Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-10-26
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QAh Olt4lUtOs Ad
~ the United States, to struggle for
existence Is inbred and Unborn while
in Mexico, to pluck subsistence from
The bushes, Is the natural order
|of things. The climatic condi-
tions ~ are such as TO make the
requirements of existence very
much greater here than there.
| No thick, warm overcoat and muller,
nor stock of winter coal, are essential to
the comfort Of the Mexican iaborer.
The wants Of the American laborer are
numerous and great. His food is bet
ter, bis, clothes are better, and his home
is better than were those of his ances-
tors and still he is not satisfied. He
goes Ia debt or the strength OF pros
pective earnings, and foams, and stews,
and frets In a vain effort to maintain q
social standing equal TO that OF his en-
ployer. And, he will be found in arms
rather than submit to become the surf
or the slave of q moneyed aristocracy.
On the other hand, the Mexican labor
err, folio wing in the footsteps Of his an.
cestors,s Restraints all complaint and
makes the best OF what is set before
him. BY centuries of slavery he has
lost all courage and pluck, all spirit Of
liberty. and meekly submits to the ills
that be, rather than fly to others that
he knows not Of. His wants are few
and easily supplied. II he has enough
for to-day he takes no thought for the
morrow. He is contented with his
social standing, having no aspiration
to dance with his employers daughter.
And who knows but the Mexican with
his views of life may be as happy, or
even more happy, than W. with our
exhaulted ideas of our rights and
privileges. At least be is not given to
Sinking the responsibilities Of life by
mean Of self destruction.
Our opponents delight to tell US Of
the great number of beggars in Mexico.
In reply to which | will say, that as far
as my observations extended, every
one was q worthy object of charity F.;
never having met IN able bodied tramp
in the country. Many Of those unfor-
Inmates owe their condition to the rev.
olutions that devastated the country
for half a century.
They also point with pleasure to the
pitiable condition Of the hacienda
labor, where the Mexican is bowed
down with grief on account of the load
of free silver hat he has to carry.
They tell US that the ancient peonage
law, though not upon the statute books,
is still in practical effect. My K
perience in that line is as follows:
Having spent several months at the
hacienda of Guandulain, state of Oxa.
jaca, where | became the intimate
friend Of the attached physician, by
reason Of his speaking English, l
learned, not only the history of the
place, but also the conditions upon
which it was conducted. 1t was a
sugar plantation; established 100 years
ago by the ancestors of the present
owner. In extent it was three sitiOs,
(13,000 acres) mostly precipltious
mountains. About 1000 acres have
been cultivated in cane since the last
revolution. 1t is plowed up and
re-planted about once in six years. Ir.
rigation is employed and all transport
tation Is by mean of pack mules
even bringing the cane from the field.
About 800 people were living 10 the
about the factory; most Of them
having been born and raised upon the
place. Each family possessed a small
orchard and garden about their house,
which they held free from rent and
taxation. These places were passed
from n generation to the next, and
constituted real property, even though
the actual title to the land was in the
haciendado. These people were very
much attached to their homes and to
their landlord. Their physician and
priest were free. Many Of them never
went beyond the limits of the hacienda; !
and few there were who could be in
duced to leave home for double pay on
railroad work near by. Their regular
pay was two reals a day. Their en-
kept a store, and probably paid
in goods, but I am not sure of
that. l saw many strange things in
that country. The. regular price for
butter was a dollar a pound, while
honey could be had at twenty cent q
l have myself bought beef
teak by the yard. But I never yet
law a sale effected that was not &C.
by the cash.
In the thicklY settled portion of
the land is divided into very
mall tracts, and each head of a family
s a free holder. Land is cheap for the