The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-02-07
ODD OLD MEXICO +. <: I Q
An Americans Observations On
Greaserdom
y
4 Country Whose Militia Is Composed
of Convicts from the Prisons ~
Some Pecullarities OF the
People.

is more prolific than revolutions it is
peculiarities. The peculiarities OF that
country are many and astonishing, not
that viewed this people from narrow
standpoint, says a writer In the Chicago
Times, much as the average English
tourist views America, for we Ameri-
cans are too familiar with representa-
tives of every cline and nation to be
guilty of such i.sular prejudice, but the
American dweller in Mexico will find
the peculiarities Of that Nation too
marked to be overlooked. For instance,
what would any civilized people on
earth other than the Mexican think il
their persons and property were placed
under tho guardianship OF convicts?
Yet such is the case there. Police duty
throughout the country districts and in
large cities like Chihuahua is performed
by the soldiers Of the regular army, said
army being recruited from tho convicts
Of each State. Complaint as to their
tnefficiency or dishonesty, however, Is
rarely heard, though 1t Is an open secret
In Mexico that small bride to tho ''of-
dcer" is sufficient to secure immunity
from arrest. but this fact. so far from
being made ground for complaint,
seems rather = source Of congratulation
than otherwise. How far we are in ad-
ranks Of the police, especially in Chica-
20, it is difficult to say; there may be
some who would extend to us the advice
about not throwing stones; however, DO
1t said to tho everlasting credit of the
Moxicans that their police are natives
Of tho country in which they WELD the
bab ton.
From the police one naturally turns,
especially in this case, to the criminal.
In Mexico tho burglar is positively UNI
known. The houses, constructed as
they are, in Wow of uprisings, reyolu
tons etc, present to the would bc-bur-
glar bu5 small chance OF success.
What with blank walls. barricadad Win
dows, and solid wooden doors, the
6Wellar within the average adobe is pre-
pared at nigh fall to Withstand tho siege
Of regiment
The phase Of robbery most popular in
Mexico is of the Dick Tnrpin pattern.
Dick, however, from all accounts, usual
~ gives voice TO THAI timo-honored com
mand: "Your money, or your life,'
Whereas the Mexican brigand invaria-
bly, demands your money and your life,
and no amount Of plumber, pleading, nor
promises will avail to save the latter
should the opportunity be favorable 10
the robber for taking it, The cause Of
this is simply that the laws Of the coun~
try provide that the highway robber, ii
captured, shall suffer DEATH thus fur
nishing the incentive for his lnvaria bic
bloody accompaniment to his original
crime, that he may forever silence tho
witness Of the deed
The Mexican is tho only natural-born
bred in the~bone socialist in the world.
He h;,s never read up on the subject he
never hears our long-haired ranters
vocifcrating about the beauties Of their
system, nevertheless ne is the ideal So
cialisG, and, although he is not up TO tho
average in arithmetic, he knows the rule
of division TO a nicely. The average
Mexican will share his blanket and his
last loaf or penny with you, should you
need it, but il you have any thing you
are expected to be fully as liberal; if
you anr;t, he compels your liberality by
taking your possessions away from you
forcibly. In short, if you have not, he
gives; If you have, he takes, whether
or no.
One side of this characteristic Of the
Me xicans is best exenplitled by thcir
proceedings in the event Of the MARI
age of ono Of their daughters to an
American. The Mexican, bear in mind,
Is possessed Of the ineradicablc idea
that Americans are ali rolling III wealth.
This idea is source Of nevcr-ceasing
envy on the part Of one sex and satisfac-
ton to the other. When an American
marries Mexican girl her whole fam
lily, her sisters, cousins, aunts, ETC., and
all their sisters, cousins, aunts, etc, for
hundred miles around are invited to
the wedding. This includes every blood
relation to the very remotcst. They
not only come, which Is bad, but they
stay, which is worse. There they camp,
and until every ounce OF food and every
dollarin sightlsg gone there they continue
to camp, and should the luokless BRIDE
groom have employment they stay still
longer, encouraged in the most natural
and arrless manner by their very hospita-
Bile rclative, the bride. The feelings Of the
groom under such circumstances can be
imagined, but a protest only meets with
tears from the bride and indignant aston
ishu1ent from she guests, before which
the bridegroom generally succumbs. 1t
is apparent that the Mexican merely
gauges the hospitality and charity Of
others by his own, and wants to be done
by as he does to others.
The Ago of lssocations.
Mons. Argellio, Of the Paris Perfect
ureof Police, calls attention to the re-
M arkable degree in which the division
Of labor principle is being applied to
the operations Of the criminal classes.
There are associations Of professional
horse-thicves and mutual aid societies
of professional burglars, and division Of
labor has resulted in producing several
extremely deceptive counterfeit treas
ury notes. One specially clever hun