Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-17
Zelaya Forced by Pro-
tests to Abandon
TyranniCal Gov
ernment
SCENES RIOTOUS
DespOt Surrounded by an
Armed Guard While
PopulaCe Marches
in Revolt
ASSOCIATED Pressl

NJ ANAGUA, Dec. 16.-Jose
mi Santos Zelaya has resigned
u1 from the presidency of Nj
caragua. He placed his resigns-
ton in the hands of congress this
morning.
Apparently there was no other
course to take. The people were
aroused at last. The guns of the
revolutionists 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 has surrounded
himself with an armed guard.
Unchecked, the populace had
marched through the streets, cry
ing for the end of the old and
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
will act quickly on his resignation, for
the people have demanded it,
Dr. Jose Madriz, judge of the Cen
trail American court of justice at Car
tago, who has been close to Zelaya
and is now his choice for president.
is on his way here. lie will arrive on
Saturday.
Madriz has his following, strong and
influential, even among the revou-
tionists, but General Estrada. under
whose command the great body of
fighting insurgents now face Vasquez'
troops at Rama, will have none of him
Estrada's word will bear weight in the
choice of president.
Madriz Not Wanted
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 viii lie with those
who have gained the upper hand.
Accompanying his resignation Zelaya
sent the following message to CON
gress:
"Tho painful circumstances in which
the country is plunged call for acts %
abnegation and patriotism on the part
of good citizens who are the witnesses
of the oppression of the republic by
the heavy hand Of fate
"The country is staggering under a
shameless revolution that threatens the
nations sovereignty, and a foreign na
ton unjustly interVenes in our crisis,
publicly providing the rebels with arms,
which has only resulted in their be-
ing defeated everywhere through the
heroism Of our troops.
ITO avoid further boodshed, and for
the reason that the revolutionists have
declared that they would put down
their arms when 1 surrendered the eX-
ecutive power, / hereby place in the
hands of the national assembly the
a 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 i'm good to
Nicaragua, the re-establishment of
peace and particularly the suspension
of the hostility of the United States, To
which ! do not wish to give a preteXt
for intervention"
To Draft Acceptance
commission of five deputies was
appointed to draft a bill looking to the
of Zelaya's resignation.
News of the Presidents action spread
throughout the city, and soon great
crowds moved through the streets.
shouting for the United states, Estrada
and the revolution.
Held in control for years by the
strong hand of Zelaya, the people
have been quick to break through the
restraint when it was certain that the
dictator could not breast the tide that
had risen around him.
In the latter days Zelaya has resorted
to all known tricks and contrivances
to hold the people of Managua with
him.
Reports of a government victory al
Rama have been freely circulated and
rumors that a massacre of revolution
lists had occurred were allowed to
spread, unchallenged and undenied.
1t finally became known that these
were without a shred of truth and
they rebounded like a boomerang
First one deputy and then another
took up the denunciation of Ze'aya in
the chamber and later in the public
places. and soon throughout the city
were held in which
open revolt was voiced.
Last night, however, a pro-Zelaya
marked the session Of
Congress. but this had no effect out
side the walls of the house. The ris
ing was more marked today than ever
and the President decided discretion to
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