[1] President Castro was horn of humble parentage, his parents being ofmixed blood, mostly Indian, in the mountainous district of WesternVenezuela. Thus the revolutionists were wont to paint him as anuntamable savage, who had come to the surface in the turbulent broil ofthe uprisings of the times and had hewn and burned his way to thepresidency. Manuel Matos was of superior birth, and was related bymarriage to the Guzman Blanco family. He had had some militaryexperience under President Blanco, but was more of a civic leader. Heclaimed that the Castro administration was corrupt.--AUTHOR.
[2] Singularly enough, General Castro was elected President for a termof six years on February 20, 1902, within a few days of thistalk.--AUTHOR.