Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies

Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies
in favor of the formerly employed electoral college system. To
expand his informal power base, Heureaux (who became popularly
known as General Lilis, thanks to a common mispronunciation
of his first name) incorporated both Reds and Blues
into his government. The president also established an extensive
network of secret police and informants in order to avert
incipient rebellions. The press, previously unhampered, came
under new restrictions.
In the face of impending dictatorship, concerned Dominican
liberals turned to the only remaining figure of stature,
Luperon. The elections of 1888 therefore pitted Heureaux
against his political mentor. If the dictator felt any respect for
his former commander, he did not demonstrate it during the
campaign. Heureaux's agents attacked Luperon's campaigners
and supporters, arresting and incarcerating considerable numbers
of them. Recognizing the impossibility of a free election
under such circumstances, Luperon withdrew his candidacy,
declined the entreaties of those of his followers who urged
armed rebellion, and fled into exile in Puerto Rico.
Although plots, intrigue, and abortive insurrections continued
under his rule, Heureaux faced no serious challenges until
his assassination in 1899. He continued to govern in mock-constitutional
fashion, achieving reelections through institutionalized
fraud, even as repression worsened. Like Santana and
Baez before him, Heureaux sought the protection of a foreign
power, principally the United States. Although annexation was
no longer an option, the dictator offered to lease the Samana
Peninsula to the United States. The arrangement was never
consummated, however, because of opposition from the liberal
wing of the Blue Party and a number of concerned European
powers. In spite of protests from Germany, Britain, and France,
in 1891 Washington and Santo Domingo concluded a reciprocity
treaty that allowed twenty-six United States products free
entry into the Dominican market in exchange for similar dutyfree
access for certain Dominican goods.
Under Heureaux, the Dominican government considerably
expanded its
external debt, even as there was considerable
blurring between his private holdings and the state's financial
affairs. Some improvements in infrastructure resulted, such as
the completion of the first railroads. Initial attempts at professionalizing
the army and bureaucratizing the state were made,
and educational reforms were introduced. As a result of favorable
state policies, modern sugar estates began to replace cat-
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