El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-04-06

y RESIDENT DAvILA, of Honduras,
~ is reputed to be the most honest
= executive in Central America
That doesn't mean that his is a bed
of roses His term will expire next
year and the elections will be held
sometime in October, 1911 In all like
Iiheod he will not be candidate for re-
election. If he can serve out his term
without a revolution to mar Its peacerul
history, he Will have every reason TO
congratulate himself. The main argu-
ment that is directed against him by
his opponents is that he owes his place
at the head of the state to Zelaya, and
that he must therefore be henchman
of Nicaragua'S fallen dictator.
HOndurnn Parties.
There are several political parties in
Honduras They differ solely as TO
their leaders. AS to principle, or
theories of government, they do not pro-
fess any definite convictions Any one
! of them coming into power might be re-
| lied upon to continue the government in
practically the same way that Davila
is now running it, The personality Of
| the leaders therefore becomes import
| ant. The party which supports Poly
carpo Bonilla does not, at present, have
] any considerable degree of popularity
| Its most conspicuous members, aside
from Don Polycarpo himself. are the
| brothers Ugarte, particularly Angel
Ugarte, at one time minister to England,
| and again to the United States.
| At the head of another and very in
| fluentiaI party is Manuel Bonilla. He
| is no relative of Don Polycarpo, al
! though bearing the same family name.
| Some of the leaders of this party are
| in exile. Among them is Fausto Davila,
a relative of the actual president Of
Honduras.
| Another conspicuous member of this
| faction. Gen. GaIlardo, has in his time
| held high position under the govern
| ment. He was for some time governor
| of Tegucigalpa, and then governor OF
| the Atlantic coast. GallardO took a
leading part in the war with Nicaragua,
| three years ago. He was in command
I of one of the armies operating against
Zelaya. He Withdrew from Honduras
after peace had been established be-
| tween the two countries, and president
Davila had come into office.
Gallardo returned to Honduras about
IS months ago, but his motives were
suspected. and within two weeks he
was notified by friends that the climate
wasn't nearly so healthy for him as he
thought. The hint was sufficient. Gal
lardo got a skiff, and rowed hastily
away to Belize.
POiycarpO BOnfila.
Polycarpo Bonilla was once president
of Honduras. He was one of three
presidents who, in 1898, founded the
republica mayor. or Greater Central
American republic. In this scheme he
was associated with ZeIaya of Mica
ragua and Gutierrez of Salvador. The
main feature of the union was a con-
gress, which neld its meetings in Ma
nagua-
Spain, even. went so far as to recog-
nize the existence Of the republics
mayor, and to accredft minister to it.
But within the year Regalado started
a revolution in Salvador against Gu
tierrez, which diverted Salvador from
the union, and It promptly dissolved.
This was Don Polycarpo's principal eK-
plot as a statesman
Polycarpo Bonilla is man of genu-
inc talent. He was originally g. law
yer, and made his home in Tegucigalpa
His term as president came to an end
in 1898, when Sierra was peacefully
elected to succeed him.
In 1902 Sierra declared in favor OF
free elections-that is, he proposed to
allow all parties to present their can
didates, and TO surrender power to the
man getting the majority of the votes
cast. That sort of announcement
might not awaken much interest in the
United States, but it was quite novel
enough in Central America to create
considerable discussion. Some people
urged Sierra to retain his hold on
power
Election Declared Void.
Two candidates declared themselves
AriaS, and Manuel Bonilla. The contest
was spirited The influence Of the gov
eminent was thrown to Arias. In spite
of all that Sierra could do to influence
the issue, Manuel came in at the head
of the polls. Sierra, whose honesty of
purpose does not seem to be questioned.
even now, by his political enemies then
took the course, startling in view of his
previous liberal declarations. of can
ceiling the elections. He declared there
had been frauds of a nature to vfttate
the result entirely.
This action, under the. constitution,
threw the election into the congress.
AT the same time Sierra arrested some
or the most enterprising of the cam
palgn managers of the Bonilla party.
and put them in Jail. Bonilla didn't
wait for anything to happen to him. He
departed with all haste for Amanda.
Wither his adherents proceeded to as
semble- In the meantime congress met
and cast its vote for Arias.
Arias Driven From Office
DOiAAila let lie udO Deen DadiY treated
and adopted the Central American ex-
pedient of revolution. Within three
weeks he succeeded IN driving Arias out
or office There was some fierce fight
ing, In which Sierra took part In the
conflict in person. When the result OF
the campaign was no longer in ones
ton, Sierra and Arias departed nre-
cipftately for Nicaragua
Manuel Bonilla made a pretty good
president. Two weeks after his inaue-
uration his army was paid off and dis
missed. His regime was marked nv the
absence of military parade. the COM
mon characteristic of Central American
satrapies- The president was even
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