Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-09-11
A GOOD HUNDRED DICTATOR.
Ramon caeeres, President of slnto
Domingo.

y SOS6 fISmSnGS
Ramon caceres, President of silnto
Domingo.
/ He is a big man, fully six feet in
height and Weighing considerably
more than $50 pounds. His word is
law, but he rules with g. laugh,
whether he orders a man shot before
breakfast or calls for his accustomed
cup of coffee after a hearty meal.
1t is always a laugh; sometimes a
hearty laugh, usually a careless
laugh. When besieged in the citadel
above Santiago city he looked around
at his twenty generals and laughed.
Gentlemen" said he, 'if you do
not wish to remain here you will
have to follow me-" and vaulting into
his saddle he ordered the gate swung
open and with wild yell dashed
down into the city and drove the en-
emy pell nell out Of 1t and then he
looked around at his generals who
had followed, yelling too, and he
laughed.
When Jiminez got the fort and he
In turn had to fee for his life he
spurred his horse into the Yaaui
river, and swimming the stiff cur
rent climbed the opposite bank, and
looking back upon the city laughed
again. Probably this man never took
anything seriously, not even when he
shot down his wicked predecessor,
Ulysses Heureaux.
Such is the impression you get OF
the dictator-presiden of the Domin-
lean republic. The writer first met
him In the midst Of a revolution; a
division of his army had just been
defeated and put to rout; his minis
| ter of war had been killed, and II
was expected that, the enemy would
follow up their victory with a general
assault on the CITY,.
Yet this man laughed. He read
the letter which the writer presented
to him with laugh and he bade him
make himself at home with another
laugh. He then went to the funeral
of the minister of war, whom they
buried under the floor Of the church
by the side of the former president
whom this man had shot down In his
tracks, and scarcely was the funeral
over than he was laughing again.
His full name with his title Is Gen.
Ramon Caceres, but no one calls him
general, president, or even his last
name, Senior Caceres. He is known
throughout the land which he rules
as "Mon," the name by which his
mother and sisters and playmates
knew him when a child. No other
name or title has ever taken its place
and 1t may be doubted IL it would oc-
cur to the most abject prisoner plead
ing for his life to call him anything
else.
But here a misleading term has
crept In, for there are no abject pris-
oners, or people either. in Sarito Do
mingo. It is doubtful If the most de-
graded Dominican ever becomes SER
vile. If he begs it is with as proud
and independent an air as though ne
were asking what was his by right.
When Morales ordered the, two pris-
oners, Gen. Mansuetta and Command
er Gillheaux shot the next morning at
sunrise, Gillheaux called cut to him
as he was passing his prison door:
"Say, Morales, you ought to let US
off in honor of your inauguration to-
morrow" and there was not the
slightest tremor in the prisoners
voice.
Morales replied with equal seren-
ity: :
Cant I've already signed your
death warrants" .....-
And these two men marched with
firm step up to the cemetery gate,
faced about and saluted the firing
squad, and the next moment their
souls were sailing into eternity.
Caceres put Morales into the pres
ident's chair because he did not want
the job himself. Morales was anibi-
tious. He wanted to rule, but ne
found Caceres ever at his elbow" He
would have killed him If he dared,
but he did not dare.
Then the story went out that
Morales intended to poison Caceres'
When the story got to Mon" he only
laughed, but he watched Morales all
the closer.
IT can't do 1t as I want to-" unused
Morales, II am virtually prisoner In
my own capital, and then he negoti-
ated with the revolutionists on the
outside, and counting on the aid OF
the United States gunboats through
Minister Dawson, he precipitated a
revolution against his own govern
ment.
But he had not reckoned upon the
quick eye and the cool nerve Of the
man who always laughed. Caceres
sprang into the vacated seat, told
Minister Dawson TO mind his own
business, and taking up the reins of
government himself, quickly put
down the revolution and allowed
Morales to get out of the country
without killing him. He then ad-
dressed his people, saying he had lit
tie aptitude for the job and he ws:nt-
ed some one else to take it, but with
cheers they insisted upon his keep
ing it, so that he nows holds the job
and will continue to hold 1t until
some other fellow rises who can
shoot we'll enough TO put him out
| of 1t.
President Caceres is a descendant
Of an old family of landed proprie-
tors inhabiting the central part of
the island Of Santo. Domingo. On
the walls and shelves of his house he
has guns of all makes, and sabres.
too, but no books. and he never reads.
In appearance he is pure Cau-
casian, without a drop Of negro blood
in his veins, but he never boasts of
it. He very seldom talks about him
self anyway, unless 1t be to relate
some hairbreadth escape or inglori-
Gus defeat in the past revolution,
which would be blood curdling