The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-07-11
THE TROUBLE IN MEXICO.

Ihere IS no country whose trade,
prosperity and general welfare Texas
is so deeply interested in as Mexico.
If the Republic Of Mexico had fine
railroad system and its internal az
fairs were satisfactory and its internal
trade and commerce active, Texas
would be the chief gamer. Just sep
arated by river, with its principal
railroad termini along the Texas Dor
der, the republic would naturally find
Its nearest and most extensive GUS
toner in this State. Any disorders in
Mexico, any cessation of trade or fall
ing off in prosperity there, are, there
fore, matters Of decided interest on
this side Of the Rio GranGe.
The administration of GONZALES
was, 1t appears, an extremely extravs-
giant, or at least improvident one, and
DIAz has inherited a big debit, an
empty treasury and general drepres-
sion in trade. The first step was q
funding measure, but that only tenn
porarily provides for past indebted
ness. The expenses are running
ahead Of the revenues aud the lesk
must be some where or some how
stopped. DIAz applied a heroic rem
edy by cutting down all salaries, in
Guiding his own, and reaching down
to those Of 500 per annum. Certifi-
Gates OF indebtedness, however, are
issued for the balance and this turns
out, therefore, TO be but q temporary
expedient, The dissatisfaction has
increased and it Is necessary to EN-
ploy the army to keep down serious
riots in the very heart of the capital
itself. And the end is not yet by any
means.
The trouble is that the absurd regu-
lations, customs and tariff regulations
have been framed seemingly with q
view to stop rather than encourage
trade. A revenue is only possible from
a busy, prosperous people. There
must be commerce and wealth TO reach
to obtain revenue, a dead country
with Chinese wall around it, is but a
poor dependence for government re
ceipts. The tariff duties alone along
the Rio Grands and New Mexico and
Arizona frontiers, were those duties
imposed for revenue only. and not as
now for exclusion of foreign products
would more than solve tho present
financial difficulties OF the republic
But the tariff is not only met at the
border. It's repeated at every State
line. And more, export duties exist
which prevent the natives from even
selling freely what they have.
1t is singular that as intelligent a
man as DIAz is said to be, does not see
that these tariff and trade regulations
OF his country stop commerce and bus
mess, prevent capital and imports
from going into the country, while the
land and other laws, equally illiberal,
rob the government of millions of rev.
enue that could be as easily obtained
as not. Economy is but poor method
to meet an emergency such as the
present. The trouble il an abiding
and growing one, and temporary ex-
pedients but add to the volume of the
final crash. The laws of the republic
must be revised and made TO conform
to the spirit of the times.
DIAz was chosen principally DO.
cause it was thought he could and
would grasp the situation. So far he
has not, however. A magnificent
trade with tho United States accom-
panied Ivy en- influx of Investments,
capital and immigration, aiTordiug
tangible subjects for raising an ade-
quste revenue, await Mexico's r6vis.
ion Of its tariff, land and alien laws.
For this reason-for the profit OF both
Mexico and tho United Ststes-and as
an opening wedge to much greater
things to follow, THE HERALD has
always been g warm adyo-
cato Of the reciprocity treaty
ratified by the proper authorities in
both countries, but suffered to lie In
operative through tho negligence and
indifference OF the last House of Rep.
resentatives aud particularly, wo re-
greet to say, our Texas delegation,
Next winter the treaty ought to be en-
larged, and bill be passed at once to
carry it into effect. Instead of buying
Mexican States, 1t is high time we
were casting about for the ways and
means to sell to our Southern neigh
bors some of our surplus stocks and
products, and enable them to get what
they make into a market.