Mr. Powell to Mr. Hay.
Port au Prince, June 19, 1902.
Sir: I have the honor to state to the Department since my last dispatch, No. 1098 of May 30, there has been no disturbance of the perfect tranquillity that at present prevails here. One or two little affairs have occurred at Cape Haiti in which a few were injured. This trouble [Page 603] was fomented by the partisans of Mr. Firmin, who desires to become a member of the Chamber of Deputies, for which place he is strongly opposed by the adherents of Gen. Alexis Nord, one of the presidential candidates. From information received from there, it is predicted he will be defeated. The other was at Jacmel, where the military governor (Delegat) was compelled to seek asylum in the Dominican Consulate. As I have stated, all is quiet here at present, but within the past few days it has been strongly rumored that the present Provisional Government was to be displaced by the same means that brought it into power. The objection to it is, that none of the several factions up to this time have been able to secure its influence in favor of any one of the many candidates who aspire to the Presidency. They have assured each one of their intention to maintain a strictly neutral attitude, declaring that at the coming election all should have an equal chance, and that it should be free from all governmental or military interference. This attitude does not please the partisans of some of the candidates.
In regard to the candidates themselves, I think the field at this moment has been narrowed to two. Mr. Firmin, the prospective candidate from Cape Haiti, has lost considerable ground, owing to a forced loan that he has exacted from the merchants there, and for being instrumental in having an army sent to Port au Prince, which caused the Provisional Government needlessly to pay them $10,000, in order to have them return to their homes. He has offered himself as a candidate for the House of Delegates, but the feeling at the Cape is so bitter toward him that it is thought he can not be elected. These two events will remove him from the field of prospective candidates. The other candidate from this section is Gen. Alexis Nord, who is at present filling the office of provisional minister of war and marine. He is considered by all but himself to be too old to be elected, he having 88 years to his credit.
This narrows the field to Messrs. Fouchard and Pierre, both from the south. Each of these men have about the same political strength. This fact makes each of them weak, as neither will give way to the other, so that it is thought a compromise candidate will be elected who will be able to secure the support of the friends of the candidates named above. Who this man will be no one at present can foretell. Several are named; among the most prominent are General St. Fort Colin, the present military governor and secretory of police, the Hon. Solon Ménos, ex-secretary of foreign relations, and the present provisional secretary of foreign relations, Mr. Jérémie.
Whoever is elected will not satisfy the other, so that a stable government can not be expected for some little time, as the defeated party or parties will immediately claim that the election is contrary to the constitution, which states:
Elections for the Chambers of Deputies must occur during the first weeks in the month of January.
The present elections will take place in July, six months after the time specified by the constitution.
It was this construing of the constitution that led to the resignation of General Sam, it being claimed that under the constitution he could not hold this office beyond the 15th of May, 1902, nearly a year less than the constitutional terms of seven years. Simply obeying a decree of the Chambers, passed at the time of his election, he entered upon [Page 604] the duties of the Presidency a month prior to the time stated by the constitution for him to do so. Now those who compelled him to resign are doing that which they claim was wrong in the late Government. It is for this reason that no settled state of affairs can be expected, unless, before the next President assumes office, certain provisions bearing upon this matter are changed in their constitution.
The inscription (registration) of votes, which commenced on the 18th of May, will end on the 28th of this month, after which time the elections will take place. In this city they will last nine days, elsewhere in the Republic seven days. It is at this time we may look for trouble, owing to the large number of candidates who desire to till seats in the House of Delegates. This city has 23 candidates for the four seats to which it is entitled. A small town a short distance from here has 17 candidates, aspirants for one seat. As it is in these places so it may be said to be in the other sections of this Republic.
The new Chamber of Deputies is supposed to convene July 15. It will take a week to complete their organization, after which they will proceed to the election of the members of the Senate. This will take three or four days, allowing a week for the newly elected senators to reach the capital and another for them to organize, so that it will be about the first week in August before they will proceed to elect the President. Under the present condition of affairs and the suppressed excitement, trouble is apt to occur.
It is certain that whatever way the election results dissatisfaction is sure to come and will break forth within a year from the time the newly elected President enters upon the duties of his office.
There is one peculiar feature in this state of affairs; exchange is to-day 136 per cent, and during the past month, even at the time when the Chambers were dissolved by the people, exchange was lower than this. In more prosperous times it has reached from 250 to 300 per cent.
The Provisional Government is about to negotiate a loan to pay some of the arrears (salary) due to public employees. They have received no money for the past four months. Owing to this unsettled state but little importing is being done. The country people are bringing but little produce in, and this enhances the cost of living to nearly double what it was a year ago.
The Hon. Brutus St. Victor, late minister of foreign relations, leaves for Jamaica on the 21st, being forced to do so by the present Government.
I have, etc.,