The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-17
President of Nicaragua Tenders
Resignation
From the Presidency, in Mes
sage to Congress.
TO STOP BLOODSHED
And Prevent Intervention by
the United States.
Successor Will Be Chosen by
Legislative Body.

Managua, Nicaragua, Dec. IL
/ President Zelaya last night cabled a
conciliatory message to President
Taft. saying that he had shown his
good faith by resigning in order that
Nicaragua might resume friendly
relations with the United States. He
added that he proposed to leave the
country, but stood ready to account
for his acts as president.
Managua. Nicaragua, Dec. 11.-Jose
Santos Zelaya has resigned from the
presidency of Nicaragua. He has placed
I. his resignation in the hands of con-
gress- Apparently there was no other
course for him to take. The people were
at last aroused. The guns of the rev.
olutionists threatened. the warships Of
the United States lay IN Nicaraguan
ports.
Managua has been seething for days.
The spirit of revolt has spread even to
the gates of the palace. Zelaya sur
rounded himself with an armed guard.
Unchecked, the populace have marched
through the streets crying for the end
of the old--proclaiming the new regime.
Who will take up the reins no one
knows or cares. 1t is sufficient that
Zelaya as dictator will be known no
more. There is no doubt that congress
the people have demanded it. DIR. Jose
Madriz, judge of the Central Ameri
can court of Justice at Carriage. who
has been close to Zelaya. and is now
his choice for president, is on his way
here. He will arrive on Saturday.
Madriz had his following strong and in
f1uential even among the revolutionistS.
but General Estl ada. under whose com
mand the great body of fighting insur-
gents now face Vasquez's troops at
IF hi
word will bear weight in the choice of
president. Zelaya has known, too that
Madriz is not acceptable to the United
States, and he has sought to learn who
would be looked upon with favor by
that government as his successor, but
the American government so far as
can be learned, has named no man., and
the choice probably will lie with those
who have gained the upper hand.
An Act of Abnegation.
Accompanying his reslenation, Ze
laya sent the following message to con-
press: - s./
The painful circumstances in which
the country is plunged call for acts of
abnegation and patriotism on the part
of the good citizens who are the wit
neSSeS of the oppression of the repub-
lie by the heavy hand of fate. The
country is staggering under a shame
less revolution which threatens the ma
tons sovereignty and a foreign nation
unjuStly intervenes in our crisis pub
licly providing the rebels with arms,
which has only resulted in their being
defeated everywhere through the hero
ism of our troops.
ITO avoid further bloodshed. and for
the reason that the revolutionists have
declared that they would put down
their arms when 1 surrendered the eX-
ecutive power, l hereby place in the
hands of the national assembly the
abandonment of the remainder of my
term of office, which is to be filled by
a substitute of their choosing with the
hope that this will result in good to
Nicaragua the re-esta blishment of
peace and particularly the suspension
of the hostilities of the United States
to which 1 do not wish to give pre-
text for intervention.
commission of five deputies was
appointed to draft a bill looking to the
acceptance of Zelaya's resignation,
which is now considered mere for
mality News of the presidents ac
ton spread throughout the city and
soon great crowds moved through the
streets, shouting for the United States
and Estrada and the revolution. Held
in control for years by the strong hand
of Zelaya, the people have been quick
to break through restraint when it was
certain that the dictator could not
breast the tide that has been rising
against him. During the latter days.
Zeiaya has resorted to all the known
tricks and contrivances to hold the peo-
pie of Managua with him. Reports Of
q government victory at Rama have
beer freely circulated, and rumors that
a massacre of revolutionists had oc-
CURED were allowed to spread unchal-
lenged and underied. 1t finally became
known that these were without shred
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