HONDURAS. 51 



the men may be dragged into military service. The higher 

 orders are all engaged directly or indirectly in business, usually 

 in trade, and are wise enough to see that disastrous loss to them- 

 selves is sure to result from anything which seriously deranges 

 public affairs, therefore the influence of the leading classes is 

 firmly against all disorder. Many years have passed since this 

 Republic was the scene of even an attempt at rebellion, and the fate 

 of all filibustering schemes of recent years shows conclusively 

 that the people, as individuals, are as deteimiced as the govern- 

 ment is to promptly put down all such attempts to disturb the 

 peace. This feeling will increase in strength as the masses realize 

 more clearly than they do now, that nothing but evil results from 

 unlawful acts directed against the legitimate government. 



PUBLIC OPINION. 



As tending to show the popular feeling in Honduras toward 

 the enterprise of the American-Honduras Company, the subjoined 

 articles are quoted from the newspapers published in Tegucigalpa, 

 the national capital of the Republic. The first is from La Nation 

 of March 23, 1888: 



Two years ago capitalists in the United States were considering the 

 project of establ'shing the business of canning beef in Honduras. Want- 

 ing full, acurate and trustworthy information about the Republic, its 

 cattle and its capacity for producing beeves, these capitalists induced 

 an agent of the United States Department of Agriculture to make an 

 examination of Honduras and its resources. That gentleman, for 

 years widely known as an expert in affairs relating to live-stock inter- 

 ests, made a thorough study of the agricultural resources of this coun- 

 try. His report was very favorable, and the capitalists determined to 

 engage in the business of canning beef here ; but since that report was 

 made prices of cattle have been so very low in the United States that 

 loeef could be canned there almost as cheaply as it could be canned here. 

 Yet a factory would have been put into operation here, despite that 

 unfavorable circumstance, if strikes among the laborers in Chicago had 

 not discouraged new enterprises. 



The agent referred to above, Mr. E. W. Perry, of Chicago, was very 

 strongly impressed in favor of Honduras, his years of study of the agri- 

 culture of different countries enabling h'm to estimate at their true 

 value the opportunities offered by the until'ed valleys and hills of Hon- 



