The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-10
CUGTENALG's WEAK RULER.
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War. mfrurdii, io'o lail. proclaimed him.
eplf provision Al Presidebt ard held m
alsu,ioh which resulted IN hia eng choeen
for tho constitutional fetiod n sis Years
Al tho end ~ q O. m mratively peaceful
admit istratIoh Bafrillas announced MI. do
formulation n %fs'irirE from the POLITICAL
haid and holding an election f"r The che leo
Of HE Eicorsaor, This programme being
carried out, Harrillaa retired quietly n hia
oofe" estates near Quo alternngo, where
he set an example ~ patriotism hy HIS nom
Interference In national politics aud ac-
cep'ing minor onlces nj various Tines when
his services were needed.
Rcina Rtrrios, who succeoded Barrillas
distinguished himself hy an extravaganza
far beyond tho ability Of his country to
sustain and at last he plunged tho country
into a revolution which he successfully
put Gown only TO meet hs death at the
hand Of n crazy ~assassin.
Cabrera got control of the situation
which followed Whence he came and
how he got control no one seems to
know. but he found at his disposal a well
orgarized and fully equipped army, for
Reina Barrios, imagining himself tho young
Napoleon Of Central America, had not only
squanGercd money or brilliant uniforms
but had kept the army up TO the high grade
Of efficiency instituted by his uncle.
Cabrera with this army at his disposal
has successfully put down a number of in
cipient revolutions. although the whole
country has l'een fhocUd at his high handed
measures.
In the Central American States there have
always existed two distir ct political parties,
the Conservative and the Liberal. For
forty years the Conservatives ruled in
Guatemala with an ~illiteratc halfbreed for
President. Under his rule Guatemala was
almost as completely isolated as a walled
China. The country practically lived on
its native industries, and although the
government Of the President was often
dictatory and cruel it was the most economi-
cal which the country has ever seen.
Barrios changed oil this. He at once
opened up the country to foreign industries
and enterprises. He parcelled out the Gov
eminent lands to foreigners and encouraged
them In every way to raise cattle and coffee.
He built highways and railroads and opened
ports on both the Atlantic and Pacific sea-
board.
Still there are people who believe that the
country was better of In the good old days.
when the inhabitants thrived from their
own native industries; there was no foreign
debt hanging over their heads, there was
money in the national treasury and the
Government coined old OF Its own which
circulated at par.
The administration Of B~arrillas was
marked by neither Of these extremes. He
exerted himself more to carry out the law
as written than to introduce any r~eactionary
measures or reforms. His rule was one
OF comparative peace, greatly encouraged
by the high price of coffee, which gave to
the country a wave Of prosperity.
,Barrios's cry was for the progress and
advancement of the country with the
LILO tNp vi lht "plIu' Nv a
ltshed a race track, held a sort OF inter-
national exhibition, a worlds fair on a small
scale, equipped one Of his regiments in a
Prussian uniform, which proved such a
burden to the tiny soldiers that several
were Frustrated while on PARADE and thus
drained the national treasury until at
last, confronted by the revolution and the
necessity of obtaining money, he ordered
the summary execution of one OF the
wealthiest and best known meE. in the
country which WAS the diropt CllSn of his
own assassination.
The administrator Of his SUCCESSOR,
Cabrera. has been marked by neither the
progress of the Liberals nor the extreme
economy of the Conservatives, nor has a
policy Of moderation been pursued, as was
the case during the administration of
Lisandro Barrillas. While the other Presi-
dents Wake OF rod through the streets
frequently, unattended by any military
escort, Cabrera keeps himself surrounded
constantly by a strong guard. During, his
rule he has honeycombed society with a
spy system, while he has lived in such con-
slant dread of losing his own life, it is as
serted, that his meals are prepared by his
aged mother, who sends them to him under
lock and key.
A foreign Minister to that country, re-
Gently stopping in Washington. said to the
writer:
~You can believe all you hear of the con-
ditions in Guatemala under the rule of that
man. Why, it is n risky thing for one of
his subjects to attempt to leave the country,
for prominent men preparing to leave have
disappeared completely. Some are ar
rested and thrown. into prison, and that is
all tina is known about them. His spy
system is so complete that even the privacy
of families is invaded and no one dares
trust implicitly even his W relatives. The
making of the most insignificant enemy il
enough to lead to the party being denounced
TO some one Of Cabrera's numerous agents,
and prison or death may be the result"
Nor has Cabrera brought about any re-
forms or good under his system Of ruling.
Guatemala City the capital Of the republic,
n city of some $4,000 inhabitants, has al
ways been under all other Administration
a remarkably clean, moral and we'll gov
erned city. 1t has been called the Paris Of
Central America on account of Its perfect !
municipal organization, its beauty and
cleanliness but under the rule Of Cabrera
this city has become. what is known as a
wide open town. "The lid is of" as was
recently stated in a letter from theWashing-
ton policeman who is now there as superin-
tendem of the police force. Gambling OF
all kinds goes on without other restriction
than the peroentag &c OF gains which must be
turned over to the Government.
The economic conditions of the country
nave gone on from bad to worse. During