The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-12-27
CoLOMB|A's MIsRulE
TyrannicaI Government Known
as Latin American"
PANAMA is COMMEMORATE
How Governor Alvan Once
Raised S50,0O0
Uetter to New York Evening Post)

Uetter to New York Evening Post9
Panama, Republic of Panama, Dec. 26-
Next to that of the negro republics the
most exasperating government is doubt
less that which is known Latin Amer
lean" Panama had an experience OF 1t
which may well be indicated as an ex-
cuse for separation. To get 20 the point,
every member of the present Junta was
among the company OF twenty-three Con-
servatives Of Panama called together by
Gov. Alvan a few years ago.
Gentlemen" he SAID, when they as
sembled in the Yellow Room of the Pal
acio del Gobierno, 1.-THE Conservatives
need $4,000. / will withdraw while you
arrange the natter
Retiring he summoned his soldiers and
placed a Gordon around the building. Gov
ernmer.. for much of the time, being ac-
tual martial rule, this meant that any
one who sought to come out without sub
scribing his due share, according TO his
riches, would be thrown into prison. Gov.
AIban returned to the Yellow Room. He
was met with protests.
There are soldiers all about this
house." her eplied. Before you pass
through them you will subscribe $4,000"
y Again he withdrew; and when he return
ed the paper had been signed.
These subscriptions were prettily called
voluntary subscriptions as recruits for
the army were tied with ropes. yet called
volunteers They were rather worse,
rs business" than corporation cintribu-
lions TO Tammany Hall, because there
came in return for them no adequate
advantages. moral or immoral Some
times, IL one of the eventual contributors
was Obstinate he was made to take chilli
sause and salt water The suffering from
this is SO shocking, one is assured, that
when the man recovered he was fit for
treason At any rate he was in a re-
ceptive mood for suggestions of secession,
and only bided his time.
Hermadio Arosemena, Of the banking
house of that name, suffered frequently
from the voluntary subscription" for all
the Arosemenas We're known as Liberals.
One day notice was posted on his door
saying that before a certain hour OF a
certain day he must pay $4,000 He had
II reported that he was out of town
that he had gone to Ecuador. Troops
were quartered in his house Gable him
for the money" the general recommended
to the family Arosemena was not in
Ecuador. but hiding in his own home.
But he would not allow the money to be
paid. For nine months he was a priC-
oner there, never stepping beyond his
threshold Besides. the soldiers on guard
during that period had TO be fed from his
own larder. That was the practice. At
different times. not reckoning the billet
ing OF troops, the Arosemenas paid within
q few years more than s15000o in "volun-
tary subscriptions" to Colombian gov
errors
Oscar Muller, a jeweller, shows receipts
for war loans OF $50 to 500 a month.
He was born on the isthmus. Though of
German parents. he had no protection.
One day he was asked for voluntary
subscription of $1.25a. He removed every
,thing from his safe and refused to pay.
commission came from Gen Alban to
? Gee the safe. Muller gave the conlbina-
Aon rather than see the safe blown up.
Nothing but old papers was found in it.
Lock his house. and let no one in or
out ordered Alban. For twenty-four
hours Muller's family were thus besieged.
Then Muller compromised for $500. He
had to pay 81 additional for the man who
had come to blow up the safe-the man
did not need to do the job. but he had
''lost his time" Muller had also to pay
&c for the advertisement of the intended
sale OF your store Your correspondent
has seen all these receipts. and the wit
nesses
Carlos Muller. brother to Oscar. was
similarly treated. His haberdashery was
locked up for four days. till he should
subscribe 81 ESQ Advertisement of pub
lie sale cf his goods was made, and then
he yielded. At the house Of Domingo
Diaz the soldiers occupied the bedroom
OF Sonora Dia=. and the women folk had
f5r two nights no place 10 sleep. They
could not leave the house. Merchants
were assessed sf.5o day for the coloners
horse when the colonel was on duty in
town. The imposition was that several
merchants would each be assessed for the
same $50. They always paid rather
than SO TO jail Out at the barracks an
italian egg peddler was asked to leave
two additional eggs for two that had
been found not good. When he refused
he was taken by soldiers and given 500
lashes on his bare back
Federico Boyd was held UP for $4,000
but settled for 5000. Espriella ran away
to Costa Rico-he has only just returned
Ito avoid a voluntary subscription -
-.saich as heard was to be required of him
= GAIA, before he could escape. was levied
upon for 5000. 1t did not make any diff
ference. If the governor wanted money.
Of
not. The twenty-three vnom he impris-
oned in the yellow Room were Conserva-
tives. like himself If a man was neithey
Liberal nor Conservative he was still LA
BILE to assessment. ]. G. Dudue. who
holds the lottery privilege, had a clerk az
Colon, F. Cortez. who was a Colombian
but took nc part or interest in politics
lie was assessed $6ea-for being an Indif-
ferente, The governor gave me that
explanation himself" said Mr. Duque.
soon after the clerk was assessed s4N
Il had just lent the government some
money without charging interest" Mr.
Duque tells me. Il went TO Asban and /
declared that If he did not leave my
clerk alone l would charge interest At
that he erased the assessment"
Officers would select saddles and swords 4
and rot pay for them. The cost would !
lie as charge against some designated 1
Citizen. or allowed TO go TO the loss col (
uun Of the merchants day book. II one 1
man loaned money to another. ii some 1
times happened that the borrower would /
be sent for and compelled to hana over
he Borrowed money to the government. I
Pc lender would have 10 stand the loss.
She papers would be cancelled.