New-York tribune., 1906-07-08

had many
four each at
time To bring
about these irregularities in the political
sions assassinations, elections, oonps dftat, new
constitutions, and, last but most important revO-
lutons have been the means. In the eight States
named there has been total ofo hundred and sixty
rectlons nipped IN the bud after they had assumed
definite form. Dozens every year get further
than the first quarrel among the consPrators.
How a Revolution Begins
THE genesis Of revolution is peculiar. 1t has some
features akin to a muncipalreform movement
in the United States. The party leaders that
out of power first forgather and find reason
for attacking the party that is in CONTROL then the
good citizen" element is induced to back the revo
lutonary movement, and some wealthy set
of men are persuaded to advance the necessary cash
Latterly, since foreign capital is being invested by
millions in South and Central America some foreign
is the financial support of the plan; for 1t is
axiom that the best way to get concession or to
protect that you already have is to put your
President in charge of all concessions Next if the
generals who control the army cannot be won over to
the cause it is necessary to raise army and to
smuggle arms to some point on the coast from which
they can be safely got into the mountain valleys,
where it is possible to mobilize large force without
news of it reaching the capital. Nearly every
country has two points from which its revolu-
tions endeavor to start Before Panama became
republic, Colon, Barranquilla, and the Antloqula
district could be looked to for disturbances with great
regularity
engineer of the plot almost without exception is
eliminated from the chances for the presidency
as soon as the revolution is we'll under way, and
the General who wins the battles becomes the power
in the land.
A new constitution is frequently early result
of the fresh regime, and under 1t Congress elects
the provisional President to be the constitutional
President If the provisional government waited
until the election day under the former constitution
another revolution might have interfered before
that Peru had six constitutions from 1928 to 1900.
IF the new President is strong man and Just
man and therefore holds the opposition IN check
and satisfies the patrioticcitizen element, he may
serve out his full term If he IS lucky 1t may be
necessary then to change the constitution to allow
him to serve another term, and this will nearly
he viii override all opposition and stay IN power
till he makes some mistake or grows weak ana
old He is thus practically DICTATOR thou8h he
NAV not declare himself as such.
Some of the We11-Known Rulers
~TrZMAN Blanco was a fine type OF the dictator
" who was better at making enemies than 1TiehdS
1hes suicide 1920, and ruled for twenty-five years
not only in his country, but IN conquered
S9nto Domingo as well; Dom Pedro, who held
ver in Brazil for forty-six years; RosaS OF Argen
t who ruled Uruguay for the ten years preceding
81 when he was driven to England; francla
Who was elected perpetual dictator IN Paraguay ana
vas the supreme power till I84o, When ne uleu'
General PorfiriO DiaZ, who with one piel lhOeliu
tom has been Mexico's president tor thirty years
prac;dent CiDriano Castro of Venezuela, ana ireSl
dent Reeves of Colombia, both entering on tne luuie
1er;ods of what promise to be long rules ile
are excellent examples OF what strong man Cai
do with volatile people , .4 f
Personal ambition of some man OF Sohle 'ot "
men is the handspring of each movement Vi 4"