officials and the military chiefs for
whom warfare is the most profitable
of industries"
In short. the trouble in Colombia
seems to be in no wise different in
general aspect from the troubles which
so frequently aftlict the little "repub-
lies" to the south of US. 1t is based
in the lust for power and the lust for
gold that have characterized the history
| of Spanish-speaking America for hun
dreds of years. 1t is difficult to say,
under the circumstances, which side in
Colombia deserves foreign sympathy, If
either. No doubt the "outs" would be
as bad as the "ins" if they were to
| get control of the government.
MORGAN AND THE COAL STRIKE.
Mr.. j. P. Morgan, there is reason for
thinking, is the power that is behind
the coal operators. In all of the ac-
counts of the conferences in New York