The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-16
N|CARAGUANS WILL
 HAVE OPPORTUNITY
 ID NAME PRESIDENT
First Free Election Since 1893, When Zelaya Took Control-Free Speech
 Guaranteed

l Managua, Nicaragua, April 10-(Corre- 1 spondence of the Associated Press)-The people of Nicaragua are to be given the right to express their will for the selec- | ton of a President That will be re-
 markable state of affairs for Nicaragua where, for 20 years, dictatorship and rev l olution have nterdicted and made such | condition impossible. As the Secretary l of State expressed it in an official letter when he dismissed the Nicaragua minis 1 ter from the United States in 1909: Tt IS equally notorious that under the regime of President Zelaya, republican institu- tons have ceased to exist in Nicaragua exc>>t in name that public opinion and the press have been strangled and that prisons have been the price Of every dem onstration of patriotism.
 ONE-TERM PRESIDENT President Diaz has just issued an an nouncement through the press, and says he will make it official by proclamation in the official Gazette that fit has been the basis of my programme of govern ment to restore in Nicaragua all the re- publican practices" To that end, he con- tinues the most important is the success sion of one-term presidents Tn the eX- ecutive power selected by popular will.
 As the presidential election in Nicaragua occurs october 1 next, and as politics are 
 ing themselves together, this announce ment is most significant. The present generation (except the older people who were active before 1S90, know nothing of a popular discussion of candidates for the presidency, of a free registration of Vot- CTS, or of any expression of the popular will Such things were not permitted under President Zelaya from 1893 to 1910.
 The provisional government which gained force that year adopted a new constitution for republican form or government, providing that the presiden- tial term should be four years and an incumbent could not succeed himself, thus restoring the practice in Nicaragua for the quarter century preceding 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 latter party made no effort at the polls and the conservatives won with out opposition, the acting President Adolfo Diaz, being elected for a full term.
 DIAZ WILL RETIRE
 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 meetings will be guaranteed by the gov ernment with the same care that 1 have taken that the other guarantees which the constitution gives to the citi- zens shall be respected.
 He says that there is further guaranteed the free exercise of propaganda and the right of free speech in meetings provided that it be done with decorum and in law ful manner. He calls attention to his in structions to the jefe polticos (governors) of the departments last month that all citizens who desired to register will be given further opportunity on two days in May
 The liberals, which Is the party in op- position are already taking advantage Nof the Presidents proclamation that free discussion will be permitted, by organz- ing clubs and calling meetings. The con servatives are doing the same So there is good prospect of a six-months lively campaign. Some of the liberals seem a little stunned by the announcement that free speech will be permitted, so unusual lis it When it is remembered that most of the present high officials of the gov ernment who are conservatives, spent more or less time in prison or in exile for indulging in free speech in the regime of Zelaya the significance of President Diaz's announcement can be appreciated. It marks a new epoch for Nicaragua.