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

untary subscription" had been consum-
mated. The only parallel for this sys-
tenn of raising money to defray the
expenses of the revolution is found in
the schemes resorted to for procuring
soldiers to fight with the government
forces. These soldiers were never
known by any other name than vol
unteers," but they were the most re-
markable volunteers" the world has
ever known. All schemes of conscrip-
ton were discounted by Adams meth
DDS for increasing the strength of his
army His recruiting parties would go
into the bush, away from the Liberal
forces, and without compassion draft
the services of every able-bodied male
above 10 years of age with whom they
came in contact.
These men, whether negroes or Co
lombians, whether Liberals or Conserv-
atives. whether they knew what the
revolution was about or not, would be
taken into custody by the recruiting
parties, which were always trusted and
well-paid supporters of the govern
ment. No excuses awaited to secure
their release. They were either shack
eled, or had their hands bound be-
hind their backs, and then shackled
with ropes about their ankles, and
were driven like cattle into the gov
eminent camps. These men were the
volunteers" of the Colombian army
on the isthmus, and it is automatic
here that no man ever volunteered
from the isthmus for service in the
army under Alban except he appeared
in camp with his arms tied behind
his back and a rope about his ankles.
There are in existence to this day
notes written by recruiting officers
to camp commanders which run like
this:
Il am sending you a squad of fresh
volunteers. Please return the ropes
at once, as 1 may be able to send you
another squad of volunteers tomorrow
or the day after"
Such outrages as these voluntary
subscriptions" and the procuring of
volunteers for the army were not
isolated. They were common occur
rences of the times. The men of wealth
who were drained of their resources
by the subscription scheme remon-
strated, but were helpless. Those who
were drafted into the army by the
roped volunteer" process were in the
same plight. / asked one of those
who stands upon the records as hav-
ing volunteered during the revolution
why he did not desert. His answer
told the whole story of the isthmus:
Where would 1 have deserted to?"
Here he was and here he had to re-
main, and when he was drafted into
the army as a volunteer" there was
nothing for him to do except accept
the inevitable, for Panama, save for
a few miles either side of the railroad.
is an impenetrable wilderness, and the
deserter from the army has no haven
of refuge.
MOnopOIies of Many Kinds.
Besides these two processes for fill
ing the treasury and Strengthening the
army Colombia was prolific of schemes
for raising revenue. BY a decree is
sued at Bogota the sale of salt was
created into a government monopoly.
Every merchant in the entire domain
was forbidden by law to deal in this
commodity, which was vended by
agents of the government and exchang-
ed for exorbitant prices. The Depart
ment of Panama was compelled to d.
vert her revenues from the ordinary
uses and turn them over to the federal
government, by which they were used
to pay the soldiers. The government
monopolized the sale of matches, just
as it did of salt, and in land where
the smoking of cigarettes is universal
among those of either sex and of all
ages the revenues derived from this
source were not inconsiderable. In a
similar manner a monopoly was Gre
ated on the sale of cigars, cigarettes
and tobacco, one firm in this city hav-
ing been granted the exclusive right for
the entire department to deal in these
articles in return for the payment of
100000 silver annually into the treas
ury at Bogota. Ice, too. was monop-
oily, the right to manufacture and sell
that luxury Of the tropics being let at