El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-01-08

for the fact that it was a small. insig
nificant and unhealthy place. Managua
has continued 10 be the capital, though
1t has not improved very much over
what it was in Zayala's time. and is
still inferior in practically every point
to Leon and Granada. But this we'll
intentfoned plan did not allay rne
jealOusies of the two cities, and down
to the present day their quarrels have
been a frequent cause of bloodshed and
revolution.
Unscrug ulOus Zelaya.
Jose Santos zeIaya, late president
OF Nicaragua, is one of the DOldest
most skilful and most INSCRIPTIONS
politicians that has ever flourished in
Central America or elsewhere. For 16
years he maintained himself in power
by playing upon the inherited hatreds
Of these two cities.
If his growing unpopularity led to
a revolutionary outbreak in Leon, he
melted Granada to suppress it; and
Granada, anxious to feed fat the an
Gent grudge, hurried to do his bid
ding. And when Granada rebeled. as
1t did once in awhile, Leon was only
too willing to even up the score.
By deftly balancing the factions, ze-
laya made himself the master of Mica
ragua. and one of the most formidable
figures in Central America
Policy On Concessions.
On assuming the presidency one OF
Zelaya's first acts was to>institute his
now famous policy of concessions. Of
course there is a good deal of reticence
about the way in which these conces-
sions were parceled out. There were
features connected with them from the
start that nobody was anxious to make
public.
But briefly stated. the system was
something like this: II Zelaya or some
of his henchmen saw anybody making
money in any line Of business. one OF
the latter applied to the government
for the grant of a monopoly in that
line. The franchise would then be sold,
either to the hapless merchant whose
success was responsible for the scheme,
or to somebody else who would set
aside a considerable share, say. % per-
cent of the profits, for zelaya.
Not all of the concessions were out
andout monopolies. but practically all
had monopohstic features. Eventually
there came to be franchises for the
exclusive use Of certain kinds of YES
sells on Lake Nicaragua, on the San
Juan river and on the Escondido river
When Zelaya came into power the con-
cesSlon on the Ian Juan was held by
Frenchman who had married the
daughter of president Zavala- As it
then stod the concession was not mo-
nopoly. Zelaya took it away from the
Frenchman, made ii a monopoly, and
granted 1T TO a new concessionaire with
the usual stipulations for the benefit
of the presidential pocketbook-
Many MOnopoIies
There were monopolistic concessions
on nails, kerosene, cattle, dynamite,
tobacco, whisky, groceries and shoes.
Sometimes the concession would apply
only TO certain district, beyond the
limits Of which similar concessions
would be made to other persons. This
was done with regard to shoes, the
sale OF which was conducted exclusive
~ by one firm on the Atlantic coast.
and was equally the exclusive function
Of another company on the Pacific
coast
One of the most Important of the
concessions granted by Zelaya was
made about five years ago to an Amer
lean named Deitrick- Mr.. Deftrick is
said to represent a group Of Pittsburg
capitalists He enjoyed the exclusive
right to exploit every kind of mineral
deposit, whether new mines or aban-
doned ones. in region comprising some
10000 square miles. excepting, of