POLITICS IN PERU.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 121, 13 November 1911, Page 4

POLITICS IN PERU.

QUARANTINING THE OPPOSITION. That our Xew Zealand politicians are not nuito up-to-date in their methods of dealing with a troublesome Opposition is evident from accounts to hand of •how the Government party in Peru deals ■with its political opponents. In a letter just received from Lima, the capital of tlio Peruvian Republic, by an Aslibuvton gentleman, the writer'throws some interesting light on the "free" methods in vogue there. He says:— "We Peruvians are proud to be free Republicans—not like the bad Government of Russia. There are here elections for Parliament; but if the Chief of Police is for a certain candidate, the Opposition fellow may be put in prison l , and kept there for any time; and, if need be, his supporters can be imprisoned, too, or, to make things more suremurder Ivim! At present, the Government—not a bad one, considerhig that it is in a South American Republic—is very much out of tune with the House, of Deputies. About ten days ago, the House had to be opened, and then- was a strong Opposition, which was going to block all Government business. The day before the opening, a batch of Opposition members were coming by steamer here. Of course, you can imagine that these members are a pest to the Government: so what followed was quite natural. On the arrival of the steamer] it was put in quarantine, and good care was taken that no one escaped—in particular the pestilent Oppositionists! Some hot fellows gathered in front of the House and made a demonstration. They were speedily cleared—one heiV shot through the head and another mor" tally wounded. Eventually, when it suited the Government, the steamer was allowed to land passengers and cargo. •Ah! a Republic is a grand thing!"