The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1898-03-31

administrative machine. There was
an elaborate system Of checks and
balances, ostensibly to prevent fraud
and conserve the revenues, but in
reality the offices were inordinately
multiplied to give more posts to
Spaniards. Mexico was plundered as
is Cuba in our time. By this com
mercial system the people of Mexico
were made to pay a tremendous tri-
butte to the avarice of the merchants,
who in turn were robbed by the Off
cials. Mexico was rs sucked orange.
No Mexican might plant vineyard
for wine, or set out olive trees, Or un-
dertake any industry; all these sour
ces of wealth were forbidden, the idea
being that Mexicans must depend on
Spain for wine and oil and merchan
disc The patriot priest Hidalgo, who
had induced his parishioners to set
out vines, incurred the hostility of the
viceregal government for that act.
Not only did the spirit of monopoly
crush ont active enterprise and tbrot
tie all industries but it went SO far as
to prevent the extension of learning
in the colonies It was frankly said
that the creoles must not be allowed
books and instruction, lest they be-
come able to govern themselves.
Revolutions, it was asserted, always
originated among the educated creoles.
This was sufficient; the law went
forth that they must not be allowed
instruction. The study of chemistry
was allowed in Mexico, but was pro-
hibited in Bogota, where also botanic
al works were not allowed to be pub
lished. Printing presses were only
permitted in three colonies--Mexico,
Buenos Ayres and Peru-and the
people Of Caracas were fatty told they
could not have presses and type.
Ships entering Vera Cruz were
searched to prevent the introduction
of books not of character approved
by the Inquisition! The captains of
vessels were held liable in their per
sons for the nature Of the books
brought here Even houses were in
vaded in the quest for dangerous
books, and one young Mexican, to
cite single case, was, on the lnlorma-
ton given by his mother, thrown into
the dungeons of the lnquisition be-
cause be was found to possess copy
of one of Rousseau's works. After a
time this vigilance was relaxed, but
the commercial monopoly was only
broken by the revolution. 1t is Gu
rious fact that, when the province of
Buenos Ayres asked the council ofthe
Indies for permission to establish a
school of mathematics, it was told
them that learning was not proper
for colonlsts.
The whole policy of Spain was to
keep her colonies in a state of british
ignorance and to make their people
mere serfs, tributary to her fiscal sys
tenn.
am not condemning all Spaniards;
far from it, for among them L have
many warm friends. But the gov
ernment policy of Spain is all wrong,
and no one uttars this truth more We
bemently than Spaniards who have
imbibed modern ideas, and these
Spanish republicans possess in full
measure. Spanish loyalty and Span
ish energy we must admit, and we
may not fail 10 pay tribute to Spanish
valor, but we cannot, if we are friends
of humanity and have the ideas of our
century, uphold the policy of Spain
in her colonies. The little chapter l
have given from Mexican history will
throw light on Spanish rule in Cuba
of our day.