The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1884-06-27
THE mtxIcANs.
People Who Talk Lie Mem write Like Women,
and Act Like Children.


and Act Like Children.
"My countrymen,r said sturdy Mex
lean ranohero and member OF Congress,
Disguised with the conduct OF his col
leagues, "talk like men, write like wom-
en- and act like childrenl' This cpl
gram, unlike that Of old Senator Ben
ton, which was famous at ITS time, has
the merit of truth. Senator Benton
spoke OF Mexico as a land Of showers
without scent, birds without song, men
without honor. and women without vlr-
tue" All OF which was false In every
particular, but like many other lies, II
ran around the world, and probably, to
caught up with it.
But everyone Of experience In Mexico
will bear witness TO the truth of the re-
marks of the ranchero. The Anglo
Saxon mind speedily loses patience
with the femenine tone of the press; Its
reiterated assertion without proof, its
dependence upon sentiment and pred
judlce, and Its lack of logic. No children
could have made worse mess Of the
finances than the people at the read of
affairs have done during this admin
istration. The nickel business, IL il esti-
mated, cost the government something
like S0,0OO,000. First there was n forced
Issue of the coinage In enormous quantl-
ties, deprecated from the start by the
Government selling II at a discount to
certain parties to get II into circulation,
while its unlimited legal tender quality
made IL n nuisance. Finally, when the
people rose against 1t, the Government
redeemed II In silver at great loss, the
operation affording another fine chance
TO spectators. The nickel is now with
drawn altogether, and the country Is
almost destitute of small change. The
stamp tax Is another piece of childish
ness. IL has proved TO be of no avail
and to bring next to no revenue In the
treasury. IL has ruined commerce for
the time being-probably for the rest of
the year-and another measure, which
would undoubtedly be considerable
source OF revenue, was proposed as a
substitute. But the Government has
chung TO the stamp tax with infantile
perversity, In order to show that
II Is determined upon having its
own way. The commercial public has de-
veloped surprising amount of ingenui-
ty In its various devices for evading this
tax. For instance, a case Of beer is sold,
and the stamp Is affixed to a tin plate on
the box. A porter takes IL to its desti-
nation, and perhaps it is stopped on the
way by the policemen on the corners.
who, seeing that the box Is properly
stamped, allow the man to proceed.
When the case reaches its purchaser the
plate with the stamp is carefully re-
moved and returned to its seller, so that
a few stamps and bits of tin do a won
derful amount Of service in the course of
a week.
But, nevertheless, things are lookinga
little brighter, and all danger of dis
turbance Of the public peace-the thing
which was most feared, since Mexicans
have heretofore not been known to bear
up patiently and peacefully when there
was occasion for discomfort with the
ruling powers-appears to have passed
The Government Is now assured ola loan
OF $1,000 900 to meet its temporary needs.
which are urgent, and, with some money
coming in, better temper may pre-
vail and more reasonable measures in
favor OF commerce be enacted. The
new National Bank of Mexico, formed |
by the consolidation Of the National and
the Mercantile banks, will act as the |
agent In this matter, and, in fact, in all |
matters concerning the business of the |
Government In the negotiation of loans |
and the regulation Of its debt. The
bank has secured for the Government
what was supposed to be Impossible
that is,a European loan OF S2O,OO0,OOO,or.
more correctly speaking, OF 94,OOO,OOO
sterllhg, as the bonds VIII 6pecify.
Weary everybody Is wondering how 1t
was ever accomplished, since there Is
most Ditter 1eenng against Mexico at
present prevailing In England, and the
money VIII certainly not come from
tnere. Ihere is little doubt that 1t
comes from france, OF at least through
france, perhaps from Holland, the
agency being the Franco Egyptian bank
OF iarls, the parent institution OF the
Natlonal bank OF MEXICO, the loan be-
ing secured In return for the extraordi-
nary privileges given to the latter, which
VIII nave SUBSTANTIALLY the monopoly OF
me banking business throughout the re-
Pupho unaer us concession. The new
loan OF f4'Oo0,OoO Is to be divided into
Two serles-lhe flrst, OF f2,OOO,oO0 to be
advanced now, ana tue second, OF the
same amount, TO be reserved for future
needs, PROBABLY sometime under the adj
minlslration OF General Diaz. The ad-
vancers OF the temporary loan OF $4,000.
w are 10 receive the ilrst years issue OF
the new loan as security.
Inc PRESIDENTIAL election Is pretty