The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-10-20
COLONIES In VENEZUELA.
THE LOT OF THE AVERAGE I'M
MIGRANT

Our Little sister RepubIto-BOgus
n3IOeha and Java"
Especial Correspondence of the Journal
and Courier.)
Cindad Bolivar, Venezuela, Sept. 10,
Notwithstanding its blue skies
and balrny airs, this beautiful country
is about the most thinly populated por-
ticn of South America, except, perhaps,
Colombia, its nearest neighbor on the
west. Venezuela's area equals One-seV-
enth that of the United States. with no
waste lands to speak of and soil Of
such wonderful fertility that two crops
a year are produced without fertiliZa-
ton or irrigation. One hundred million
people could easily find sustenance
here, yet there are only about two mil
lions, even reckoning at liberal guess
the Indian tribes of Oronoco's bound
less forests.
During the last half century the Ven
ezuelan government has made earnest
efforts-but necessarily spasmodic on
account of frequent revolutions-to Sc
cure immigration. 1t has offered extra
ordinary inducements to settlers on
public lands, admitted their effects free
Of duty and granted every concession"
or "subvention" asked by foreigners.
But in spite of these benefits and the
many natural advantages to be enjoyed
here, the average farmer, mechanic and
Iaborer would do we'll to think twice
before removing from the United States
or any other comparatively tranquil
country to any of these Spanish
lean so-called republics; and Venezuela
last of all. A warning example of the
fate awaiting them may be found in
the history of the once famous "Tavar"
colony (named in honor of the capital
list who furnished the money!, which
was founded here under the most IA
vorable auspices just sixteen years ago
this winter. It's leader, the learned
italian Agostino Codazzi took advan-
tage Of a temporary lull in VeneZuela's
eternal civil conflicts to bring over a
4 large company of German en1igrants,
principally from the "Black Forest"
whom he settled on an elevated plateau
some forty miles from Caracas. 1t was
beautiful spot, salubrious and pro-
ductive as beautiful. The government
was disposed to do exceedingly we'll by
the hardy and industrious strangers,
whose neat houses resembled Swiss
Alpine village, and for time the stock
of the Tavar colony was away up in
the air. But the unquenchable spirit
of revolution which upsets everything
Venezuelan oftener and more danger
ously than Andean earthquakes broke
out afresh when Tavar was less than
thirty years old and in a few months
time effectually paralyZed all CONNER
cial ent erprises. Then, having reduced
the thrifty colonists to abject poverty,
revolutionary soldiers happened along
one fine day and "requisitioned" every
article of value in the settlement. Hot
upon their heels came the government
troops, and both parties proceeded to
entrencE themselves behind barricades
made by pulling down whole rows of
houses When the brief but sanguina-
ry conflict was over nothing whatever
{ remained of Tavar-horses stolen, cat
tie killed, growing young crops Destroy
ed orchards cut for firewood, even the
grass trampled out of existence and
pastures turned into graveyards. At
that time the colony numbered fifteen
More unfortunate than Evangeline's
compatriots of Arcadia-the Frenchmen
who were driven from Grand Pre-, in
Nova Scotia and whose wrongs have
been so often rehearsed in song and
story-these from the Black Forest,
having been dispersed without warning
and compelled to leave all their pos
sessions behind, wandered homeless
and penniless In strange country. A
few succeeded In making their way
back to Germany, but the majority per-
ished miserably in the land of their
I adoption, which offered such golden
promises at first and proved the most
sheartless of stepmothers.
Venezuela's constitution, like those Of
4 other Spanish-American countries,
looks exceedingly well on paper and
sounds sublime in the mouth of an ora
tor: but for actual every day use-at
least SO far as present practice goes
Il 1T is a delusion and a snare. The alleg-
4 ed republic is divided into nineteen
states and the ''Dictrito Federal fed
eral district), which contains the cap
ital and it's seaport. Each state has its
own president, Its legislative and judi
cial administration, and sends to the
national congress two senators and one
deputy for each twenty-five hundred in
habitants In the executive depart
nent besides the president are two vice
presidents and six ministers, all NOM
inally responsible to the former. The
president is supposed to be elected by
direct and secret suffrage in all the
states, and his term of Office is four
years If by rare chance he is not GUST
ed by revolutionists or does not con-
cIude to declare himself dictator and
occupy the post indefinitely. There is
never any falling off in the perennial
crop of would-be dictators in Venezue-
la, and young generals and doctors"
are constantly coming to the front with
ambitions to- emulate Napoleon. Soon
as man becomes a dictator-that is,
as soon as, by eloquence, valor or STRAIT
egg, he can control the majority of the
fighting force-he proceeds to model
himself upon the great Corsican who
upset Europe, stopping only a little
short Of st. Helena. At frequent inter-
walls in his meteoric career he issues
q Napoleonic proclamations, such as:
Soldiers, you have accomplished so
and So Soldiers, by means of your
valor have defeated your foes and lib
Grated this glorious country Soldiers
IA Won are true children of the marriott