New-York tribune., 1891-05-17
lasses here which are in sympathy with anti

claSSfS
American agitation.
NaturaIlv these newspaper raids and official per.
secutions are resented by Americans OF high spirit
The facts that investments from the North nave
not been highly remunerative here and that the
railway corporations have had hard struggle,
even with the Treasury subsidies III tneH ia'or'
20 keep the earnings on level WIN inc eApehor
itures does not predspose managers ana super
intendents to accept afronts with meeKness. lheir
relations with the jefe politico are always
strained, and when they pronounce Judgment upon
The Mexican political system IL IS not In COM
ELEMENTARY terms. Not infrequently have heard
influential Americans deliberately express the
conviction that the downfall of Maxlmllian was
n grave misfortune to the country. since IL de-
priyed the people Of q strong and stable OoVern-
ment This is vagary as extravagant as any
of the heated TRADES Of the Mexican press against
Americans. - .,... o,,..n,.. n, di.-
content with the present conditions Of progress.
The construction Of the railways ana lne Ih,ssI
ment of $500, 100000 Of American capital IN seA-
ican mines ranches and enterprises OF all Kinds
have created stable Government here and opened
new era of industrial development. WIN the
Improvement of communications the mehace Vi
revolution and insurrection has Deen remover
the facilities for transporting large YOdles OF
troops to remote States ard the hetwolk vi WE- t-
oraph wires now in operation throughou, tne
Federal Government; and value has Deen I'm.
parted both to the agricultural staples ana 70
the mineral resources by rapid TRANSIT i3r Ilelshs
and improved machinery. Not only nave ,he
shinments of ixtle and other fibres quadrupled
In volume since the opening OF the fuhK Iail.
ways but all kinds of farm produce n ~ oe % ulaan
have largely increased in value ana umDer re.
pions in the South which had not Deeh eAPlnYsea1
have been opened. One or the moee Denenelai eHl
changes is that wrought in the condition OF laDor,
especiallv in the northern sections Inc oi1 sys-
TEN of peonage, or semi-servitude lor depts 70
EMPLOYERS is disappearing under the rapiI pro-
cess OF Americanization now in progress Work.
men are paid by the day or week I.,. at most T'
the northern ranches and mines; WIN the doOi.
tion of degrading methods OF deDt-6laVery theTe Is
less improvdence and Ignorance ainDnH wginnn3
people near the border. IL Is an lndlcatiioh OF
the approaching amelioration OF the cohdil9E OF
the Indian population throughout Mexico. Lsno
is slowly dawning in benighted lahu'
The Government of Mexico from an American
point of view is oligarchical and military, rather
than republican. There is no such talIng as, az a
popular election here There are no puDlc meet
inas: the press is not at liberty To DISCUSS ma
tional questions without restraint ana polltcM
parties do not exercise their normal fuhcllois IA
supporting or opposing the UoveIInen' .a Da baI o
day There is no registration OF VoIeIs tne Dai,
lot-boxes are controlled by those in authority ana
both State and National Administrations are con, con-
Quoted by military men with an army Oi tic. SovT.
or possibly 45, 900 men behind them In practeee
il Is military despotism under the gul% on
constitutional republicanism. Few citizens taKe
any interest in elections or C9hgreSsoiSi dae
of accuracy as the policy which President piaS p
considrrs expedent and necessary Anything like
opposition to his wishes is stamped out- .;.h
This is not republican government, Dut WIN
the inertia of millions Of Ignorant ana 1anaucai
Indian poems to be overcome IL is probably the
best administration that is practicable at present
When Mexican Liberal is frank, he will state
the case in this way There must he strong mil
tary government or there VIII DC anarcny' the
Administration of the day must prevent tne OF,
ganzation of a successful opposition party ana
perpetuatc its own power for otherwise the lg,
norant and degraded population under the control
of the clergy would inevitably bring on revoIu.
tion if it were allowed TO participate in pubie
discussions: until the people are educated ana
released from the domination OF the priests, there
must be despotic political dictatorship supported
by powerful army. Theoretically, the Dla5
Government must be condemned as contrary 10 tle
genius Of republican institutions; but practically
It is not without its merits and compensations
BripandaQe and robbery have practically been
suppressed under the present Government or at
least confined to remote and inaccessible sections
of the country. Military guards have been sus-
pended on nearly all the railways; treasure cara
vans and paymasters in the mining regions no
longer require protection; and haclendas nave
ceased to be fortresses Of defence against
marauders There are no revolutionary intrigues
and cabals Civil war is at an end. The finances
of the Government were never In more nourlsn-
ing state than at present National credlt Is
"u for bubble iP works and free schools Above all
there is no departure from that rigorous system
of Natfohalizing the Church and of emancipsting
the people from ecclesiastical domination whicn %
WAS resoutely introduced by Juarez, one OF the
greatest of modern Mexicans. American residents
who lament the downfall Of Maximilhn as a
national misfortune have as little real knowedge
of the currents of Mexican progress as sea-guIs
have of the physical tendencies of the Gulf Stream
Maximilan represented ecclesiastical reaction and
national stagnation. Juarez and Diaz have ere
ated new order of national progress and intel
lectual independence. In subordinating the
Church TO the State and in restoring 10 the ma
ton resources Of wealth which were unproductive,
fiuence and vastly increased its working power.
Even with two-thirds of its useless and antiquated
buildings secularized or abandoned, and with
600 confscated. the Church to-day in Mexico is
vitalized with an energy that was unknown twen-
ty-fve years ago. Liberal Government has not
paralyzed IL. Juarez and Diaz have reinvigorated
it, l. y. r.