The record-union., 1892-12-08
MEXICO rs SIZE IS.
What a SaCramentan Saw in Our
Sister Republic.
How President Diaz Has Made Him
self Dictator Characteristics
of the People.

George ". Hancock of this city re-
turned a few days ago from a trip of sew
eraI weeks through Mexico. To REC
oRD-UNIoN reporter who yesterday
asked him for his impressions of Mexico
and her people, Mr.. Hancock said:
''When / arrived there they had just
had a Presidential election. We have,
by the way, had one here. IN Mexico,
when General Diaz is nominated for
President, the whole people know that he
viii be elected, just as each OF the political
parties here know that their man will be
elected. In Mexico it goes right along
aud happens. The people who oppose
Diaz are not the best OF the people, and
have no place OF power in the military
arm of the Government, and know they
may lust as well vote for him, or not
vote, for should there be too many votes
against him they would not be counted.
Uiaz believes in good Government in
Mexico, and in himself; and the people
believe in him. He is terror TO evil
doers, and so is the Government.
Zach OF the various States elects for
Governor the man whom the President
most desires, and he desires the man that
will act with him. This is despOtic, but
Is for the good of Mexico and her people.
There is no whitewashing Of men guilty
OF ohense in public positions. Men
guilty OF crime are tried and convicted,
sentenced, and the sentence carried out
Immediately. 4 murderer is not kept in
jail at an expense for feeding him, and
the risk OF escape or suicide, but IS
quickly taken out and shot. Ii his crime
does not warrant 50 severe penalty, he
is given less severe one-sent to the
army, where, ii he tries TO desert he will
be shot, and if he be deemed a hard case
tan will NH hnN wi laH
sure.
This policy makes the present Gov
ernment stable and respected. Murder,
highway robbery and burglary are much
less frequent than in our republic, and 1t
must be believed that it is the summary
punishment that tollows--not the better
heart edneSS Of the peOple-that makes
better behavior. Foreigners are well
treated: that is, if they behave themselves
and fulfill their contracts.
'They have a system of free schools
carried out in the towns and cities, much
as with us here. In the city of Guayma>,
81 place of 5000 people, they have 6l5
pupils on the rolls, fourteen teachers and
an Inspector and Director are employed.
Salaries range from 500 down 10 $40 per
month, in Mexican silver which is
worth about siXty-six cents of our
money. These free schools have been in
operation seven years, and are solving
MANY Of the people are tinged with
strong infusion of Indian blood, yet the
pure white Mexican is frequent, with
blue eyes and brown hair. Family caste
is strong among them, but does not seem
to be founded on pure Castilian blood,
nor yet wealth, nor any particular attri-
butte or condition, but its barriers are
breaking down. By many who visit
Mexico it is said her people are lazy and
indolent. l cannot coincide with that
Judgment. Neither are they what is
termed shiftless. From the turmoil and
revolutions that have so long held sway,
there has grown a adoD't-knOw- -What-t0-dO-
feeling, which has u certain hold on the
people of a certain caste the middle class
that are really the bulwark of the nation.
They are too poor in money to reach
out and take advantage OF the conditions
that exist, but they are patient workers,
requiring no more Watchfulness than the
laborers in the United States to get rea-
6onaDle results in return for wages paid.
Their children, at very early age. are seen
doing the family purchasing OF groceries,
often buying three or four commodities
for the table with only capital OF twenty
tive cents, and they became shrewd
traders at or 6 years OF age. They
watch the scales to see that they balance
and that they get good weight and meas
ure when it is given by lump. They also
Will be seen carrying tve-gallon cans of
water on their heads, when the can IS a
larger package than the child under it.
The towns are of two kinds-the old
Mexican town and the mining town. The
Old Mexican town is a comfortable habi-
tation for the climate-unostentat and
solid. The court is alike a part of home
or place Of business, and seems to be
necessary comfort of either.
Not so the mining town. If there is
any one thing that l disliked to see in
the whole of my travel it was the mining
town, thrown together of rough redwood
boards, or pine. as the case might be-ac-
cOrding to which was the cheapest. Mar
row streets, no sidewalks, no paint no
back yards, the back end partition or
wall OF one house filling the same pur-
pose for the opposite house on the same
block; and in many cases one room only
with a wood Hoor the rest dirt.
Il saw one such city of about 6.0OO
people. The mine called the town
into being, and seems to govern it and
to be responsible Tor it. Perhaps the
Government was little lax or careless
when the concession was granted to the
mine.
"Mexico has a wealth of mines Of
copper, gold and silver. l visited a cop
per mine that works 1000 men. They
lake out twenty tons of smelted copDer
per day. This mine, the Boleo, consists
of $500 hectares, or over 10000 acres, of
AllliUE EIOullQ. anu lu6 mime mas Il con-
cesSlOn OF 600 hectares OF surface. mean
ing the grass, timber and water. SThey
Use thirty miles Of railroad that has been
built expressly for the running of the
mine, which sends in trainloads to the
smelling furnaces on the shore Of the gulf
at the city OF Santa Bosalie. The galleries
of the mines, the railroads and furnaces
and all equipments have cost about 3d.
100000. 1t belongs to to one of the strong
est companies OF France.
agriculture, which should be the bull
wark of every nation, languishes here for
want OF water. over the States of Sonora
and Lower California rain had not fallen
Tor two years, when the first interruption
OF the drought took place last August
"Irrigation is the Watchword OF Mexi-
can agriculture. There are rich valleys
there that are waiting Tor the hand of en-
terpriSe to bring the refreshing LIQUID
from its natural courses to the sea and
distribute it over the fertile soil and max
three blades OF grass grow where none
had grown before. To show what profit
the enterprise Will be crowned with, Just
see what the necessaries of lie are worth.
Flour is $40 per barrel, sugar . cents per
pound, potatoes 5 cents, ham and bacon
40 cents. lard 30 cents, beans TO cents,
corn cents, beef Qerkedl 25 cents, to-
matoes for . cents, canned peaches ga
pound cans 50 per dozen, butter 81 80 TO
a. per roll, alfalfa hay sac per ton; and all
these things will grow in abundance with
plenty of water, yet they are powerless to
get the water that is running waste to the
sea.
The following lines" concluded Mr..
Hancock, pretty well describe Mexico
Rs she is:
'''Thou Italy Of the Occdent.
Land OF flowers and summer climes,
OF holy priests and hOrrld crimes;
Land of The cactus and sweet cOcoai
Kicucr than all the orient