New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-18
GOVERNMENT BY "RoLp-UP.-

When we speak OF government by "hold-up,"
the reference is not necessarily TO the last Tam
many administration in New-York. It is equal
" pertinent to the late Colombian rule on the
fsthmus Of Panama. Neither is it we alone who
make that Characterization. At the present
time 1t is the special Panama correspondent Of
'sThe New-York Evening Post" In another
column Of to-day's Tribune we reprint the sail
ent passages OF his interesting letter in The
Evening Post" Of yesterday, and we are glad 10
express our gratitude to him and to the paper
he IS serving for so lucid q portrayal Of the in
1olerable system Of chartered brgandage against
which the people Of Panama have revolted. Ii
there were 10 other reason in the world. the
conditions set forth by The Evening POSTS"
correspondent would be ample justification for
the Panama revolution.
According to the reports of this correspond
ent. who has seen the documents in the case
and knows indisputably whereof he writes, it
wss The custom OF the Governors who were
placed over Panama by the Bogota government
10 levy blackmail in a fashion as unblushing
and oppressive as that OF any Bulgarian brigand-
The Governor would call a number of citizens
into the palace. put a Gordon of troops about IT
and inform them they should not go out until
they had voluntarily" subscribed $4,000, or
whatever sum he happened TO need In his busi-
ness. With fine ColOmbo-Castilian courtesy he
would retire from the room while they ''ar-
ranged the matter" 4 banker had notice
posted on his house that by a certain hour he
must make voluntary subscription Of $685.
600. For nine months he hid in his house pre-
tending, through his family, TO be out Of the
country, and refusing 10 pay the money. In
the end he had TO pay, besides paying for tie
maintenance or the soldiers who guarded his
- -.
make war loans OF from $50 TO 500 month
When be demurred he was made TO pay the
wages Of a man who was brought by the gov
eminent TO blow open his safe! Such atten-
lions were impartially bestowed. Conserva-
tives were robbed because they were friends
Of the government; Liberals because they were
against the government, and neutrals because
they were Indifferent Pardons also were sold,
petty blackmaH was levied upon the poor as
well as grand blackmail upon the rich, and al
together the system was one which this CORE
spondent describes as rather worse than the
graft" OF Tammany Hall, and almost as bar
barrie as that Of Morgan the Buccaneer.
IL is not surprising that, drunken with the
success Of years Of extOrtion at Panama, the
Bogota government should have planned TO
hold Up" the United States. But In so doing IT
took, happily, a contract too big for it TO exc
cute. We shall be interested TO see if, after
the revelations made by 1.-The Evening Post"
through its Panama correspondent, any anti
administration carpers viii have the efrOntery
10 rail against the Panama reyolutionists for
having, as some have charged, used money for
the promotion OF their cause in the bribery of
Colombian officers. What? Condemn a man
FOR bribing a brigand TO give him an oppor-
e-sssT Of escapei Condemn a man who is held