LAND OF THE LAST REVOLUTION

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 30, 29 July 1911, Page 10 (Supplement)

LAND OF THE LAST REVOLUTION

IXTWiKSTLNG SIDELIGHTS. (J. If. Blakemore, now in Mexico, contributes the following interesting article to the Bulletin: — Mexico lias been looming large in the world's cable news of late, and the better yon know the country the more you wonder at it. The importance attached to the Mexican "situation" is probably due to the truth rif the old proverb that the world takes you at your own valuation. I'or 30 years this republic, has posed as a civilised country, so that the rest of the world really thinks it is a civilised country; and Mexico itself now half believes it. There are two classes of Mexicans, the very wealthy and the degraded poor, and both classes are steeped in a superstition as black as that of the Middle Ages. The peon, or peasant, theoretically a freeman, is in reality a slave to the wealthy hacienda owner. The mining companies have done a great deal to enlighten the peon as to the value of his labor, but even they take care not to lift the veil too high. Most mining companies, if they are wise, keep a church and a Mexican priest on the premises, and any strikes or labor disputes are rapidly settled by the priest — 'if his salary has been kept paid up to date. If it hasn't, well, what can you expect? The wages of a hacienda peon arc about IS cents Mexican per day (about 4 , / 3 d). On this a man has to marry and rear a family. Of course he can't do it; but all the hacienda owners are kind, obliging people, and they advance any little sums required by the priest to marry a man or bury his child, so in the course of a few years a laborer owes probably 50 to 200 pesos to his obliging employer. The peon has as much hope of ever paying the debt as he lias of flying, and while the debt is unpaid, of course he can't leave the hacienda. Still, they don't call that slavery in Mexico, because the peon has a vote, which is always at the disposal of the hacienda owner. The latter gentleman loves not the foreigner, who come in and is foolish enough to pay a dollar per day to his workmen. And, really, the peon thinks the foreigner is a- bit crazy, too, because he insists on paying him 100 cents per day instead of IS cents, wherefore he need only work two days a week. If one were to raise the peon's wages to two dollars a day he would be much obliged, for then he would to work but one day a week. One room, Bft long, 6ft or 7ft wide, and oft high, is ample for the peon to rear a family in.. The only possession he prizes is his hat. If hehas any luck he puts the spare money into a hat that gets heavier, larger, and more gaudy the more it costs. That is the most satisfying thing in a Mexican hat; you do get something for your money. If he had any more money to spare the last thing he would buy with it would be a bath. "So thoroughbred peon over washes.

It is quite easy to see the benefits any revolution will give the peons. To them Madero and Diaz are all the same. Madero and his family own huge areas of land, and are reputed to he worth from 40 to 60 million dollars, and I don't think they are of the patriotic type who believe in a land tax. Diaz is 80 years of age, and the old tiger has lost his fangs. So another man and another, family see their chance to get the presidency, with all its opportunities to make more dollars. And that is about all there is to this great "revolution." The insurrection has brought to Mexico all the "wanteds"—the horse-thieves and cut-throats—of the United States and adjoining countries, and all the professional revolutionists of the Latin countries; further, it has given the Yaqui Indians an opportunity to get arms and ammunition. Generally speaking, Madero has raised a hydra that will take some scotching, even if Diaz and he join forces. All the human vultures of the continent have gathered to prey, and it is more than doubtful if Madero has the power to call them off when Diaz steps down and out. Hence it is morally certain that, for a few years to come, the job of the new President will be to do what Diaz had to do in the early years of his reign, viz* put down the countless bands of banditti which have again arisen, and are nowtrading under the insurreeto flag. Diaz proved a wily man by turning his banditti into "Rurales," who have seen his military standby, a lot of ruthless ruffians in uniform, who hate to see anything living left in their train. What Mexico wants badly is a wash once a week, a little less religion, more wages and more education, and in fifty years its people may take on in reality the semblance of a nation.

I was in luraz two or three days after its capture by Madero's forces, and saw as pieturesque-looking a lot of bandits, who made up the insurreeto force, as one could wish for. Their methods of warfare are strictly Mexican. After capturing one lot of Federal troops. 25 or 26 in number, who surrendered, they turned a Maxim on the unarmed men and shot them clown like rabbits. If they could have got hold of the Federal commander, Navarro, they would have held an inquest, with him as the principal actor; but Madero got him across the border into El Paso. Navarro, at the storming of Casa Grandes, a few weeks earlier, amused himself by personally killing a lot of the women and children belonging to the insurreetos; so there may be some excuse for the insurreetos, At the same time, no matter how horrible a butcher old Navarro is. it is a matter of fact that no prisoners have encumbered many of the Federal or insurreeto victories, whoever may have been the leader; though, to be just to Madero, he has been a restraining influence with the force directly under his eye. Uncle Sam's job seems to be to sit tight on the border, stop his own people from helping either side, and let the two Mexican parties play at Kilkenny cats; then, when they have mostly exterminated each other, he should step in and support some reasonable man who is sure to come to the front during the struggle.