Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-19

Il W rors than the Rasti!e of old
Paris. actual government
that cannot be duplicated on the earth
today and has had no counterpart since
the feUdal times-such IS the spectacle
offered 10 q twentieth century civiliza-
ton by Guatemala. Yet SO well CEN
sored is the news that issues from this
terror-ridden fair land that but an oc-
casional rumor of the execution of some
dozens of cadets or :: half score of
wealthy citizens finds its way. by word
of mouth to the outside world.
Who in the United States knows that
some weeks ago Salvador Harara, the
wealthiest man In Central America,
planter worth $5.0O0.0O0 was led forth
and shot at the order of the president,
ard without trial? Who knows that an
associate followed few days later, and
that, upon the request of his cultured
wife, members Of the foreign colony in
terceded for her, asking that she might
have his body? This request was at
first granted by the president, but he
later found that the citizen had been SO
tortured and mutilated In his taking of
that the remains were not recognizable,
and the permission was withdrawn.
His Days Work.
Two women prominent in the social
lie OF the Capital were ShoItiy OCAoAO
executed for political reasons. yet the
outside world heard nothing Of it.
Such things are in the days work for
Manuel Estrada Cabrera, the suaye and
dapper little man who does them. Such
things give the tragic element to the
serio-comic that Is being enacted to the
southwark. where the blending or span,
ish and Indian blood has developed
queer contradictions OF character, ana
stage
October on the mountain tops with the
capital city of Guatemala. The presi.
dente plays the high lord potentate or
the luxurious castle. the comedian In
his lodging Of the would-be assassins
that beset his path, and the part OF
pathos when he dares not eat other
food than that prepared by his aged In
dian mother. The supernumeraries are
the members of his barefoot army and
the nunger-emaciated prisoners in his
bastile
Yet Guatemala is a republic in form
with a constitution modelled upon tnat OF
the United States But the letter OF the
law is dead and the system that has
worked out under 1t Is as great contrast
TO the government of the states as the
world can offer. The so-caled republic
came into existence in 1921 when the yoke
OF Spain was thrown off. Soon afterward
he lines of opposition were drawn be-
tween the church party backed oy the
aristocrats and the party representing the
people. The peoples party soon gained
the ascendancy and has held 1t ever since.
Inc presidents soon developing q system
nf perpetuating themselves in office which
Vas worked without a hitch for eighty
years.
President Every Six Years.
The system is beyond credence. The pres
ident, for instance, must be elected each
six years. There is never failure to re-
elect the man who is the incumbent at the
IN ha y,la ha
rarely ever has an opponent. In the Sec
ond place. each voter is asked for whom
he expects 10 cast his ballot when pre-
sentng himself and IL not for the ad-
ministration is turned away. II political
rival appears he Is customarily thrown
into the bastile and lost for all time, and
if he escapes this he has naught but as
sassnation to expect-such having been
the fate of the latest aspirant who was
dogged into Mexico and slain. When
president dies his vice president immedi-
ately assumes his authority and allows 1t
in no way to decrease.
Governors of the various states are
nominated by the president as members
of the congress which consists of but a
single house and follows his dictate In
every respect No one dares oppose the
Will of the president and his nominees
are always elected. When the populace
. grows weary of the farce Of an election
and fails TO cast sufficient votes TO give
IL the appearance OF bona fide election
the minions of the law are sent into the
fields to gather In the voters, and II Is
no uncommon sight to see the natives be-
ing led to the polls with ropes around
their necks TO cast vote that knows
nothing of tho Australian ballot system.
The Military oligarchy.
The military organization is the instru-
ment back of the system and the men at
the head of the army go to make UP the
military oligarchy that yields authority
with "a hand of iron. Twenty thousand
men are kept under arms at all times in
the capital. and so efficient is the system
OF impresSment that an army of 100000
may he raised at two days notice. While
it's members are in no way patriotic, they
are always aware of the merciless sys-
tenn under which they serve and that
single misstep is 10 be rewarded by sum-
mary death Under the circumstances
there is always ready response to orders.
President Cabrera was vice president
under Justo Rutino Barrtos, who was
something of DiaZ in Guatemala, q man
OF learning and justice. comparatively
than any other ruler. In a military camp
he was one day assassinated. and while
the opinion of the popllace was then and
has ever since been that Cabrera was
back of the murder, the affair was never
investigated and still remains a mystery.
Cabrera Immediately came into power
and none dared raise voice against him,
or II they did they disappeared and have
never been seen since.
The native must be known long and in
timately before he may be induced to ex-
press an opinion on any matter that ap-
pertains to the government. He risks
his life in so doing. The bastile yawns
for all such and many have gone before
him. The citizen of some other country
sojourning In Guatemala is the only resi-