Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-04
IN LATIN AMERICA
BY CASTOR NERVAL.

Hawley-Smoot tariff act, last year, in
! this country.
Whether this attitude of the Mexican
government is to be taken as retalia-
| ton against the highly protectionist
I tariff adopted last year by Uncle Sam,
| or whether it has been really made i'm
perative by hard times Is something
that remains yet TO be seen. Probably
it is both.
At any rate, in this case, too, the
Mexican statesmen are only following
the example of Uncle Sam, and whether
they win succeed at it or not they have
a good excuse with which to answer the
protests Of the foreign countries af-
fected by their tariff changes.
American newspapers are already
commenting with apprehension upon
| this alarming revision of the Mexican
tariff" the effects of which will prob
ably be first felt by export concerns and
| farmers in this country. Some of them
remember that they had warned that
protectionist arguments were dangerous
two-edged swords to play with.
Approaching Democracy.
Just as other Latin American ma
tons have in 1880 adopted trend
toward revolutionary reform, ousting
drastic steps to establish more liberal
ones, the Republic of Colombia has
been giving, during the last few months,
examples of a rare democratic spirit.
Instead Of revolution, she seems to have
chosen the orderly and peaceful road Of
nfethodic evolution to attain a higher
political development.
Repeatedly, in this same column, we
have had occasion to comment upon
(OIr -
democratic ideals. The first of these
was the legal and peaceful election of
the oppoSition's candidate for the
presidency, and the most recent the re-
quest of the officers of the Colombian
Army that they be denied the right to
vote or to intervene in any way in the
course of domestic politics in the coun-
try. In year which saw the downfall
of six Latin American governments at
the hands Of military leaders, this al
truistic attitude of the Colombian Army,
only a few weeks ago, caused wide
spread applause throughout the world.
Today new provision of the Colom-
bian Congress again places that pro-
greSsive South American republic in
the limelight. The Bogota Senate has
passed law forbidding the depart
mental legislatures, or assemblies, as
they are called there, to run for the
Senate while still holding down jobs as
state deputies. Heretofore members of
the Colombian Senate have been elected
by indirect vote of the state or depart
mental legislatures, the deputies nam
ing the members of the electoral COL
lege, who in turn chose and elected
candidates for the national senate.
So far, as a press dispatch from
Bogota reports, the plan had worked
out all right for the state solons, who
in nearly every election appointed then
own supporters to the electoral college
and were then thenlselvs nominatd 10
the senate by their own appointees.
Outside aspirants to a senatorial toga
had seldom been given a chance.
The new Colombian law, however, in
the words of Bogota correspondent,
has thrown a monkey wrench into the
ambitions of state legislators with one
eye on their present posts and the
other on the national senate. Which
scores, we may add, another point in
the Colombian race for democracy.
Out Of Politics.
On the eve Of congressional elections
in Colombia, President Olaya Herrera
gives a further example Of democratic
spirit by issuing orders to all depart
mental authorities, instructing them to
observe the strictest tmpartiality and
to accord full and equal guarantees to
all contending candidates.
This attitude, unusual IN Latin Amer
lean politics. gives new assurance to the
impression that the Colombian admin
istration is firm in its purpose of pre-
serving the soundness of its political
institutions Until now. in Colombia as
well as in most Latin American repub-
lies, it was not only customary, but
almost unavoidable, that the men in
power should lend full aid to the can
didates Of their own party, throwing the
weight of government support on their
behalf. And government support in
Latin America means considerably more
than q few words in praise Of one par
ticular candidate.
Here in the Union the preference of
the government for any given candidate
is only expressed by public statement
from the Presi, 4ent, or political speech
by a. government official. But Latin
American governments not infrequently
used national funds the local police
forces, the administrator civil em-
ployes and all the resources and adj
vantages of power to insure the success
Of their own chosen candidates.
Il Is this tra1ition Of government