the hispanic nations of the new world-第27章

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Though　hostilities　with　Argentina　had　thus　been　averted；　Chile　had　experienced　within　its　own　frontiers　the　most　serious　revolution　it　had　known　in　sixty　years。　The　struggle　was　not　one　of　partisan　chieftains　or　political　groups　but　a　genuine　contest　to　determine　which　of　two　theories　of　government　should　prevailthe　presidential　or　the　parliamentary；　a　presidential　autocracy　with　the　spread　of　real　democracy　or　a　congressional　oligarchy　based　on　the　existing　order。　The　sincerity　and　public　spirit　of　both　contestants　helped　to　lend　dignity　to　the　conflict。

Jose　Manuel　Balmaceda；　a　man　of　marked　ability；　who　became　President　in　1886；　had　devoted　much　of　his　political　life　to　urging　an　enlargement　of　the　executive　power；　a　greater　freedom　to　municipalities　in　the　management　of　their　local　affairs；　and　a　broadening　of　the　suffrage。　He　had　even　advocated　a　separation　of　Church　and　State。　Most　of　these　proposals　so　conservative　a　land　as　Chile　was　not　prepared　to　accept。　Though　civil　marriage　was　authorized　and　ecclesiastical　influence　was　lessened　in　other　respects；　the　Church　stood　firm。　During　his　administration　Balmaceda　introduced　many　reforms；　both　material　and　educational。　He　gave　a　great　impetus　to　the　construction　of　public　works；　enhanced　the　national　credit　by　a　favorable　conversion　of　the　public　debt；　fostered　immigration；　and　devoted　especial　attention　to　the　establishment　of　secondary　schools。　Excellent　as　the　administration　of　Balmaceda　had　been　in　other　respects；　he　nevertheless　failed　to　combine　the　liberal　factions　into　a　party　willing　to　support　the　plans　of　reform　which　he　had　steadily　favored。　The　parliamentary　system　made　Cabinets　altogether　unstable；　as　political　groups　in　the　lower　house　of　the　Congress　alternately　cohered　and　fell　apart。　This　defect；　Balmaceda　thought；　should　be　corrected　by　making　the　members　of　his　official　family　independent　of　the　legislative　branch。　The　Council　of　State；　a　somewhat　anomalous　body　placed　between　the　President　and　Cabinet　on　the　one　side　and　the　Congress　on　the　other；　was　an　additional　obstruction　to　a　smooth…running　administration。　For　it　he　would　substitute　a　tribunal　charged　with　the　duty　of　resolving　conflicts　between　the　two　chief　branches　of　government。　Balmaceda　believed；　also；　that　greater　liberty　should　be　given　to　the　press　and　that　existing　taxes　should　be　altered　as　rarely　as　possible。　On　its　side；　the　Congress　felt　that　the　President　was　trying　to　establish　a　dictatorship　and　to　replace　the　unitary　system　by　a　federal　union；　the　probable　weakness　of　which　would　enable　him　to　retain　his　power　more　securely。

Toward　the　close　of　his　term　in　January；　1891；　when　the　Liberals　declined　to　support　his　candidate　for　the　presidency；　Balmaceda；　furious　at　the　opposition　which　he　had　encountered；　took　matters　into　his　own　hands。　Since　the　Congress　refused　to　pass　the　appropriation　bills；　he　declared　that　body　dissolved　and　proceeded　to　levy　the　taxes　by　decree。　To　this　arbitrary　and　altogether　unconstitutional　performance　the　Congress　retorted　by　declaring　the　President　deposed。　Civil　war　broke　out　forthwith；　and　a　strange　spectacle　presented　itself。　The　two　chief　cities；　Santiago　and　Valparaiso；　and　most　of　the　army　backed　Balmaceda；　whereas　the　country　districts；　especially　in　the　north；　and　practically　all　the　navy　upheld　the　Congress。

These　were；　indeed；　dark　days　for　Chile。　During　a　struggle　of　about　eight　months　the　nation　suffered　more　than　it　had　done　in　years　of　warfare　with　Peru　and　Bolivia。　Though　the　bulk　of　the　army　stood　by　Balmaceda；　the　Congress　was　able　to　raise　and　organize　a　much　stronger　fighting　force　under　a　Prussian　drillmaster。　The　tide　of　battle　turned；　Santiago　and　Valparaiso　capitulated；　and　the　presidential　cause　was　lost。　Balmaceda；　who　had　taken　refuge　in　the　Argentina　legation；　committed　suicide。　But　the　Balmacedists；　who　were　included　in　a　general　amnesty；　still　maintained　themselves　as　a　party　to　advocate　in　a　peaceful　fashion　the　principles　of　their　fallen　leader。

Chile　had　its　reputation　for　stability　well　tested　in　1910　when　the　executive　changed　four　times　without　the　slightest　political　disturbance。　According　to　the　constitution；　the　officer　who　takes　the　place　of　the　President　in　case　of　the　latter's　death　or　disability；　though　vested　with　full　authority；　has　the　title　of　Vice　President　only。　It　so　happened　that　after　the　death　of　the　President　two　members　of　the　Cabinet　in　succession　held　the　vice　presidency；　and　they　were　followed　by　the　chief　magistrate；　who　was　duly　elected　and　installed　at　the　close　of　the　year。　In　1915；　for　the　first　time　since　their　leader　had　committed　suicide；　one　of　the　followers　of　Balmaceda　was　chosen　Presidentby　a　strange　coalition　of　Liberal…Democrats；　or　Balmacedists；　Conservatives；　and　Nationalists；　over　the　candidate　of　the　Radicals；　Liberals；　and　Democrats。　The　maintenance　of　the　parliamentary　system；　however；　continued　to　produce　frequent　alterations　in　the　personnel　of　the　Cabinet。

In　its　foreign　relations；　apart　from　the　adjustment　reached　with　Argentina；　Chile　managed　to　settle　the　difficulties　with　Bolivia　arising　out　of　the　War　of　the　Pacific。　By　the　terms　of　treaties　concluded　in　1895　and　1905；　the　region　tentatively　transferred　by　the　armistice　of　1884　was　ceded　outright　to　Chile　in　return　for　a　seaport　and　a　narrow　right　of　way　to　it　through　the　former　Peruvian　province　of　Tarapaca。　With　Peru；　Chile　was　not　so　fortunate。　Though　the　tension　over　the　ultimate　disposal　of　the　Tacna　and　Arica　question　was　somewhat　reduced；　it　was　far　from　being　removed。　Chile　absolutely　refused　to　submit　the　matter　to　arbitration；　on　the　ground　that　such　a　procedure　could　not　properly　be　applied　to　a　question　arising　out　of　a　war　that　had　taken　place　so　many　years　before。　Chile　did　not　wish　to　give　the　region　up；　lest　by　so　doing　it　might　expose　Tarapaca　to　a　possible　attack　from　Peru。　The　investment　of　large　amounts　of　foreign　capital　in　the　exploitation　of　the　deposits　of　nitrate　of　soda　had　made　that　province　economically　very　valuable；　and　the　export　tax　levied　on　the　product　was　the　chief　source　of　the　national　revenue。　These　were　all　potent　reasons　why　Chile　wanted　to　keep　its　hold　on　Tacna　and　Arica。　Besides；　possession　was　nine　points　in　the　law！

On　the　other　hand；　the　original　plan　of　having　the　question　decided　by　a　vote　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　provinces　concerned　was　not　carried　into　effect；　partly　because　both　claimants　cherished　a　conviction　that　whichever　lost　the　election　would　deny　its　validity；　and　partly　because　they　could　not　agree　upon　the　precise　method　of　holding　it。　Chile　suggested　that　the　international　commission　which　was　selected　to　take　charge　of　the　plebiscite；　and　which　was　composed　of　a　Chilean；　a　Peruvian；　and　a　neutral；　should　be　presided　over　by　the　Chilean　member　as　representative　of　the　country　actually　in　possession；　whereas　Peru　insisted　that　the　neutral　should　act　as　chairman。　Chile　proposed　also　that　Chileans；　Peruvians；　and　foreigners　resident　in　the　area　six　months　before　the　date　of　the　elections　should　vote；　provided　that　they　had　the　right　to　do　so　under　the　terms　of　the　constitutions　of　both　states。　Peru；　on　its　part；　objected　to　the　length　of　residence；　and　wished　to　limit　carefully　the　number　of　Chilean　voters；　to　exclude　foreigners　altogether　from　the　election；　and　to　disregard　qualifications　for　the　suffrage　which　required　an　ability　to　read　and　write。　Both　countries；　moreover；　appeared　to　have　a　lurking　suspicion　that　in　any　event　the　other　would　try　to　secure　a　majority　at　the　polls　by　supplying　a　requisite　number　of　voters　drawn　from　their　respective　citizenry　who　were　not　ordinarily　resident　in　Tacna　and　Arica！　Unable　to　overcome　the　deadlock；　Chile　and　Peru　agreed　in　1913　to　postpone　the　settlement　for　twenty　years　longer。　At　the　expiration　of　this　period；　when　Chile　would　have　held　the　provinces　for　half　a　century；　the　question　should　be　finally　adjusted　on　bases　mutually　satisfactory。　Officially　amicable　relations　were　then　restored。

While　the　political　situation　in　Bolivia　remained　stable；　so　much　could　not　be　said　of　that　in　Peru　and　Ecuador。　If　the　troubles　in　the　former　were　more　or　less　military；　a　persistence　of　the　conflict　betwee