The sun., 1908-06-03
Panama's Political Troubles.

Panams's Political Troubles.
The key to Panama's political troubles
is to be found in these paragraphs Of the
Constitution of that republic:
ARTICLE %. The executive power Is exercised
by magistrate. to be called the President OF the
Republic.
ARTICLE l2s. There shall be In each province
Governor whose appointment and removal shall
lie at the pleasure OF the President of the Republic
ARTICLE is2. There shall DO In each municipal
district Mayor, appointed as provided by law,
whose duty It shall be TO discharge administrative
functions In the capacity OF agent Of the Governor
In these provisions there will be dis
cerned the highly Objectionable system
Of strongly centralized, self-perpetuat-
ing political machine. Minor local offices
are at the disposal Of the Mayor, who Is
an "agent" of the provincial Governor,
and the Governor ia. an appointee of the
President. The equivalent in this coun-
try would be the appointment Of State
Governors by the President, all Mayors
serving as agents Of the Governor, and
the Mayor holding power to fill local
offices. 1t is no wonder that there is
political trouble in Panama. The Con-
stitution was somewhat hastily adopted
and it provides a system which fatty
contradicts the initial declaration that
the Panaman people constitute them
selves nation ruled by republican
and democratic Government, and that
"the sovereignty resides in the nation"
As the country is now organized, it 10 an
oligarchy rather than a republic, govern
ment by self-perpetuating machine
rather than by the people.
There are to-day three parties-the So
called Constitutional, the Liberal and the
Conservative. There seems little reason
TO doubt that the Liberals are heavily
preponderant numerically. Their can
didate for the Presidency is Sefior OBAL-
Ola, formerly Minister to the United
States. They stand for revision OF the
Constitution and an end TO the present
system of Capitalization. The Conser-
vatives are minority party, controlling
probably no more than one of the seven
provinces. There is division in the ranks
OF the Constitutionals. One faction sup
ports Seher ARIAs, the present Minister
Of Foreign Affairs, who is generally re-
garded as the candidate favored by the
present Administration. The other fac
tion supports Senior OBALpIA. The
Arias party is charged with fraud in
registration proceedings, and the three
provincial Governors who were recently
removed were friends and supporters of
OBALDfA.
Article iae of the Constitution of PAN
anna declares as follows:
THE Government of the United States Of Amer.
lea shall have the power 20 intervene In any part
of the Republic Of Panama to reestabish public
and constitutional order In the event OF their
being disturbed. II the said Government. by public
treaty. assumes the obligation Of guaranteeing the
Independence and sovereignty OF this republic"
Article Of our treaty with Panama
declares that "the United States guaran-
tees and will maintain the independence
Of the Republic Of Panama We have
therefore the right Of intervention in the
event Of disorder, and inferentially full
right OF intervention with the consent of
the Panama authorities for the preven-
ton of disorder. In the exercise of the
rights thus granted agents Of the United
States are to join Panama commission
Of electoral inquiry for the purpose Of
investigating the charges Of fraud pre-
fsrred against the Arias party by the
0baldia party. This arrangement was
effected by Mr.. TAFT at the time of his
recent visit. The necessity for such in
terseAtion is much to be regretted, ibut
the proceeding will doubtless be fol-
lowed by an election the results Of which
will be beyond question.
II tho Liberal party shall prove to be
ssao winner Of the campaign 1t Is to be
hoped that it will 90 amend the Consti-
tuition as to make impossible the enforced
perpetuation Of party or faction and
eliminate the system Of Capitalization.