The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-09
ODD OLD MEXICO.
AN Americans Observations on
Croaserdon
a County whose Militia Ia Composed
OF Convc fioin tho PRISONS
SONS recu!,ar,t.os OF. tho
People.

II thcro Is ono thing, CT which Nc:,ico
is moro prolific than revelations it is
pcouliaritic3. Tho pcculiartiCs Of that
country arc many ami astonishing, nos
that viewed this people fro,A rrow
standpoint. says wri ter in the Chicaro
Times, much as tho Gycra,,o English
tourist views America, for wo Ay:lori-
cans arc too familiar with rcprcscn,a-
tivcs Of every climo and nation to-bc
guilty OF such insul"r prejudice, but tho
American tlwcllcr in Mexico will find
tho pcculiaritics of that Nation too
marked 10 be overlooked. For Instance.
what would Gny civilized people on
earth other than tho Mexican think if
their persons and property wore placed
under tho guardianship of convicts?
Yet suoh is tho case thcro. Police duty
throughout tho country districts and in
largo cities like chihuahua is performed
by the soldicrsof the regular army, said
army being recruited from tho convict,
of each State. Complaint as to their
lnclicicncy or dishonesty, however, il
rarely heard, though il Is an open secret
In MoXico that q small brbo to tho ''of-
1icer' is sufficient to secure immunity
IRON arrest, but this fact, so iar from
being raado u ground for comrlaint.
seems rather source OF con,;ra; ulation
than otherwise. How far wo arc in I'D
vance Of this system Of recruiting tho
ranks OF tho policc, especially in Chica-
10, 1T is difficult to say: thcro may DO
somc who wOull extend TO US tho ;.lvico
about not throwing stones; however, br
it said TO ito everlasting credit of tho
Nlcxicans that thcir police arc natives
OF tho country in which they wicld tho
baton,
From tho police ono naturally turns.
especially in this case. to tho criminal.
In Mexico tho burglar is positively un-
known. Tho houses, constructed as
they arc, in view of uprisings, rcvolu-
lions. etc, present To tho would be- bur
Glar but small chance of success.
What with blank walls, barricadcd win
dows, and solid wooden doors, tho
dwcllor within tho average adobe is pre-
pared al nfIhtfall to withstand tho sicgo
of regiment.
Tho phase Of robbery most popular In
Mexico is of tho Dick Turpin pattern.
Dick, however, from all accounts usual
ly gives voice to that time -honorcd COM
mand: 'Your money, or your life"
whereas, tho Mexican brigand invaria-
bly, demands your money and your life,
and no amount Of plumber, pleading, nor
promises will avail to save tho latter
should the opportunity be favorable to
the robbcr for taking it. Tho cause os
this is simply that tho laws Of tho coun-
try provide that tho highway robbcr il
captured, shall suffer death, thus fur
nishing the incentive for his invariablo
bloody accompaniment 10 his oricina;
crimo, that he may forever s.lcnco the
witness OF tho deed.
The McNican is tho only natural-bora
bred -inthc- bono socialist in the world
He has never rcad up Oh thc .ubjcci; no
never hcars our lons-hGircd r:ntcrs
vccifcv,.ting about The beauties Of their
system. nevertheless ho is tho ideal 60.
c:"list, and. although he is not I'D 70 The
average III arithmetic he knows ihcrulc
Of division 10 nicely. Tho average
hic:i can Will share his blanket and lis
last loaf o: penny with you, should You
need II, but if you have any thing you
are expected TO be fully as Liberal; il
You don't, he coEapcl~ your libcralily b.
taking your possessions away from you
forcibiy. In short, If you liavo not, he
gives; If you have, he takes, whether
or no.
Ono sido Of this characteristic of tho
NC Xicans is best cxeupliiicd by their
proceedings in tho cvont Of the narri-
ago of ono Of their daughters to an
American. Tho Mexican, bear in mind,
IS possessed of tho inoradicablc idea
That Americans arc al rolling in wealth.
This idea is u source of nevcr-coasing
envy on the part OF ONO Sex and satisfac-
ton to tho other. Whom an American
marries Mexican girl her whole far,-
lly, her sisters, cousins, aunts, etc, and
all thclr sisters, cousins, aunts, etc, for
u hundred miles around arc invited to
tho wedding. This includes ovcry blood
relation 10 tho very rciaoicst. They
not only como, whicn i; b.d, but they
Stay, which is worse. There they camp,
and until every ouncs of fool anl cvorv
Collar IL sight IS conc there They continue
to camp, and should the lucl;lc3s BRIDE
Groom Lave employment. they stay still
longer, encouraged in the rlJ,t Natural
and artlcss manner by their very hoSpita-
erclativc, tho bride. Tho fccliars OF tho
groom und + such circumstances cen Lc,
imagined, bat y protest only mocts Wit.
tears from tho bride and indignant aston
lshmcns from the guests. before which
the BRIDEGROOM genera. ly succumbs. 1t
Is apparent that tho Mexican merely
gauges tho hospitality and charity OF
others by his own, and wants to be Gono
BY as he docs to others.
Tho Age OF ss,o.utions
Mons. Argollio, OF tho Paris Perfect
ureof lolicc, calls attention to tho ro-
mnrkablc degree in which tho division
Of labor principle is being applied TO