The Daily Missoulian., 1912-05-28

something doing 10 hours a day for
four days
There arc other candidates, but most
observers think the fight Is between
Alcantra anu Matos. Both OF them are
friendly to the United states. and
either would bring to the presidency
u culture and an equipment which
would be crcditablc to the country. So
fur as Is known President Gomez Is
not supporting any candidate.
General Gt,mcz IL not an educated
man, nor yet has he received the I'D
vantages Of foreign travel. He ts q
soldier who grew up from the ranks
and Is possessed of no small amount
of native ability and force Of char
acter As soon as he came into su-
premc power he gathered around him
the representatives OF all factions.
members Of the former revolutionary
party ana the leaders against ti.en.
Thc result has been an era - good
feeling that has not been cquallcd
IN Venezuela since Guzam Blanco
made Caracas known to fame az Little
Paris"
Under the Gomez administration
many improvements have been made
of the country. OF course no one be-
lie,ss hat political millcniu'n bra
dawned In Venezuela. General Como Y
would break all rules IN Latin- Amer
can politics II he did mt have his fav-
orites around him to receive patron
age In various forms, and II he id not
get Il little more out of the pfesi-
dcncy than the mere salary and tho
honor of being chief executive of his
country.
Yet In the main he has done far
better than any one could have c>-
pccted. When Castro left Venezuela
the Industries had been suffering from
political blight for years. and the
people had been exploited by Castro
until they were In n pitiablc state.
Where monuments galore filled public
plazas and fine opera houses existed.
starvation stared the masses In the
face and comparatively few had enough
food to eat.
Today Venezuela largely has rcccv-
cred from the affliction of Castroism.
The republic Is at peace. In fact as wei
AS In name. with all the world It's
foreign credit Is good. Its obligations
being met with such clock like regular
ity as to win words OF coinmendation
from the foreign bondholders The
agriculturalists are enabled to SOW and
to reap I'm peace. Exports have re-
covered all the ground lost under Cas-
ira and are setting new record
While President Gomez may not APP
peal to the popular ina gination as a
hero he seems to have the confidence
of the people. He goes about freely
among the people. and IN perhaps the
most democratic of all the rulers be-
tween the Rio Grandc and the eaua-
tor. Gomez was wealthy man when
he came to the presidency. but he has
added something tn his private fortune
since then. lie has hacienda whici
is about 40 miles square. The .jbS
house" on this great estate Is SO large
that he frequently entertains week =
end house parties Of 800 guests and
nobody Is crowded. He has private
steamer on the adjacent lake which
he uses to visit his various cattle
ranges.
Venezuela today Is far ahead of tho
republics of Central America. While II
is no exception to the rule of Latin
America that the property Is in the
hands of few. yet. withal, the con-
dition of the masses does not appear
as hopeless as in many of the other
countries. Along the German railroad
from Caracas to Valencia. more than
"A 100 miles. perhaps 20 men own all