The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-19

who used his opportunity to such good
advantage that, prior to the establish
ment of the republic, the normal price
paid in Panama for dee was 12h cents
Colombian silver a pound, equivalent
to 5A cents, American currency. One
of the worst outrages, however, was
that perpetrated in regard to the
slaughtering of beef. Under a decree
issued at Bogota a monopoly for the
Strengthening of beef was created and
let out to a concessionaire. BY the
terms of this decree it was unlawful
even for the owner of a steer to kill the
animal and dress it for private con-
sumption. He had to send word to the
concessionaire, who dispatched an
agent to superintend the killing, collect
a fee and take possession of the hide.
Every hide became. at the moment of
the killing, the property of the Colom-
bian government, and they were care
fully collected, shipped to New York
and sold for the account of the federal
treasury. The government at Bogota
realized, also, $S7, 900 Colombian silver
annually in return for the gambling
concession, which was openly sold to a
firm known as Pratt & Seymour. BY
this concession the firm named is given
the exclusive right for the entire de-
partment to maintain and operate gam
DliiS dGNlCGSs LII AGlulH lOL liilS COH-
cession the firm has been paying Bo-
gotta $4,000 annually for the Pacific
side of the isthmus and 100000 annually
for the Caribbean side, where its OPP
erations are restricted to the city of
Colon. In addition to the various
forms OF gambling conducted by this
firm, it leases to saloon and other pro-
prietors of establishments the right to
maintain poker games, roulette wheels,
crap tables. etc.
Other Forms of ExtOrtiOn.
The assertion is made upon authority
and fully substantiated that the gov
eminent at Bogota let slip no oppor-
tunity to secure possession of The
money in the isthmian Golfers, whether
it was public or private in character.
There are families in Panama that can
show proof of the fact that within the
last five years they have paid to the
Colombian government, under one form
of extortion and another not less than
100000, while every man of vested
means has been compelled by some pro-
cess to surrender a portion of his
wealth. In addition to this scheme of
mulcting individuals and creating mo-
nopolies in the commodities of life, the
Bogota government borrowed virtually
every cent of the revenues of the De-
partment of Panama, amounting to
about $500, coo (silver) a year. To in
sure the success of these projects for
relieving the federal government of the
expense of suppressing the revolution
on the isthmus, Bogota has maintained
a consistent attitude In permitting none
save foreigners to administer the gov
eminent on the isthmus. Senior Jose
Domingo de Obaldia, who was governor
of the department at the time of the
recent revolution, was the first native
Panamaian to be intrusted with that
office for many years. all of his prede-
cessors, save those who, served under
ad interim appointments, being dis
patched to Panama from remote parts
of the Colombian republic. This pro-
cess insured against any leniency in
the enforcement of the DEGREES issued
at Bogota, for the governors of the
department have, with one accord, been
in touch with the federal government,
as was Alban, and ready to go to any
extreme to satisfy its desires.
Rental of the Railroad.
There is. too, another phases of the
past history of Panama which is not
without interest in view of recent
it was completed, the Panama Rail-
road has been paying $250,000 (gold)
into the Colombian treasury annually.
Under the stipulations of the railroad
concession $225,000 (gold) were to have
been paid the federal government and
$25, 900 (gold) were to have been cover
ed into. the departmental treasury at
Panama. Colombia has, however, taken
the whole rental for the concession.
This amount in gold is equivalent to
about 100000 in Colombian silver,
which circulates only in the Depart
ment of Panama, and to about $780,
900 annually in the deprecated paper
currency, which is the only money
known in other portions Of the Colom-
bian Republic. The monopolization of
this sum, together with the sale of
concessions and the trading monopolies
formerly held by the Bogota govern
ment, means that the federal govern
ment has been taking $1,000, 900 (silver)
annually for many years past. This
amount taken out of country in which
the entire stock of silver is to-day
estimated at not more than 1,500, 000
or about IS per CAPITA has imposed
upon Panama a burden difficult to
bear.
Broke the Cancels Back.
While practicing this extortion, Co.
lombia has been most neglectful of the
interests of Panama. In all the years
the Bogota government has been milk
ing the Department of Panama not one
dollar of the federal revenue has been
spent in the department for public i'm
rrovements. There is not in existence
in the whole of Panama to-day sin
gle bridge, street, plaza, public build
ing or other structure of public utility
or comfort the expense of which was
borne by the Colombian government.
In a word, the motto at Bogota was to
take everything from and give nothing
to Panama. To cap the climax, Co
lombia rejected the Hay-Herran treaty.
under which Panama hoped to see the
canal constructed. That was the straw
which broke the camePs back. Pana-
ma was willing to stand all her other
ills; but when the mulcting processes
of the Bogota government were carried
to the extreme of rejecting that treaty
the revolution flashed out to instant
success. and all that has been done
toward establishing Panamajan indie
pendence is to-day approved by 80 out
of every 100 people on the isthmus. Re-
liable advices from the seven prov
inces in the new republic show that
there is no disposition to contest the
Incumbent government, the population
almost unanimously realizing that by
the coup for independence the con-
Of the canal lie scurad nd