The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-01-26

rhos. r. Dawley for the Newspaper
TER COLUMBUS AND PRESIDENTS
whose only conception Of a govern
ment Is a chance for political graft.
At Santiago the present govern
mentof Morales PAYS $500 DAILY
OR $4,000 MONTHLY, DISTRI-
BUTED TO IT'S VAGABOND Pop
ULATION, INCLUDING GENER-
AIS GALORE, TO MAIN TAIN
PEACE. At La Vega it pays 5000
daily for the same purpose, and at
Moca, Puerto Plata and each of the
other important towns. approximately
as much or more, while all recalcit.
rant citizens and even SUSPECTS are
thrown into prison. banished or sum-
mararily shot. Life, liberty and the
right to enjoy to enjoy the suufructs
of ones own property have no guar
antee. In a country where almost
anything in the way Of an agricultur-
al product will grow almost spon-
taneously from the soil. and hogs and
cattle roam void at willthrough the
forests and over the plains, scarcely
anyone has the courage to do any,
thing.
The lone negro in his hut by the
wayside will tell you that he has
nothing to eat. because the revolu-
ton comes along
And Takes or Destroys
all he has; the otherwise prosperous
sugar planter tells you that his in
dustry Is ruined by the export duty
which the government slaps upon
his product before 1t Is allowed to
leave the country, and so with the
production of cocoa. source of un-
told wealth, and anything else
which the government finds leaving
the country. and on which an ex-
port duty can possibly be charged.
Political economy here consists in
discouraging the output rather than
encouraging it, and tariff instead of
being a protection is a political graft.
Although many of the MURAL re-
sources of the country reman un-
developed. and it's agricultural in
dustries are hampered by an unwise
government, large quantities of to-
bacco are rpoduced annually in the
Cibao region and is shipped to Ger
many, as also quantities of cocoa
and some coffee, but these products
are carlessly harvested and cured.
Consequently they bring a very low
price and the producers are discour-
aged from trying to do any better.
In some parts of the country the
native bees produce immense guam
titles of wax and honey. with scarce
ly any attention given to them. Only
the wax is saved for exuort, the
honey being poured out upon the
ground for the lack of proper re-
cepticles and adequate transportation
facilities.
In the mountain streams of the in
terror the women wash gold out Of
the river banks and nearly every
shopkeeper can show you gold which
he has bought from them, but there
is no data by which one can ascer-
tain the amount shipped annually
The government keeps no records or
statistical data, nor does anyone on
the government payroll think serious
ly OF giving anything In return for
value received. As a matter of fact,
there is very little science of govern
ment exercised throughout the entire
country.
There is some pretense made to
maintain an armed force. but this
usually consists of n lot OF vagabond
negroes, who pretend to serve the
government at the rate Of
Thirty Cents q Day
which they are supposed to get,
while there are many more vaga-
bonds READY TO GO TO THE
REVOLUTION WHENEVER ONE
rs STARTED BECAUSE THEY DO
NOT GGET so CENTS. At the
Capital there is a police force which
passes the day seated on long
benches In the shade on the street
running down by the prison. When
the sun passes over the maridian
and the shade falls on the opposite
side of the street, these policemen
get up, move the benches into the
shade and sit down again.
Their efficiency was demonstrated
when Wosly Gil liberated the pris-
oners, at midday, armed them and
turned them into the streets to take
the town, Theentlre police" force.
upon hearing the connection and a
few shots, and seeing the liberated
prisoners dash out into the street.
stood up and presented arms.
Neither the soldiers nor police