The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-12-19
Life and Works OF
Cipriano Castro

From the New York Commercial Adver-
tiser.
Id DERHAPs the most instructive source
| of light upon the present crisis in
| Venezuela and upon Venezuelan af-
| fairs in general is to be found in Il
| thorough understanding of the man who
| is directly responsible for all of Nen-
| ezuela's troubles. Little has been pub
| lished about the personality of President
| Castro since he first became so conspic-
| ,ious as II bird of evil omen, and that
| little has been mainly incorrect 1t is.
| therefore, well to sum up the principal
incidents of his career for the benefit of
| those who may be tempted to regard him
| as an object OF esteem and sympathy
Cipriano Castro is now a man of some
forty years of age. He is not, as has
| been said n ful-booded Indian; but like
most of his countrymen he has in his
veins q distinct strain of Indian blood
with it's atavstic endowment of duplicity
and cruelty. He received an excellent cd
ucation at the University of Caracas and
then turned his attention to fishing in
the troubled waters of Venezuelan poll
tics 1t must be remembered that al
though there are nominaly two political
parties in Venezuela, the Conservative
and the Liberal, these are subdivided in
to different factions. each headed by 4
keen-Witted. Inscriptions and greedy
partisan whose one object is to secure
at least temporary grasp upon some
public office whose peruuisites and pick
ings will enable him, after a few years.
to retire with private fortune. The re-
cent political history of Venezuela is
simply the history OF Il contest between
these partisan chiefs who scheme, plot.
bargain or fight, according to the dictates
of their personal interest. The model of
these men is Guzman Blanco, the ablest
and most SNOWY ruler that Venezuela has
ever had, and one whose presidency in
the early seventies was marvel of mill
tary despotSm directed wholly to gorging
the dictator with ill-gotten gold. Castro
soon acquired Il following, ana he acted
for a time with President Crespo as one
of the so-called Liberal" leaders, re-
ceivinG from him various offices and gifts
by means of which he kept his own fol-
lowers together while he bided his time
for coup d'etat This came in 1899,
when he headed a revolution against
President Andrade. whom he expelled
from office. making himself provisional
president" which is to say the military
ruler of the country. The record of Cas-
tro's two years rule is characteristic of
the man and of the country. From the
outset among his own people, he has
been decidedly unpopular. Four distinct
and different revoltS against him have
been organized, one by Hernandez. an
other by Pulido, CaStro'S own minister OF
war, another which appears to have been
q spontaneously popular movement in
the state of Bermudez. and finally the
recent revolution headed by Senior Matos,
which is Still SmOuldering and which at
one time drove Castro from his capital
In his relations with foreign powers
Castro has shown an utter indifference
TO international> usage and to private
,,ly n
secured n concession for working the as
phalt deposits in the state Of Bermude&.
After the concession had been granted n
rise in the value of asphalt excited the
cupidity of Castro. lie felt that he
might have made II better bargain. Con-
sequently. without a shadow of legality
and as purely arbitrary act, he annulled
the concession and offered it to another
company at n higher price. The Ameri-
cans appealed to the Supreme Court of
Venezuela which held that the Presl-
dents act was unlawful and that the
question was one Tor the Judiciary to de
eide. Castro then threatened to eNpel
the American operatives by force of arms
and summoned troops to carry out the
threat. although the Americans had oc-
cupied their land for more than twelve
years and though the courts sustained
them in their position. AT this moment
the American Minister, Mr. Loomis. went
in person to President Castro and pro-
tested with the utmost vehemence. His
protest was received with n scarce con-
cealed insolence and with Il sneer which
said, 'What are YOU going to do about
ito" An answer TO this question was
promptly given. The American warship
Scorpion steamed at once to the scene
of action. and her marines and blue-iack-
cts made ready 10 repel the attack OF
CaStroS Soldiery
1, to 1nt
to hesitate. lie revoked the order 10 his
troops, ana at last unwillingly consented
to leave the question TO the courts. At
his instigatiOn however, campaign or
insult and nVectiVe was begun against |
Minister I.oomis. The press of Caracas
teemed with foul accusations against the
American representatives; ana In official |
circles Mr.. Ioomis was treated with n |
codness which Nerged upon actual dis !
courtesy. Mr. LoomS, at his own re- |
quest, was presently transferred to Per- |
sia and our present minister, Mr.. Bowen |
took his place Meanwhile Americans
had been made the object of general per- |
secution until at last our Consul-General |
at Barcelona was arrested, and ono OF
the friendly English consuls was assas- |
sinatod. The climax to Castro's inso- |
lence was reached not many months ago |
when, in carrying on his operations
against the revolutionlsts, he flew the |
American flag from one of his sunboats |
in order TO deceive the enemy and to APP |
proach and lombard one of their towns. |
This fagrant violation of International |
usage, constituting direct insult to the |
United States, led to vigorous action on |
the part of our minister. Castro was |
forced under n peremptory demand TO |
apologize and 10 fire a national salute TO |
the American flag.
Such has been Castros attitude toward |
this country and toward It's citizens un- |