Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-09

v
devoted follower than Estrada. But
when the latter was sent to the east
coast six or seven years ago as gov
ernor of the department, or state, of
which Bluefelds is the chief town
their paths began to diverge. Estrada.
imbibed the progressive ideas which
were current in Bluefields, brought
thither by the Observation-Disclosures
and English-who then constituted the
bulk of the population. He shared their
disgust of the meat concession, by
which the sale of beef was committed
to a single person. He saw that the
time was at hand when this and other
equally odious monopolies must be
abolished. He took the matter to
Zelaya and recommended action. Ze-
laya promised redress, but nothing was
done, and after ten months incum-
bency Estrada resigned the governor
ship. Estrada is the second of three
brothers, all of whom have become
prominent in Nicaraguan affairs. They
do not owe their advancement to birth
or family connections. They began
life humbly, and have made their way
by sheer ability and good fortune.
The breakup of the Zelaya regime is
bound to produce large crop of prob
lens for the Nicaraugan statesmen to
work out. This is inevitable from the
character and history of the four great
political parties which exist there.
Among these the oldest is the Conserv-
ative party. The leader of the Con-
sorvatives is DR.. Cardenas, a man now
nearing his ninetieth year. He is a
physician and was formerly very
wealthy He attributes the loss Of the
bulk of his fortune to the enmity of
Zelaya. Cardenas was once president
of the republic. He it was on whom
the political exiles in Costa Rica, with
out reference to their political affilia-
tions, agreed as their choice to succeed
Zelaya. Cardenas, however, at once
let it be known that he had no aspira-
tons for political honors. He is, never
theless, the most conspicuous and hon
ored figure in present-day Nicaraguan
politics.
Another of the chief political parties
is composed of the Liberals. They
center in and around the city of Leon.
Leon is the largest town in Nicaragua
,and has some manufacturing interests.
The population includes a large class
of artisans, and they make UP the mass
of the party. The acknowledged head
OF the Liberals is General Anastasio j.
Ortiz. a man of some 60 years. Ortiz
led a revolution against Zelaya in 1885,
but with the assistance of Policarpo
Bonilla, then president of Honduras,
he was overcome and banished. To-
day he makes his home in Ceiba. The
second most important Liberal leader
is General Paolino Godoy, now in his
fifty-fifth year. Godoy began life as q
tailor. He also was implicated in the
revolution Of 1885, and was compelled
to seek refuge in Honduras after the
disastrous rout of his forces.
There is also the Moderate Conservd-
tive party, the one which is mainly re-
sponsible for the recent revolution. 1t
is composed of the better educated
and most progressive element in the
population of Nicaragua. Many OF its
members have been educated abroad.
and there acquired notions of liberty
and enlightenment altogether incom-
patible with the policies on which
Zelaya had erected his power. 1t Is to
the Moderate Conservatives that Cas-
trillo belongs, the Castrilo who repre-
sents the revolutionary party in WASH
ington at the present moment. Castr1llo
is the son of Salvador Castrillo, minis
ter of finance under Cardenas, and a
member of the commission which ad-
tusted the boundary dispute between
Nicaragua and Honduras The elder
Castrillo is man of such probity that,
although Zelaya knew him as an en-
envy, there was none in whom ne could
place more perfect confidence, and for
that reason selected him for the deli
cate mission which he so successfully
executed. The younger Castrillo was
educated in Europe, and has written
number of valuable works in French.
He ranks as distinguished author in
France as well as in Nicaragua.
Finally there is the Zelayist party.
1t is composed Of men who supported
the deposed dictator. One of the ablest
of these is Jose Dolores Gamez. Ganez
has filed a score Of important offices
under Zelaya. A descendant of one of
the old Conservative families OF Mic
aragua, he ranks very high as law
yer and has done much for his coun-
try. His adherence to Zelaya is attrib-
uted by many to his desire to succeed
him in the presidency. an ambition
which is now most unlikely TO be
gratifled
The Conservatives the Liberals and
the Moderate Conservatives were as
may be inferred from the foregoing
outline of their history, opposed to
Zelaya. But because they were en-
emies of the previous administration
it does not follow that they will en-
Enthusiastically support any person who
may be elected Zelaya's successor
The Zelayists, of course, may be
counted on TO do all they can to en-
barrass the new regime To conciliate
these conflicting interests, to establish
harmony and to safeguard the liberty
of the people, so long and so cruelty
oppressed, are the difficult tasks which
Zelaya's successor in the presidency
will have to accomplish.