Evening star., 1897-03-20
PICTURE OF MEXICAN PROSPERITY
even the Depreciation of Silver Has
Been of Advantaxe.

~ ASpTechutlOn OF Silver HQs
been of ADVANTAGE
Charles F. Lummis in Harpers Magazine
Mexico Is republic in chancery; free as
we are but less licensed; happy, safe pros
perous' under the system whereby we ad-
munster our homes, and proud of the re-
iharKaple man who has done what no other
ruler OF modern times has even dreamed
OF being able to do. and who still keeps a
quiet steady INST In the waistband of the
youngster he has taught to walk
Within ten years the brigands of Mexjcc
have been simply wiped out 1t has been
to such as know the geographical obsta-
cies-a marvellous achievement, and the
political difficulties were as great First
whatsoever brigand was caught-and Diaz
mas way of catching-stood Just long
enough en; IN 'front.' of an adobe wall for the
nring party to crook the right forefnger.
There were no hung juries nor pardon gov
ernors. Second, the same hand-so firm
ana swift to 1ustice-knew how to open
an ana alternative door. Nowadays the bandit
needs not There is something else for
him to do. and he finds 1t not only more
salubrious, but more to his taste, to take
part IN the development of the patria he
was proud OF even when he was her curse
ne would rather upbuild than tear down
II he has chance, even If there were no
Porhrio' and no rurales.
90 not know anything in history which
Mexico No other man has taken a COM
parable dead weight of population and so
uplifted and transformed it. The wonder
Is all the more because to this day every
other colony Of Spain in the new world
looks to be the worse off for the independ-
encia: Whatever we may say Of the theory
OF self-government, in practice. not one Of
them was ever so miserably vioeroyed or
dented four-fifths of the time since 1921.
Very much the same was true of Mexico
until recently. 1t has had patriotic rulers
sometimes; but that they were at last sorry
rulers the very roster of them shows Four
presidents in a year is hardly an index of
prosperity.
1t Is not afr to remember when there
was not a railroad in Mexico. and when
other material conditions were in propor-
ton. The actual Mexico has forty rail-
roads. with nearly 1000 miles of track and
everything that that implies. Its trans
portation facilities are practically as good
as those of our western states, and the in
vestment is far more profitable. 1t is net
ted with telegraph lines with the cheapest
tariffs in America), dotted with post offices,
schools costly buildings for public business
and public benef1cence. 1t is freer than ii
was ever before-with free schools free
speech free press. 1t is happier than ever
before. and more prosperous than even in
the bonanza days Of the magnificent silver
kings of Zacatecas and Guanajuato. There
are degrees, of course. by local variation
of impulse or of opportunity; but there is
progress everywhere-material, intellectual,
moral.
If the visible prosperity of Mexico, in the
face of certain of it's circumstances, shall
seem enigmatic to sane people whose sane
views are based on radically unlike sur
roundings, yet only ignorance can deny the
fact. Mexico is admirably prosperous, in
spite of seven years drouth; In spite of
the Cara revolution Qkindled in the United
States. in ways and for reasons too COM
plicated to be reviewed here); in spite of
n
was at from to 16, and being paid with
exchange at from So to 1902: in spite even
of cheap money. 1t has been a miracle of
craftsmanship, but miracle which will
never be repeated in a dissimilar land. 1
will try to explain. later, how even so ter
rible a blow as the depreciation Of silver
was to Mexico has been turned to the ad-
vantage Of a nation which lies in the hol-
low of one mans hand.