“MONSTROUS AND ILLEGAL PROCEEDINGS”: LAW ...

Guarch first sought to tip the scales in his favor through direct appeals to the
government in Montevideo. Even before the civil trial between Falcon and Raffo
commenced, he petitioned national authorities to intervene in the matter on his behalf.
Guarch drafted an open letter to Saturnino Alvarez, the Interior Minister in José Elluari’s
colorado government. Guarch detailed the growing dispute among the JEA members.
Guarch also emphasized the illegal practices by the other members of the JEA. Guarch
stressed that the decision in Raffo’s favor did not occur in a regular proceeding, but rather in
a private meeting at Guimaraens’ house. He argued that such a “disposition, dictated in the
midst of mysterious shadows, was improper.” 15 Guarch requested that national officials
intervene in the matter by sending a special prosecutor [fiscal] “to hear this particular matter
and in such way end the litigation that the mistakes by the Honorable Junta has engendered.”
Guarch concluded his letter by noting that the favoritism on the JEA not only undermined
the law, but also state finances. He argued: “the Government has spent large sums of
money to provide lands for the ejido and small farms for this city, but these [programs] for
the most part have not been carried out pursuant to the current laws.” The national
government had to intervene to ensure that “condemnable favoritism” did not trump the
public good. 16
Guimaraens drafted a response to Guarch shortly after the jury issued its verdict
against Gomez in the Larrondo proceeding. Guimaraens began by noting that the JEA’s
actions had aimed only to avoid “a venomous affair between vecinos” and that their fears had
15 Agustín Guarch al Sor. Ministro de Gobierno Dr. D. Saturnino Alvarez, AGN. Sección
Administrativa. Salto: Junta Económico-Administrativa. Caja 1865-1874 (August 28, 1874).
16 Ibid.
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