The record-union., 1895-06-29
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Article q declares that the application
OF penalties shall be made exclusively
by judicial authority.
These elementary rights or guarantees
confirmed by the Federal Constitution
were suspended with reference TO ali
road robbers by the decree of May II,
1856. This was done under the provis-
ions OF the last article of the constitutional
Dill OF rights, which declared that in cases
OF INVASION. serious disturbance of the
public peace ana other cases in which
society might be placed in great danger
the proper authorities might suspend
these guarantees granted by the Consti-
! tuition.
The first article of the decree referred
TO simply enacted the suspension. The
second article defined road robbers, thus
specifying those regarding whom these
guarantees were suspended. They were
tnose intending to stop trains on public
road with the purpose of robbing the
passengers or stealing the goods carried,
and to this end in any way destroy or
carry Oft any part of the property belong
ing TO the railway; in a word, those who
lay hand on railway property when not
empowered to do SO, with the purpose of
injury.
These persons elaborately described in
the decree are by this decree practically
placed without The law, "If caught in
the act, they shall suffer the punishment
OF death, without further trial or pro-
ceeding than the mere drawing up OF Il
record BY the chief Of the appreheuding
force, IN which record shall DO set forth
the fact that they were taken in the act
and the Identification Of their persons"
This medicine was supposed to De
strong enough 10 effect cure ia the few
years it was decreed to be applied. The
time the law was to continue in force,
having elapsed some time since. it has
been deemed advisable this year to sus-
pend again the constitutional guarantees
and 10 enact a similar law, which has
been stated in substance as follows:
whenever any Individual stops derails
or lnterferes with a train, removes faaten-
lngs from the track, puts obstacles on
track, or destroys any locomotive, cuts
telegraph wire or destroys or removes
any of the apparatus, thus cutting off
communication, should any such action
result in the death of one or more pas
sengers, robbery or any other damage,
and the criminals are caught in the act
they shall be shot without trial, but the
commander Of the force apprehending
the criminal shall report the fact to the
proper authorities. When the criminals
are not caught in the act, but afterward
they shall be tried by the nearest authority
within fifteen days, and, if guilty, shall be
condemned to death. II the party guilty
is only an accessory to the crime, his sem
tence shall be from five to twelve years
imprisonment" This law has already
been promulgated. and will continue in
force for one year.
The railways by their presence have
brought to crisis the question of secur-
lty on the lines Of public transportation.
But for them and their influence on the
authorities, robbers might have carried
on their petty depredations on stages aud
mule trains, without arousing the Gov
ernment to determined and effective
action. The development of the railways
has given to the question of security an
entirely new aspect. The magnitude of
the interests involved have made the de-
mand for security imperative,
Here was a case where the Government
had clearly before it a condition and not
theory; and the condition had to be
changed. Later it might be possible to
speculate and quibble about individual
rights. Here the supreme right of So
ciety at large presented itself and de-
manded recognition; and il is refreshing
to find Government rising to the i'm
pOrtance Of the problem before il. 1t did
not entangle itself in an intricate web OF
speculation as to individual rights, but
recognized the fact that great social inter-
ests were endangered, and that there was
a serious social disease which needed a
remedy. 1t recognized, moreover. the
solemn truth that it is better for society
that person who attempts to wreck
train, whether successful or not, should
be dead rather than alive. He is an
enemy of mankind and an outlaw, and
should be treated accordingly. and
under the existing law he is so treated.
The result is. railroad traffic goes on
undisturbed. With no newspapers to
publish their illustrated biographies.
liable to be shot with impunity by any
one discovering them at their work, and
with many OF the brotherhood buried
where they fell, obbers OF trains in Mex
leo have very little prestige at present.
fIb1ra n U fro, l,
become safe but other lines OF transporta-
ton have participated in the good result.
il the railways, by the presence OF their
large amounts Of capital, have brought
on the crisis, and thus forced remedy
for long-standing evil, the Government
itself is III very large degree directly
benefited by the result. About the time
of the opening of the Mexican Central
Railway the Federal Government had
not sufficient funds at hand to meet its
current expenses. and the outlook for
foreign creditors was Tot hopeful. The
budget for 1S95-IS96 shows q surplus, and
the state of Mexico's credit abroad has
undergone very tatterpg change. It
would, Of course, be unjust in estimat-
ing the causes of this happy revolution,
to leave out of account the remarkable
ability of Mr.. Limantour, the present
Secretary OF the Treasury. who though
still a comparatively young man, has
won distinguished place among the
leaders of the present administration.
Yet the achievements he has made
have been rendered possible by the Sc
curity which has come to the affairs of
the country through forces entirely inde-
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