The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1907-10-30

IuolsHo dsO Wien IHcIr assembly was
in session. doing nothing but trying
to get rid of the money they had re-
ceived from the Americans for their
rights to the Canal Zone. PROPOSE
ton was before the House to send
some young Panamanians to Europe
to be educated and thereafter to be
better able to be good citizens of this
Great Republic. 1t passed the
Assembly all right as does anything
that spends money. Immediately
thereafter the Assembly took a vote
to send the Assembly to Europe for
year with all expenses paid by the
government. This lost out, am in
formed by only three votes. am
informed that bridges and schoolhouses
have been built all over This repub.
lie. but the trouble is that when they
vote the money they also pay same in
advance and thus the matter ends.
Undoubtedly the same farce has been
gone through in Cuba. for until you
have been with and living among the
Spanish race. you have little idea of
how big joke they really are. and
how seriously they consider them
selves. Sometime ago when one of
their Treasurers died. a prominent
citizen offered his services gratis to
the public. Noble act.
The President of this Republic
appears to be the large majority of it.
He appoints the Governor of the
PROVENCE of Panama who in turn
appoints the brother in-law of the
President as Alcalde of Panama, and
the Alcalde. having several hundred
police under him. runs the elections
where in turn the President is elected.
1t is great game and truly Spanish.
Prior to a Presidential election, mem
bers of the opposite party are gradu-
ally locked up in Cherokee prison
until they are corraled in sufficient
numbers so that successful result is
assured and then comes the elections.
At the last election saw squads of
police march from polling place to
polling place and cast their votes.
Again. the voting lists are prepared
by the party in power "a wise provi-
sion) and if one should show up to
vote who is little opposed to the
administration. he is advised that he
is not voter. for his name is not on
the list. and then the fun starts when
they gather in sufficient numbers. l
saw plenty of pistol duels. and they
were fun. for they never hit anything
they shot at. and only the innocent
bystanders were in danger of being
shot. But later in the day large
squad of ignorant Spanish-nigger
police charged up the street with
rifles shooting as fast as they could
and with that the fun and crowd dis
appeared after a number had been
killed and wounded. l did not linger
around there very long for dug as
fast as / could.
Sunday is a great day in Panama.
These people are long on religion and
short on morals. Immediately after
the church in the morning. the lottery
drawing takes place and then the
saloons are fined if they don't open.
and the bull fighting. if it happens
that day. is on the program. have
seen number of these miserable
exhibitions of bravery with poor half
starved steers as the victims. l
never went to one except in the hope
to see the steer hook horn under
someone's belt and play ping pong
with him. ! have seen them get
gored little. but not enough. l
cannot restrain myself when this
takes place. put have to let out yell
that tells of an Americans love of fair
play. ] have always believed that
were man to tie up poor helpless
animal so that it could not move.
and charge a sum of money to see
the animal slowly sliced to pieces,
that he would get to be an attraction.
Touching the perfumery question.
for a description of Panama is not
complete without. wish to say that,
when l was formerly with you and
one of you. was very fond of the
odor of perfume. but an automobile
is now as fragrant to me. When a
native dandy, or a senoriata dressed
to kill. passes you on the street. you
will think something has broken loos e
down at the perfume works and that
they have taken bath in same. If
they have taken bath, it is evident
it was not in water. wish
had a concession on perfumes and
perfumed falcon powders in this
Republic, I'd get all the money. AS
a consequence of the liberal use of
perfumes in this place. if an Ameri-
can man were to appear with the odor
of same upon him. he might not be
surprised to be informed it was better
manners to battle than spray.