Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1906-01-24

upon other tribes They are poor shots
and fire as often from the hip as from
the shoulder, but they are fierce and
terrible fighters, filed in battle with
the blood-lust Of sayages, and from
time to time captains Of no little mill
tary genius rise among them.
War in the island has horrors Of its
own. Every Dominican can pound
with his terrible cocoamacaque and
hack with his machete, whose wounds
heal slowly. Rifles are universally dis
tributed, and machine guns are plenty.
But, though they possess all the dead
ly engines of modern warfare, the
blacks know nothing Of the appliances
for relieving the sufferings and saving
the lives Of the wounded. There are
no surgeons, no medicines. Fallen
with a broken leg, or faint with loss
Of blood, the soldier Is left to sue
cumb to hunger or thirst, or more like
ly to be devoured by the wild hogs
that infest the forests.
Recent Revolutionary History.
In the turbulent politics of San Do
mtngo two parties for years have been
in bitter rivalry. Since General Jimi-
nez met the usual fate Of Dominican
executives and was driven into exile,
his followers have been known as the
Jiminestas. Generally speaking, this
is the party Of the masses. In its
ranks it numbers a majority of the
| ilIiterate.
Since the fall Of the Jiminez govern
ment many Of the former neutenants
Of that chieftain have remained in ex-
lie on Turks Island, and from that
barren little salt lick rising out of the
| Caribbean, under the protection of the
British flag, they have maintained an
active propaganda against the admin
istration Of Carlos Morales, and have
been in almost constant commun1ca-
ton with the other Jiminesta chiefs
scattered through the West Indies, as
the Clyde Line steamships Cherokee
and Seminole touch at Turks Island
on their voyages between New York
and Santo Domingo.
Horacio Vasquez, who also ruled San
Domingo for a brief term as Presi-
dent, is the titular head or chieftain
of the Horacistas, the other powerful
party. Enlisted in it's ranks are a ma
jority Of the better educated Domini-
cans. In civil life probably the most
influential, respected and able man Of
that party is Emiliano Tejera, while
the best soldier Of the Horacista fac
ton is General Ramon Caceres, who
has been the idol Of his followers ever
since he personally shot and killed
General Ulysses Heureaux, the black
tyrant, who ruled Sal Domingo with
rod Of iron, until he went one day to
seek the life Of Caceres, and that en-
ergetic young man, having learned OF
the despots purpose, ''got the drop on
him. and filled him full Of lead at the
very Threshold Of the Caceres domt-
| cile.
Caceres is brother-in-iaw of Hora-
clio VasQuez, and the brother Of the
latter Is Francisco Leonte Vasquez,
who, until last April was the Domint-
can Consul General in New York. un-
der the Morales government.
| When Morales mounted to power
over the heads Of the old chieftains,
both Of the Jiminestas and Horacistas,
community Of interest, for a time at
least linked the fortunes Of Caceres
with his, and Ramon" as he is af-
fectionately called, became the Vice
President. He did not reside in the
capital city Of Santo Domingo, on the
south coast of the island, however, but
remained in the interior city Of San
tiago.
With his Office Of Vice President he
also combined that Of Minister Of the
Interior, and il his coalition with
Morales his especial duty was to stand
guard and hold in check the turbulent
elements Of the interior and the north
coast, where Dominican revolutions
are bred habitually, while Morales oc-
cupied the capital city on the south
coast, and held the reins of active gov
eminent.
Demetrio Rodriguez Is the petty
chief Of Monte Christi. II at Morales,
in his present emergency, should ap-
parently be seeking coalition with
Rodriguez Is illustrative Of the exigen-
|
cies Of Dominican politics, for Rodri-
s;uez was the last chief to yield to
Morales supremacy. These two fought
bitterly within little more than two
years. When Morales won he placat-
ed Rodriguez by giving to him the adj
ministration Of the Monte Christi Gus
toms house.
| This kent "the little flrebrand" COM
paratively quiet until the United
States, under the terms Of the so-called
'1audo," the arbitral agreement author
izing collections In the interest Of the
Santo Domingo Improvement Com
pany's claim, was persuaded to send a
cruiser to Monte Christi, and there took
forcible possession OF the custom
house. Rodriguez, deprived Of his
source Of revenue, again became plot