The San Francisco call., 1909-03-02
NICARAGUASA
MERE PREY FOR
RULER ZELAYA
Worst Governed Country Is Un-
der Reign Of Cupidity and
SensuaIity
Dictator Ranks With Cabrera
and Castro, but Is
More Clever
Father of FOrty=fve Children,
he Encourages Traffic
of Vampires
By Frederick Palmer


Copyright. 1909. By Tribune Company. Chieaeo)
To Jose Santos Zelaya belongs the
blue ribbon. AS a tyrant, a mischief
maker and fnancier he is more ac-
complished than Castro, Cabrera, or
any rival
For Il years he has ruled Nicaragua
from his palace in the dirty little town
Of Managua, on the hot shores OF Lake
Managua. Once when he chose him
self as his own successor he we Mt
through the form Of an election by
putting two opposition candidates in
the field One was Senor Jose and the
other senor Santos. All three candi-
dates. eSenor Jose. Santos. Zelaya were
elected. For he enjoys his sport and
has a sense Of sardonic humor IN con-
Quoting the affairs Of state as. a GER
tain Peruvian businessman learned
One day this Peruvian received. word
that he must depart by. the next
steamer from Corinto.
Your excellency,% he protested. when
be gained admission TO. the dictator,
What have I done2 L have tried not
10 NEEDLE in politics and mind my own
business"
1T does not matter what you have
done" returned zelaya- 4 want you
10 so, and you viii go"
But your eNcelIency. I have debts
owing 10 me. I have so many affairs
that can not be settled on such short
notice without great sacrifice. VIII
you not give me 50 days2"
Not another day after the next
steamer I'll appoint an agent to look
after your business'-and of course
Zelaya would. get most. OF the spoils
from the agent.
OPENLY DEFIES
OTHER GOVERNMENTS
~. Then. your exceliency, as q citizen
Of Peru, I must appeal TO my govern
ment."
Appeal" said Zelaya. Appeal. by
all means When I ridicule the United
States. laugh At Germany, and spit on
England. what DO you suppose I care
for your beggarIy little PeruT'
He opens the dispatches Of our state
department. he has not hesitated TO
search an American ship with her flag
flying IN time Of peace, his defiance
OF foreigners IS more gladsome and
cunning than CasLrO's, only he has no
asphalt and has thus escaped the lime
light. while his military methods are
the same as those OF all the brand
A dead enemy is the least. trouble
some, he has found by experience.
When his arsenal was destroyed by an
explosion, most likely due 70 spon-
taneous combustion, he condemned the
colonel OF the army in charge without
any public trial and mad him shot on
the site OF the ruins and his body
burned. as lesson TO all other con-
spirators.
In later years he has been less cruel,
II more money loving. For example,
he has given up the use Of q species Of
chile peppers and alcohol as an enc
ma in torturtng suspects and row de-
pends only on the lash. All the
strength being beaten out Of his
100000 subjects, he keeps his seat and
enjoys the emoluments OF the most
complete system OF extortion that any
dictator has yet devised.
LEvIEs CRAFT
on ALL SIDES
There is not a bank in the country
He Is banker, treasurer, and farmer in
innumerable concessions and monop-
olies. His pointed question on all
occasions is, How much do I get out
OF ito" He has a palace in Belgium
and a fortune invested abroad awaiting
him when he is sure that he can escape
the eye Of his dependents, TO whom his
departure would mean the loss Of their
places
The most profitable monopoly is
that Of the native whisky (aguardi-
ente). made from sugar. A company
heavily interested party has the sole
concession for its manufacture at a
price which would relatively make a
drink OF bourbon over our bars cost
quarter. The profits are 10 per cent
a month, or 120 per cent a year, on
the capital invested. and the business
has been increased with real individual
enterprise IN developing a market.
With almost no growth in population
the number OF drinking places has been
Quadrupled since the granting Of the
concession I have never seen so many
drunken men in any tropical country
as fn Nicaragua Dipsomanfa sprea ds
IN climate where Intoxicating liquors
are so poisonous 70 mind and body that
the moderate drinker in the temperate
zone is quick to defend and practice
total abstinence
The tobacco monopoly does not do. so
well It pays only a paltry 8 per
cent month. Recently an oil monop-
oily was granted TO Joaquin PASSES, the
presidents son in law ('See Joaquin
If you want anything done" IS one
OF the commOnplaces OF Nicaragaan
business and political lffe.) He was
allowed 10 bring IN $4,000 cases a year
at the old rate OF duty. while any other
importer had TO pay so eXOrbitant a
rate that he could not compete; or, IL
he could the smashing Of few. Of his
cases on landing would put an end to
the competition. The. price 10 the con-
sumer has risen from s24 to s34.
MONOPOLY IN
ALL STAPLES
Every other staple. IS a monopoly.
Even medicines are so. practically.
Dr. Luis II Deboy4e. the presidents
ponSsician. has a concession to import
medicines free for his hospital, which
makes him the boss Of the wholesale
drug business in Nicaragua. Among
the. medicines he recently brought in
free were hundred cases Of coal oil
The Central American Trading com
pany, a New Orleans concern, has the
Ice concession and regulates the mar
kft TO the output Rn busin6sslike way,
without regard to extortion. 1t aaso
owns the pier at Corinto. Even though
passenger or freight is landed by boat,
pier charges must be pAid TO the COM
panys
A system OF ssurtaxes administered
unevenIy leaves the importer ever in
doubt as TO the cost of his goods in
the end. OF course, there are export
duties on coffee, dyeWoods, rubber.
hides. and gold, which are the leading
products No possible source of rev
enue escapes the Zelaya system But