The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-03-02


lutiomary agents are in otser coun-
tries ,lotting to overthrow the des-
pot ard there have been plots ga
lore, but the diminutive dictator
has nipped them all, and until he
recently pardoned and released all
hI, political prisoners and allowed
Matos to return to Venezuca, hard
ly ona Of the rebels or plotters had
escaped Jail or Punishment.
In putting down the rebels, Cas-
/, tro has baked at no extreme cruel
ty or injustice. : In one case he had
thct rebel leader, Gen. Acosta. shot
by firing squad. T.is happened
IN the day before he announced a
Reconstruction" with great flour.
;Sh of trumpets. In that Constitu-
ton, which was followed by far
cical (" election" backed by Cas-
tro's bayonets, capital punish
mcnt was abolished.
Though the dictator announced
that it was time for Venezuela to
be governed constitutionally (this
was about two years after he cap
tured Cmacas) and despite the
laws he authorized. his rule contin-
ued just as it had begun. Except
for occasional reprcpfs from for
ei2n Governments, after some ex-
traordinary outrage, his course has
been unchecked. He has thrown
men into Jail, Vcnezuelans and for
eigners, for 10 catrse save that
they refused 10 give up money
for the support of the Govern
ncnt." He has caused rivals to
"dissnpear" after casting them
into the fctid prison known as
"Thc Black Hole of Caracas. y
lie has bought judges of his So
4 called "courts Of justice" CT
thrown them into Jail for trying
to administer the laws he helped
10 establish. .a,i
While ostens.bly yielding to de-
mands by foreign Powers in be.
half of their subjects every new
and then, the Venezuelan despoi
has in reality broken international
laws and :nfringed upon Internal.
ional courtesy hundreds of mile,
without being officially selected
The notable protest Of Germany
over the case Of u German mer.
chant whom Castro's soldiers tor.
tured into giving up $4,000 was
probably attributable to the large
amount. in all likelihood, the
merchant would have paid $500 with
out a murmur. AS 1t was. Ger
man warshlo went to Caracas, and
Castro was forced both to pay
back the money and to punish the
officers who had done the tortur.
ing by his cwn orders.
He yielded with bad grace, but
as in other instances OF the kind
he had judgment enough to retreat
from wrong position ut the last
moment That he did not make re,
dress from any sense OF justice
was proven about the same time
by the barbarous treatment of three
native Venezuelan traders, who,
after refusing to, pay over 500, ,00(
Tor the support OF the Govern
nent," were forced to do so by
being tied to- stakes in the blaz.
ing sun, with powerful electric
lights, pointed on their eyes as q
variation after the sun went down
in the evening.
After boasting-he is always
boasting, by the way, and one oi
his favor.Me ideas is that he rivals
Napoleon as a military man-t that
he had legal power TO annul Vene.
zuelan concessions to foreigners
Castro finally put into practice his
theory by selling for $4,000 q
concession claimed by the Ameri.
can Asphalt Company, known as
the Asphalt Trust.' This was the
cause of the "asphalt controversy
about which American newspape,
readers have heard more than
about any of Castro's performances
| America, OF course, came to the
] front to protect her citizens. II
was agreed that the Venezuelan
courts should interpret the laws
on the questions at issue. There
seemed to be vain impression
that Castro respected the courts
But, to the amazement of us IN the
United States, the South American
president simply manipulated JUS
tice by discharging an attorney
generas who' wanted to act hon.
est!y and appointing new attor.
ney-general, who was willing to
think according to orders. Later
after settling the asphalt matter
tc the satisfaction in this way, he
actually threw an honest judge into
prison for daring to suggest that
conditions in the country's jails
were net as they should be and fol
/ threatening to expose the hidden
scandals relating to prisoners cast
into cells without trial.
Castro has been elected" sew
eral times that is, there has been
"voting" under the orders of his
soldiers. AS a matter of fact, there
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