New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-18
"HOLDUP" G0VERNM ENT.
THE COLOMBIAN SYSTEM.
Panama's Re0olt against Brlgand-
age, Ertorti0n and Loot.
From the special correspondence of 1.-The New-York
Evening Post" Panama. December 8.

| From the special correspondence of 1.-THE New-fork
Evening Post" Panama. December g.
Next to that of the negro republics the most ex-
! asperatins government IS iouqt.ess that whleh IS
| known Latin American" Panama nae an eA-
! eVcase for sepaIation. 10 get 10 the point every
| member of the present junta was among the com
| called together by Governor Aloan lie" years
.Gentlemen'' he said when they assembled in
| the Yellow Room of the PaIqcto del GooeTno. the
| you arrange the matter.
Retiring, ne summoned his soldiers and placed a
| cordon around the building. Government, Tor much
OF the time. being actual martial rue TINS meant
scrlDlnS ms que share accol dihs 70 hts IlSnsS'
would be thrown into prison Governor Al1an re-
There are soldiers all about this house" he re-;
| Piled Before you pass through tneln you VIII
he returLed The paper had been signed
These subscriptions were prettly called 'volun-
tary subscriptions. as recruits Tor the army were
rather worse as business" than corporation con-
Ii6utlons to Iammany dal! because there came
or Immoral Sometimes, if one OF the eventual 1d,aa
Contributors was obstinate. he was made TO take
iernadio Arosemena. Of the banking house Of
sHbscrIption| for all the Arosenenas were known
his door saying that before certain hour of
certain "a! he mus, pay S-0,Cnt lie htd ~ re-
to Ecuador. Troops quartered in his house
1a6le him for the Money the Govern F econ n,
Ecuador but hiding in his own home. But he
would not allow the money 70 Re paid For nine
beyond his threshold Besides the soldiers on
emf I FINES Fn no ra Ike TS t Betne Of troops
the ArosenIeuas paid within few years more than
S50oo0 In voluntary subscriptions to Colombian
Oscar Miller. jeweller. shows receipts for war
loans OF $50 to 500 month. He was born on the
protection one day he was asked for voluntary
subscription of $50 He removed everything from
from General Aban to force the safe Mdlier gave
NE combination rather than see the saIe elo"4 M up
his house. and let no in or out, ordered Alban.
besieged. Then Muller compromised for $500. He
had To pay 81 additional for the man who had come
Job but he i had lost his Time ~ Maller had also to
pay So for the advertisement OF the lntenaHd sac
Carlos Miller brother to Oscar, was similarly
treated. His haberdashery was locked up for four
days till he should subscribe $3.50. Advertisement
yielded At the house Of Domingo Diaz the soldiers
occupied the bedroom Of Sonora Daz, and the Wom-
Federico Boyd held up for $4,000 but settled
ony esPea ran aS 9Tdy 70 CGSt r s
ton" which he heard was to be required of him
5000. 1t did not make any difference If the Gov
ernor wanted money. whether a man was OF his
prtsoned In the Yellow Room were Conservatives.
6 mSg man nan W we're M neither oeTa nor
Duque, who holds the lottery privilege. had clerk
no part or Interest in politics. He was assessed
SaO0-for being an Indferente!
Importers for awhile were assessed arbitrary
sums, instead Of an import tax; banks were forced
10 make loans. Government, indeed, was a kind OF
piracy. of buccaneering almost barbaric that
which Henry Morgan carried on along these coasts.
With headquarters at Bogota instead OF Porto
.Alban seems to have been the most oppressive of
him which now and then touched the hearts of the
people. He was exceedingly brave. and was killed
lies at the bottom with his ship.
Two sisters came to him TO seek the release OF
Bring. me $780," he answered them. "and he can
The girls sold all their Jewelry. but could raise
9Rly 500 II must have the full 500" he insisted
returned with the money.
..t gAh thought yo,g! could get it," he remarked
They showed aim the receipts for the jewelry;
What he exclaimed .'Ten per cent a month";
He sent AT once for the usurer.
Only $500 and then yoa charge them 10 per cent a
month the other 500? Bring those jewels to me.
usursr came back aban gave the Jewels G to the
sisters tore up the papers sent the money lender
back to his pawnshop, wrote out full pardon for
the brother of the girls. and-kept the 500 pun
Natives make out that the revolutionary or sep
aratlst spirit has been long years growns Seventy
1t spontaneously Joined Colombia.
That country acquired it free Of expense. with
out the cost of penny or life" as one Of them
puts IT. But she dd not properly value t. for only
used merely as a source of revenue
That has laugh. us several things about Colon
thing, the extent of own resources, and we
began TO think once more of separation. We looked
upon the building Of the canal a tier OF life
or death to We wanted that because it meant,
with the United States I'm control of it, peace and
prosperity for President Marroquin appointed
an lsthmian to be Governor of Panama; and we
looked upon that rs of happy augury Soon we
heard that the canal treaty was likely TO be
approved at BOgOta next heard that our 18th
milan governor. Obaldia, who had scarcely assumed
power, was to be superseded by a soldier from
BoSota. We thought that the days Of misTUle
upon US once more We decided to strike blow
for freedom. General Huertas. in command Of the
troops here, gladly Joined General Tovar was
coming TO take his place; General Pomplo
coming to take the place of Obaldia. TovaT
to receive from PanamanS 81 200 whereas Huertas
had been getting only 500 Pompillio was to have
a salary of $1,000. although Obadia's had been only
$500. This penalty imposed because Bosota
had heard that Panama had thoughts of disloyalty
and Independence.
Notwithstanding all that Colombia has dSainei
US OF in the way Of revenues, she did not bridge
tor us Q single river make a single roadway
nor erect single college where our children could
be educated nor do anything at all to advance our
Industries Well, when the new generals
ca me, we seized them. arrested them and the town
of Panama was in joy Not a protest made
except the shots fired from the Colombian gunboat
Bogota. which killed one Chinese lying in his bed
We were willing to encounter the Colombian troops
az Colon and fight It out but the commander of the
United States cruiser Nashville forbade Superin-
tendent Shaler to allow the railroad to transport
troops for either party. That is story