Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-11-30

the same high handed manner he does
his own subjects it is time to put the
fear of God into his heart.
Zelaya has been lord high boss of
Nicaragua for sixteen years. That is
not the official name for his job, but is
more nearly descriptive of it than his
official title. To be precise, he is
known as president and is supposed to
be elected every four years. But to be
truthful-which is more important, at
least outside of diplomatic circles-he
put himself in by bayonets and has
maintained his power by bullets. True.
the forms of an election have been
gone through at stipulated times. but
there was no opposition for the reason
that if anybody else had dared to be
a candidate Zelaya would have had
him taken out and shot
During much of the time he has been
in office Zelaya has been engaged in
putting down revolutions or in fight
ing some of the other Central Ameri-
can republics. He was putting down
one of these annual uprisings or try
ing to do so at the time he got gay
with the two Americans Leroy Can
non and Leonard Groce and had them
shot one morning before breakfast. 1t
is hard to tell why all these Latin
American executions occur before
breakfast. Possibly it is for the pur-
pose of giving the executioners an ap-
petite.
How the Trouble Begins.
The ordinaI number of the present
Nicaraguan revolution is not known.
1t may be the seventeenth or the sixty
fourth. but anyway it is something
high. When the band plays at an unu-
sual time down there it is usually the
signal for a new revolt. Somebody
wants to be president, and, inasmuch
as he will be shot If he goes about 1t
in a peaceful way. he tries to shoot
first.
This uprising was started by the Es-
trada family, which has furnished
some Of ZelayI chief officials. There
were five of the Estrada brothers, but
one of them is now dead. The young
est of the five, Juan Estrada, is the
leader of the movement and prospec-
tive president. The two Americans
Cannon and Groce. who were large
property owners in Nicaragua and else
Estrada standard. and one of them
was placed on the commanders staff.
Zelaya surprised the insurgent army
by crossing into Costa Rica and at
lacking 1t. and the two Americans
were captured among others. Instead
of being treated as prisoners of war
they were summarily executed. 1t is
this which has caused the rushing of
American gunboats to Nicaraguan wa
ters and which occasioned the sharp
note from Secretary Knox stating that
the United States would not for one
minute tolerate such action. The exc
cution Of prisoners unless they are
spies is contrary to international law
and opposed to civilized warfare.
ZeIaya q Chronic Disturber.
This Is not the first trouble we have
had with Zelaya, but on former occa- |
sions he has evaded giving satisfac- |
ton on the pretense that the American |
demands were aggressions. From we'll |
authenticated reports that have come
from his dominions he has revived the
terrors of the Spanish inquisition and |
has tried to make Of himself a cheap |
composite OF TorQuemada, the Duke |
of Alva and Cipriano Castro. Zelaya |
Is better educated than Castro, being |
the son Of a planter and having re-
ceived his schooling in Paris. After
his return to his own country ne was |
one of the young bloods and detained
SO violently against the government |
that he was banished and Joined Pres |
ident Barriog of Guatemala, whose |
dream was to become head of all the |
Central American republics, an ambi- |
ton that Zelaya himself afterward en- |
tertained. The young soldier became |
a member OF Barrios' staG and follow
ed him to his death. Zelaya then re- |
turned to his own country. led revo- |
luton and landed In the presidents /
chair.
Nicaragua ls about the size OF New |