El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-05-18
SIM To
UMPIRE AN
ELECTION
Both Parties In Panama Re
quest that He Hold Billy
While People Vote.
EXCELLENT CURE
FOR REVOLUTION

american lll14E6f To uLA44E ADILl Al
unusual but excellent cure for revolu-
tons. Realizing that partisan feeling
runs too high at election time in Span
ish America to permit Of even the
slightest approach to fairness on eth
CT side, and firmly trusting in the abil-
Ky Of the United States to play the
role OF an umpire, both parties have
Joined in pedtiOning Uncle Sam TO
stand watch at the voting places Of the
republic during the days Of registration
and the day Of voting. The United
States has accepted the trust and viii
see 10 it that the man who gets the
most votes wins.
One can readily imagine what would
happen In some Of the other republics
Of the Caribbean if such a proposal
were made to the United States. But If
the cOntending factions could agree to
copy the plan OF Panama and then
abide the result, what a long step in
the direction Of better conditions it
would be!
Experiment. Is Not Untried.
In requesting the good offices Of the
government Of the United States In as
sisting- them to hold a fair election. the
parties in Panama are not making an
untried experiment In 1903 president
AmadOr, g conservative, wanted a con-
servative to succeed him, and began
manipulating the registration books In
such q way that success seemed TO be
within his grasp. The liberal candidate
was governor Obaldia, of Colon prov
1nce. He and his followers saw how
things were going and that liberal TOt-
ers were being inundated At the
places Of registration. 1t began to
look as If there would be a revolution
IN Panama
Blackburn Interviewed for q. $
But at this juncture J. c. S. Black
burn, one time United States senator
from Kentucky and at that time gov
ernOr Of the canal zone, intervened- He
told both parties that the United States
did not care which side won in the-elec-
ton, but that II did insist upon q fair
election and would see to IT that such
an election was held He said that
peace In Panama. was essential TO the
success OF the work Of constructing the
Panama canal, and that peace could
not be had without fair elections He
announced that the United States in
tended to put marines at every place or
registration and voting IN the repub-
lie, whose duty it would be TO see
that every voter was permitted 70 reg
lister and to vote
This was done, and II resulted in the
triumph of the liberals and the election
Of Obaldia- But both sides saw that
Uncle sam meant exactly what he said
when he announced that all he desired
was a fair election. Both victor and
vauQuished accepted the result as a
proper and just one, and Panama set
tied down to four yesrs Of peace ana
prosperity. President Obaldia UnfOrtu-
nately died when he had served little
less than two years.
Have No Vice President
The Panama method Of securing a
successor TO a president IS unique
There IS no vice president but IN
stead three men are chosen by the ma
tional assembly, the single house Of the
Panama legislature. who serve as first
second and third designados, or deslg-
mates. according TO their rank on the
list Of appointment Each designate
holds office for two years, and then
three new designates are chosen II
g Hrn arHr Ian a off
the first designate takes IL up But II,
for any reason, he does not do so, or II
he has died prior to the occurrence OF
the vacancy the honor goes TO the sec
ond designate, who, in turn, would De
succeeded in the same way by the
third designate. But when a designate s
term Of office expires, no matter If he
has succeeded to the presidency, ne re-
tires from office and the new set of
designates IS chosen, with fun knoWl-
edge that the new first designate viii
take the presidential chair.
Succeeded by Vacancy.
The selection of president ATOsemena
came about in that way When presl-
dent Obaldia died on March !, 1910,
there was a vacancy in the position OF
first designate, the incum bent having
died year earlier. Therefore the sec
Ond designate assumed the presidency
and administered II until his two year
term as designate expired, which was
not many months later Meanwhile the
fight over the selection Of the desig-
mates for the ensuing two years became
q hard one, since the first designate
would become president 1or Two years
It resulted in the naming OF Dr. Pablo
ArOsemend as first designate, and
therefore as president for the two years
now drawing TO a close
ArOsemena Is Good President.
Dr.. ArOsemena has made good
president but like all other Spanish
American rulers. he developed an am
bition to succeed himself regardless Of
the clause OF the constitution of the
republic making president ineligible
TO succeed himself But he did not plan
10 hold the office by force He worked
out g nice technicaIty which he hoped
would let him get back for second
term
The constitution provides that no
man succeeding to the presidency
through the death or disability OF his
predecessor shall be ellgloIe II ne mas
held office within is months OF the
next election. ArOsemena concluded
that he could escape the inhibition Of
this section II he were TO get the leg
islature to grant him leave Of alb
sence from the duties Of the presidency
He got this. and after some maneuTer-
ing for political advantage among the
three designates, one Of them Temporal
rily took the office. Arosemena thought
he had the situation well In hand and
that there would be no further obsta-
cles in the way OF a denomination.
United States InqufsItive.
But the United states became in
Quisitive. There was feeling around
the state department that this might
set q precedent. and that therefore 1t
should be permitted only in the event
that the technical situation would
bear the acid test of constitutional law.
About the first question the lawyers Of
the state department asked was as to
the terms Of leave OF absence. Was
1t for a definite period longer than
the cOnsttutionally prescribed periOd2
If it had been, there would have been
nothing else left but to permit Arose
mena 10 be q candidate to succeed
himself. In point Of fact it was not
1t was so worded as to be Indefinite
permitting him to resume the reins Of
government whenever he choseA This
would permit his leave to be effective
as long as his successor held helpres-
identlal chair in his interest. ana 10 he
cancelled the minute he failed to 10 so.
InereuDOn the state Department law