The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-24

licences, the money received from their
sale going into the government treasury
The priests were shorn of their power, and
today they have no right to appear on the
streets in their clerical robes, but thew
must dress as ordinary citizens. Mexico
is still a Catholic country. We believe in
the Catholic religion, and as far as the
church is concerned we respect it and
reverence it. But we do not believe IN
the temporal power of the priesthood, and
there is now an entire divorce of church
and state. The greatest trouble that
President Diaz has had with the church
has been through this liberality to it, He
has not enforced all the laws as to the
suppression and conflscating of the con-
vents. and the trouble in Puebla some
weeks ago arose out of the doing away
with the converts which had been sur
reptitiously established there. Pueba is
one Of the strongest religious cities of
Mexico, and 1t was the stronghold of the
priesthood when they were in power At
one time about four-fifths of the city prop
erty belonged to the church, and it is
a great manufacturing place of nearly
a hundred thousand people. 1t has one of
the finest cathedrals in Mexico and in this
was silver altar which cost more than
100000 One of the bells of this cathedral
cost 800, 900 and its interior is almost
plated with gold. The priests are so many
and the old influence of the church is such
that they were able to make some stir
when the converts were suppressed but it
was more of mob than rebellion and
was easily put down. Outside of the
priesthood the leaders of what was the
present condition of the country. Since
President Diaz was first elected property
has been safe and the administration of
justice has been in conscientious hands.
The national debt has been reduced nearly
one-haif; great llr es of railroads have been
built, the cities of the country are grow
ing, wages are increasing and the condi-
ton everywhere is that of peace and pros
perity. No one in Mexico wants revoIu-
ton. The majority of the people are, you
may know, what you call the poems or
Indians. Mexico has about 10000, 900
people, and fully 100000 of these
are of pure Indian blood and
Indian and white blood. These people
are the descendants of those who were in
the country when Cortez came and they
are not naturally revolutionists. They
are conservative rather than progressive
in their ways and are peaceful, hard
working quiet citizens. They have, be-
lieye, in them the material out of which
great people can be made, but this will
be by education and through the in
creased prosperity, which will advance
wages and stimulate them to ambition in
the works of peace rather than those of
war. They could only be brought into
revolution by famine or want, or by the
prospects of receiving high pay as soldiers,
or by fear. The priests have lost their
power over them as a revolutionary ele-
ment through the loss of the church prop
erty and through the fact that the coun-
try still exists and is in better condition
under the new government than it ever
was before. The clerical party did not
succeed with all its wealth, and it GER
tainly could not succeed now with moth
ing"
what kind of a man is President Diaz ?''
said |. AND what kind of an army has
he TO resist revolution, in case it should
arise?"
President Diaz, replied Senior Romero
'is one OF the ablest statesmen and one OF
the most skillfui generals on this CONT
nent. His whole life has been one of ac-
ton, and he has demonstrated his ability
in almost every field. He is now in his
prime, and is IN perfect physical and men,
tai condition. He began life as poor
boy, entered the army at an early age, at
tanned prominence and contributed greatly
TO bringing about the independence of
Mexico through his generalship in 1867
At this time he was the idol of the people
His unselhshness, honesty, integrity and
heroism gave him much the same place
among US that General Washington holds
among you Americans, and his popularity
was such that have always believed that
had he RETAINED from rebelling against
Jaurez he would have been president of the
Mexican republic five wears before he took
possession of 1t when he overthrow
Lerdo. He is man of great executive
ability. lie thoroughly understands his
country and his people, and he is. be-
heve, anxious to do everything for the
good of Mexico and tor them. He feels
very friendly TO the United States. and he
has done everything he could to bring the
two countries closer together and 70 in
crease the trade between them President
Diaz is man of great personal magnetism,
and he Is especially popular with the army.
The soldiers admire him for his general
ship, and he has shown himself their
friend during the whole of his administra-
ton. He has seen that they have received
their pay regularly. and at one time in
speaking of the financial condition of af-
fairs, he said that the soldiers must be maid
first, the interest on the foreign bonds
next, and after that should come the civil
employees and the other items of govern
ment expense. President Diaz carefully
watches over the army. He knows il, or
ganlZatlon IN all ats details and he has
made II stronger than It ever was before"
How many soldiers could Mexico mus
ter in case of war, Mr.. Romero pr asked.
I'VE could call together about 100000
good fighting men, was the reply. ..Our
regular army contains about b1.noO men.
and We have general reserve " hich would
make up the balance Every man in
Mexico is 3 soldier at some time in his
life. and the organization and drill of our
troops are after the most modern methods.
Our regular army is largely armed with
Remington rifles, and We have a national
foundry on the edge Of Mexico CITY in
which we make our guns for the artillery,
our powder and our ammunition Mexico
has fine military school at Chapultepec,
the site of the summer palace of the Monte
zGmas, and latge per cent of our officers
are graduates OF this school. The training
is much the same as that OF West Point,
tosaassed On Page III