New-York tribune., 1908-12-23
A RUINOUS RULE
R4CASL4WYERS VIEW .
Letter to General Comes Describes
C0untry's Desperate Straits.
Especial Correspondence of The Tribune


Caracas, Dec. 13.-The following open letter
to General Gomez describing the general re-
sentiment against the rule of Castro, was written
by well known lawyer of Caracas. whom the
Governor promptly imprisoned after its publica-
ton:
1 do not address you as the loyal friend and
faithful servant of General Cipriano castro. but
as the citizen President of the Republic; neither
will my words have the tone of fattery Dut the
energy of an honest citizen who loves his couh-
try and desires her welfare
You will have thought great deal, upon being
intrusted with power, over the gravity or the
situation through which the country Is passing
and your soul will not have failed to bf sad
dened before the awful problems which IN long
series your predecessor has left behind nm as
the logical and necessary consequences or q
system of government in complete rebellion with
ali that is regular and orderly in society. Aho
those evils. as you know are the single anu allS-
exclusive work of man who tTamples upon
everything in his immoderate ambition Tor
power. utterly failing to perceive how useless
are wrongful methods when they are employed
for the purposes of government
In his insane pride he has believed that you
may be the impassive guardian OF that W3 WoLh
which has so profoundly disturbed the en'ti u
social structure though the fame OF ms
deeds and the desUation and ruin which ne mas
brought upon the country were not sufnclent 70
inscrfbe his name among those of the great Of
tenders. Shall you be made jointly llaoIe WIZ
for q condition which has bequeathed legacy
of shame and of vengeance? For there was no
right which he would not disregard; no guar
which he would not scorn even the very ulS-
nifty Of the judiciary abased and scoffed at!
General keep before you the picture which
the nation presents and do not suffer yourSelE
to be deceived by illusions concerning the Tut
ure; there neither arts nor Industries, nor
professions: because all the forces OF soclal
activity have been attacked at the very springs
of their production and their energy; cominerce
is in complete ruin and bankruptcy, from the
enormity of the taxes which that disastrous ad-
ministration in its fury of cupidity and aVarlce
has daily created; manufactures have disap-
peared, because monopoly has been established
as system of finance; agriculture is ruined pY
the high rates charged for the use of capital; the
public treasury Is without revenues oeo aoS
than eighty million bolivars (Sl6OOO'OOV)
have been drawn out of it by C1prlano castro
which he holds his own in the banks Or
Europe: besides similar sums invested here IN
numerous enterprises and secured as improper
perquisites: private property mas peen mao
EaIueiesS Dy ihe Poo,IC 4lIseiy ~ I atIe ~. lit,,
of labor have been dried up.
To illustrate these conditions | will give you
a few instances from the many which confront
US and serve TO arouse our consclences; For
favoring the speculation of a group of brigands
and in return for bonus OF some millions III
shares Cipriano Castro abandoned to the agOnies
Of hunger thousands of families of the repub-
lie who drew their livelihood from the making
of cigarettes alone: livestock dealers who come
to Caracas are compelled to dispose of their
cattle at whatever price may be offered to them
because Cipriano Castro has thousands of cattle
in the environs, and he alone makes the selling
market: ships of private owners are forbidden
to accept freights and passengers for the east
sci allowed TO handle this traffic is the steam
ship Manzanares owned by Cipriano Castro;
and finally by his decree of the 18th inst. Clip
riano Castro on leaving the country effected the
last and most immoral and repugnant of all his
acts in imposing additional duty CT 80 per
cent upon cotton cloths and other articles which
in their misery our poor women must to
cover their bodies, already shrunken with hum
ger
tercourse of the nations because an i'll con-
ceived idea of national honor and a ridiculous
vanity have been the cause Of scandals and Of
insults which have huniated it; dis
credited abroad: the dignity of our citizenship
wounded at home by continued outrage upon
society and upon the laws; burdened with enor-
nous debts by the shameful robbery of the
public chest; without laws which protect rights
and property; without municipal governments;
without a congress; without a worthy and hon
est press; society permeated with the most un-
bridled corruption: the forts and the prisons
filled with citizens who groan beneath the bur
den of their torments; abroad, our patriots are
threatening and ready for the struggle; our peo-
pie restless enraged and angry lion.
Such, general, is the true and faithful picture
of our present condition: this is the work which
Cipriano Castro has left in your hands in order
that it may be crowned with the arch of tri-
umph of the restoration!
Will you accept such inexpressible weight
of public evils? Will you assume responsibilities
SO serious and perilOus? This is for you a SOL
emn moment: and its obligation is superior TO
all personal considerations Under your feet
roars the tempest. and it is for you to subdue
it. The country has suffered patiently a des-
potism so long and dreadful. and which will |
y.
a bad government is always better than revolu- |
ton. and because. not even with his death, ca n
one man atone for the sacrifices of people.
The hour has arrived TO put end to situ- |
alton so dangerous. and moment of Vacation |
upon your part would be criminal The coun- |
try demands from you decision and frmness:
profound SORROWS affct Il, that II is put under !
the necessity Of seeking through unusual means |
the normal conditions Of its life as a civilized
nation.
General. it IS in your hands to save the nation |
from contiagration which threatens TO destroy |
it utterly. and it has not escaped your observa-
ton that there is aroused in the national con-
science a sentiment of protest against the most |
oGiOus tyranny which these times have present |
ed. Do not permit these portents to be reaJ- !
zed; that your name, also shall become in |
volved in the shame which the most mournful |
government endured by country has |
left in the hearts OF Venezuelans
General: That the God Of Nations may en- |
tighten you IN this most periIoUs and critical |
moment of your public life for the welfare aS5 |
happiness of the nation is the sincere wish with |
which your fellow countrymen greet you upon |
your elevation TO power
DIR. JOSE MIGUEL OLIVEROS
Counsellor Law.
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