The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-19
SPANISH RULE IN MEXICO.
EYER FITTING ron SPAIN mi
NOTHING ron THE NATITES.
An Outline or the Condition OF Affairs
Undrr the .vicereRni .ReEime-Prncti-
cnliy tho same Policy Has Hecn Fur
sued In the Hnpiesa Island OF Cuba.

NAN
cnily the same Policy Has secn Par
sued In the Hnpiess Island OF Cuba
FNoin ne Boston Herald.
CRY or MEXICO, April 4.-One or the ancient
rulers Of colonial Mexico, a naughty Spaniard,
u ed to say that 80 long ns a MancheRo mule OF
a Castilipn cobbler remained In the peninsula
he had a right to govern the Atnericasl He
meant that 30 long rs anything Spanish was 10
be found In Spain. the right Of the Spuniard to
dominate In the colonies would endure.
IL was to emphasize this right" that the
Audicncia of Mexico, In 1908. C]onsIircd nrnlnst
aud caused to he arrest 4 aud dcuoscd, the lib
era. minded Vlccroy. IturrIgarny. who hal nd
vocOted allowing the nat'Vo-buru McSicans a
share IN the colonial administration rom
which all white men born on Mexican soil had
been debarrcd simply because Of their creole. or
American birth. The city Government hero,
that body still known ms the Ayuntamicnto,
had been told that IL POSSESSED no authority,
except over the dregs OF the capital"
The arrest Of the ViCerUy was but a logical
sequence " the policy OF exclusive Spanish
domination in M"Xicnn affairs. 1t was the be-
ginning OF the great revolution, preceding by
two years the revolt uf The priest. patriot Hidal-
go, and It is .lgnlncan' that tho band Of con =
s%pIrLtors WHO broke into the vireroy's apart
mrnts ut hight and ,HiEcl his person were resi-
dent SVauIsh merchants.
All tNlS Wy way OF Indicating tue hAuGntlly
intolerant spirit Of the Spaniards. who ruled in
the Mexico of that period exactly as thoy have
done down to the present day in cuba. ignoring
tn" creole, or native population. subjecting 1t TO
indiguitics, and holding in more honor Il stupid
Mauchcgan or NisCay6n than the most intelli-
gent and cultivated creole.
The advocates Of the retention Of Spanish
domination In Cuba should read the history Of
that rule In Mexico, a system so despotic and
unjust that, to this day, the Mexican hates the
name OF Spain. and the traditions of the harsh
ness and unrighteOusness of that colonial rule
are repeated. and shape tho opinions OF tho
Mexicans as regards the mother country.
That the ~ .npathy OF the Mexicans should be
with the Cubans is inevitable; every Mexican
knows that the islanders are lighting to throw of
q system OF government as oppressive as any
that has ever existed on this planet.
In theory, under the colonial regime. every
great office In the vicere gal Government was
open to the creoles as well as to men born on the
soil Of Spain. and. reading the laws of the In
dies, one finds this strongly insisted upon; in
practice. however. 1t Is all the other way. Tor
every post was held by a Spauiard. The ~petties.
offices were reserved invariably for Spaniards.
In the Church. the army. and the law. all places
were for The Spaniard, and the policy determine:
Ing, this discrimination was avowedly adopted
y keep In Office men considered to be more
likely to, be loyal to the Crown than the
richinG Liulsel&. Even in mercantile life the
Spanlard was dominant, and. by n system of
fixing the prices on merchandise landed at Vera
Cruz or Acapulco. all possibility of competition
The Spanish merchant marrying hero and |
having children regarded his sons with con-
tempt, even when OF purest blood, because they
were ersoles: Thou art a creole; and that's
enough was u common remark addressed in |
%soiently to the unfortunate lads born Mexicans, |
for the Spaniard con ,idered his clerk. and
superior to his own children, IL of Mexican
birth! To this day the Spaniards in trade here
lnn1 inkS n IN fhA 10 npan tbA ttl ra,.l l
headed. hardy shop boys, coming over from the
D MGsr1th0t s{Pppi r.. 6e! elm TAUGHT to tdesRise tae
die and lower classes with interest.
The ,V,iceroys, to go back to the old times. in
100000 a year, and were expected to keep up a
regal state and to be always surrounded with
ponp and masnidcence' and so they inevitably
Spain after a few y'ars' administration with
fortunes OF a miilion or more of dollars; II was
selves at the public expente, and in Spain they
would have been regarded us great fools had
King of Spain A,"ays conferred at
OF ,quicksilver,a prime necessity to the miners,
and they granted privileges for the introduce
disc. which we're holly competed for by the rich
business houses OF the period. Oftentimss the
ners of the commercial concerns, and divided
Monop, ly was the rule. Every article of mer-
chaudtsc entering the country was u matter OF
bargain with tho Niceroy. Commercial business
was without risk. except losses at sea. for prices
other nationality. was allowed any particlpa-
ton in. trade, and even the native MeIicaus
were shut out from all share in business.
Whenever the creole. protested, which they
often did, they found the entire Spanish intlu-
Mexico dow to n. smallest ii ping shop boy in
the tiendas. or grocery stores. 1t was a gigantic
an nnwilling tribute payer to the co,nblnntion'
spanish, merchants having MeIican-b born sons
reserved their FORTUNES Tor Their daughters. who
destined to marry the imported clerk or
Tie Government here in the colonial epoch
was IA vast and cumhrouS administrative ma
chine. There was an elaborate system f checks
and balances, ostensihly 10, prevent fraud and
conserve tho revenues. but in reality the Offices
were inordIuatcly multiplied to give more posts
to SpanIards. Out of II revenue OF 100000 600
Golfers IN spain, while often great sums were
sent to Havana or to tho Philippine Islands to
co!on Ies 1t was not the "a, 600, 600 OF Of hard hard
dollars that constituted the measure OF tho
burden y ar borne Tnsd by ii t1s ~ Metioan.; sx,9r.loh vas
Cuba in our time. By this commercial system
the people OF Mexico were made to. pay II tre-
lnenduus tribute to the avarice of the mer-
who In turn were robbed by the officials.
Mexico was as a sucked orange.
No Mexican might plant a vineyard for wine.
set out olive trees, or undertake any indus
all these sources of wealth were forbidden,
spain for wine and oil and merchandise. The
trip,-pr!est, Hidalgo, who had induced his
To set Ou' vines, incurred tue nus
nifty of the viceregal Government for that act.
Not only did the splrit OF monopoly crush ont
enterprise and throttle all Industries. but
: went so far As to prevent the extension Of
earning In tho colonies. 1t was frankly said
hat the. creoles must not be allowed books and
Instruction, lest they become able to govern
Revolutions, 1t was asserted,
,lways originated among the educated creo!es.
was sufficient; the law went forth that
hey must not 10 allowed instruction. The
tndy Of chemistry was allowed in Mexico, but
works were not allowed to be published. Print
ng presses were only permitted in three col
Mexico, Buruos Ayres, and Peru and
HI people OF Caracas were fatty told they could
10 nave presses and type,
Sh'p- entering Vera Cruz were searched to
W vent the Introduction OF books not OF q char
approved by the lnQui-itiun! The Cap
aims ofveSsels were held liable in their persons
or the nature Of the books brought here. Even
iousos were invaded In the quest for dan
croVs books, ana one young Mexican. to
lite "A single case, was, ON the given
" his mother, thrown into the dungeons OF tho
because he was found to possess "a
~ one Of Rouss"au's works. After "A time