The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1916-05-04
NlCARAGUANS TO NAME
THEIR OWN PRESIDENT.

Managua, Nicaragua, (by maiD
The people of Nicaragua are to be
given the right to express their will
for the selection of a president. Tha
will be a remarkable state OF affairs
for Nicaragua where, for 20 years, die
tatorship and revolution have inter-
dicted and made such a condition inn
possible. AS tho secretary Of state ex-
pressed 1t in an official letter when he
dismissed the Nicaraguan minister
from the United States in 1909: 1T Is
equally notorious that under the
institutions have ceased to. exist in
Nicaragua except In name, that public
opinion n the press have been
~strangled and that prisons have been
the price of every demonstration OF
patriotism"
President Diaz has just issued an
announcement through the press, and
says he will make 1t official by a proc
lamation in the Official Gazette, that
1T has been the basis of my program
Of government to restore in Nicaragua
all the republican PRACTICES" To
portant is the succession of one term
presidents in the executive power, Sc
lected by popular will.
AS the presidential election in
Nicaragua ecu October /, next, and
as politics are warming and the parties
are gathering themselves together,
this announcement is most significant.
The present generation Except the
older people who were active before
1889, know nothing of a popular dis
cussion of candidates for the presi-
dency, of a free registration of voters,
or of any expression of the popular
will. Such things were not permitted
under President Zelaya from 1898 to
1910.
The provisional government, which
gained force that year adopted a new
constitution for a republican form of
government, providing that the presi-
Dental term should be four years and
an incumbent could not succeed him
self. thus restoring the practice in
| Nicaragua for the quarter century pre-
ceding zelaya. The first election was
in December, 1912, but it came SO soon
after the revolution of 1912 engaged in
| by General Mena and the Zelaya
liberals, that the partisans of the lat
ter party made no effort at the polls
and the conservatives won without OPP
position, the acting President, Adolfo
Diaz, being elected for a full term.
The president now declares that the
one-term provision will be carried out,
which means that he will retire, and
states further that the free expression
Of the popular will in the primaries or
government with the same care that
l have taken that the other guarantees
which the constitution gives to the
citizens shall be respected"
He says that there is further guar
anteed the free exercise of propaganda
and the right of free speech in meet
ings provided that it be lone with de-
Drum and in lawful manner He calls
attention to his instructions to the Jefe
Politicos (governors) of the depart
ment last month hat all citizens who
desired to register will be given fur
Their opportunity on two days in May
h liberals, which is the party in
opposition, are already taking adj
vantage of the presidents declarations
hat free discussion will be permitted
by organizing clubs and calling meet
ings. The conservatives are doing the
same. So there is good prospect Of 6
six months lively campaign. Some
OF the liberals seem q little stunned by
the announcement that free speech will
be permitted, so unusual is it. When i
is remembered that most OF the presen'
high officials of the government. who
are conservatives, spent more or less
time in prison or in exile for indulgins
in free speech in the regime of Zelaye
the significance of President Diaz's an.
nouncement can be appreciated. L
marks a nnw enOch for Njcarap1a