New-York tribune., 1908-02-26
TIE P4NiN4 PRENIDENCl.

Indications multiply that the Republic Of
| Panama will continue to set before It's neign-
/ bors in Central and South America 4 com
! nlendabe example of enlightened constitution
/ alsm. IT is pr0verbial that in new state the
| choice of Il second President is a particularly
crucial experience. Under the stress Of militant
patriotism in revolutionary epoch the first
! President is chosen by common consent But
when the time comes for the election of his sue
cesS0r personal ambitions ard partisan anmos-
tiles are rife and potent. It was in the election
and during the administration of our own sec
ond President that faction first manifested it
self in an OmiuotIS degree in American politics.
II WIS in her second Presidential election that
Cuba came TO grief Accordingly. this years
campaign for successor 70 President AmadOr
in Panama is 10 be regarded with special i'll
tereSt.
We published The other day President ANA
doris wise and patriotic letter insisting upon
retirement from office at the end OF his present
term. in loyal accord with the letter and spirit
Of the constitution. That utterance has been
accepted final by the people of Panama, and
in consequence other candidates for the Presi-
dency are being put forward. The two who
have thus far been announced. and who will
probably be the only candidates in the election,
are both members of the Conservative or Con
stitutionalist party. 10 which President Amador
belongs. the Liberals having decided not u
name a candidate of their own. but 10 give their
strength TO that candidate of the Conservatives
who seems 10 be most favorable TO their pol
ices.
One Of the candidates is Senior Domingo de
Obaldia, who is well known in this country
through his residence at Washington as Pan
aman Minister He is man of long and dis
tinguished public services. Before the revoiu-
I Of hp iopDblV loyal a fhp
Colombian government, ana it was because Of
that loyalty that he went 10 BOgOta to remon-
strate with the Colombian government against
its predetermined burking of the fIay-Herra1
treaty and 10 it of the probable conse
quences of that fatuous act. His words were
disregarded and he was treated with scalt
courtesy. though the Bogota government after
ward tried TO make amends and 10 retain his
support by making him Governor of Panama
the last Colombian Governor place which he
held at the time Of the revolution. lie did ~
main loyal 10 Colombia. but after he had been
deposed 10y the successful revolutiOnists he cast
in his lot with them and became The successor
of NJ. Bunau-Varllla at Washington and later
the First DesignadO, or Nice-President
The other candidate is Senor Ricardo AriaS
who was one of the founders Of the Panama
Republic Coming of family settled on the
isthmus in Balboas time, he and his brother
Tomas Arias were among the first TO join Dr.
Amador and Senor Arrange in the revolutionary
movement. He was commissioned by the junta
TO visit the United States with DIR. Amador to
seek encouragement and aid for the impending
revolution, but was prevented from coming, re-
naming, however, an active member Of the
junta. Since the revolution he has not held
public Office, but he has been a conspicuous
member Of the Conservative party and has ex.