The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-12-27

/ butchering. Ice, which is a necessity OF
| life in this climate, was twenty-five cents
a pound; a farmer could not kill his own
cattle for market without paying SO a
head to the concessionnaire; swine had
to yield 81 a head; salt The government
bought from the the concessionnaire- at
$3.50 a hundredweight. and sold il to the
people at 81 Nobody could sell tobacco
except Isaac Brandon & Bro, nobody
could Wholesale cigarettes except Piza
Piza. The prices We're ''all the traffic
would bear; If the people were squeezed
too much, they bought less. So it was
more profitable not to kite rates TOO high.
The ice company paid the government
$1,000 a month for while, and the price
of ice to the consumer was ten cents
a pound. Then Bogota raised the rental
TO 1900 and permitted the concession
naise to charge the consumer twenty-five
cents pound. On this basis The conces-
sionnaire lost money. The sale of ice de-
creased and at last he could not pay
the rent of his monopoly. and Mr.. Duque
was appointed to run the business for the
government itself, reducing the price to
what the traffic would bear
Alban seems to have been the most OPP
pressive of the military governors. Yet
there was a quality in him which now
and then touched the hearts of the people.
He was exceedingly brave, and was killed
at last in a naval battle IN Panama Bay,
and he lies at the bottom with his ship.
Two sisters came 10 him to seek the re-
lease of their BROTHER from prison.
Bring me $780, he answered them,
land he can go free"
The girls sold all their jewelry, but
could raise only $500 Il must have the
full $500 he insisted. The girls borrowed
the SO of a userer, and returned with the
money.
'Ah, 1 thought you could get it, he re-
marked. How did you do it,"
They showed him the receipts for the
jeweIry: they showed him the contract
with the userer
What" he explained. Ten per cent.
month";" He sent at once fer the
ucorer.
You took the jewels of these girls. Civ
ing them only $500, and then you charge
them 10 per cent month on the other
400? Bring those jewels TO me. Bring
also their contract to pay" When the
usurer came back Alban gave the jewels
to the sisters. tore up the papers. sent
the money lender back to his pawnshop.
wrote out a fun pardon for the brother
of the girls. and kept the $500 as punish
ment to the usurer.
Natives make out that the revolutionary
or separist spirit has been long years
growing. Seventy years ago, when the
Isthums cut loose from Spain, it spon-
taneously Joined Colombia.
THAT country acquired it free of ex-
pense. without the cost OF a penny or
life," as one OF them puts it. But she
did not properly write it, for only mis-
rule and oppression followed The 18TH
mus was used merely as a source Of reve-
nue.. Pondering this our people grew
resentful. Several attempts to separate
from Colombia were made. One OF Boil
vars soldiers, Gen, Espinar, headed a
revolution in 1890 and he set up free
state, but by reason of sweet words the
Isthmus soon went back to Colombia.
The sweet words meant nothing. Old
practices were reverted TO. Remon-
strances were of no avail-inland politi-
clans treated us more like serfs than
brothers.
''In 1870 there was a revolution which
gave another opportunity of breaking
away Under Col. Herrera independence
was once more proclaimed. 1t was short
lived.
In 1855 Panama was permitted TO be
governed by it's own special laws. ana
there appeared to be an era Of satisfac
Ion ahead when Cen. Masquera rose up,
overthrow the government at Bogota, be-
came Dictator, and sent Murillo Toro to
Panama to attach it to his cause. A fair
treaty was entered into with him; but the
Dictator repudiated his work, and sent
down an army to compel adhesion uncon
ditionaliy Panama became as a con-
que-ed land. and was treated accordingly.
Her governor was replaced by one of the
Dictators creatures.
During the three years war which
ended one year ago. we were subjected to
numberless expressions, heavily taxed.
and charged enormously for the neces-
saries OF life. That has taught US sew
trail things about Colombia ard about
ourselves. 1t taught us, for one thing,
the extent of our own resources. and we
began to think once more of separations.
We looked upon the building of the canal
as u matter of life or death with US.
We wanted that because it meant with
the United States~fn control OF it, peace
and prosperity for as President Marc
quin appointed an Isthmian to be Gov
ernor of Panama: and we looked upon
that as of happy ausory. Soon We heard
that the canal treaty was not likely 10 be
approved at Bogots; next we heard that
our Isthlnian governor, Obaldia. who had
scercely assumed power. was to be super
ceded by a soldier from Eogota. We
thought that the days OF misrule were up
on us once more. We decided TO strike
2 blow for freedom. Gen. iuertss. in
command Of the troops here. gladly join
ed MS: Gen Pompilio was coming TO take
the place of Obsldia. Tovar was to re-
ceive from Panamanians Sl.20e whereas
Huertas had been getting only $50. Pom
pillio was 10 have q salary Of 900 al
though obaldias had been only Ss0o. This
was penalty imposed because Bosota had
heard that Panama had thoughts OF dis
loyalty and independen
''Notvithste nding al that Colombia has
drained Us 81 in the way of revenues. she
did not bridge fer Us a single river nor
make a single roadway. nor erect single
college where our children could be edu-
Gated. nor do anything Al ali 10 advance
cur Industries Wen. when thu
new generals cane. We seized them. an
rested them. and the town OF Panama
wa sin joy. Not a protest was" med