Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-17


Providence has bestowed on the Next
cans mhEnlieent snnd, aboundiug in
resources of all kinds; u land where
none ought to be poor. and where mis-.
cry ought To he unknown. land
whose products and riches of every
kind, are abundant and as varied %
they nre rich. 1t Ia a country on
dowed with every profusinn of gif, that
man can desire or envy
A strange blending Of the ola aud the
new IL the Mexico or today. the Spanish
Moorcsquc civilization nf tho aixteettth
century side by side with the progress
Of the nineteenth century Far moro
picturesque Is the old thun the nrv--
the grand cathedral. hoary with age.
the narrow streets, tho quaint CONSTITUTE
ton of buildings, with the walls MS
thick as those n fortress, the uni
versnl balcony and the closely barred
windows. the curious costumes; in a
word, the utter strangeness Of II oil
goes to make 1t difficult to under
stand that we have mt our doors
land more picturesque than Switaer-
land, more interesting from It's roman
tic and varied history than Spain or
Egypt. and richer far In agricultural
and mineral possibilities than any
country which we know
Scenic Mexico Is not 10 be described.
II infltrates 'ris not alone in the
plains and mountains, the light and
SHADE. the quaint architecture, but In
the shifting, moving, constant piano.
rama of the people. There, perhaps.
most OF all, color. form, picturesque
ruggednesr; yes, and misery, too, for
oil this comes into the field of the fine
arts. seen daily and hourly on the
streets of any village. or any railway
station. The whole softened and toned
by the pure atmosphere until II he
comes II painting on n magnificent
scnle from the hands OF a master
painter. the God of nature.
When Lempiere said, "a land where
no one ought to be poor" he stated n
great fact and uttered II truth which
will resound to Americas confusion so
long as present conditions exist. Not
but that these conditions are being
constantly bettered by the natural
course. of events. but they also. by
such a small effort on the part Of the
government. might he entirely done
away with. 1t remains with the Unit
ed states to create new conditions
which might be to the relief Of want,
oppression and misery in both coun-
tries. No aggression or force need
prevail. Merely a just Insight into
The question would create such pub
lie sentiment that the church and the
state Of Mexico would be compelled to
proyjde for the wants of all proteges
of their own nation, and inter-com-
merce would provide all that Ia needed
for their own relief.
In Mexico the land IL held in large
tracts of many thousands of acres. In
southern Mexico gentleman, English
born. residing at the Hotel Iturbide. In
the City of Mexico. not even n house
holder, and never expecting to becomt
| n citizen of the country. has claim by
announcement to million acres in on'
tract Much of the land Is luabl'
luN nf IL Ia taxed
| No uncultlvated land Is taxable. witt
the result that hacicndados ownlnf
large tracts cultivate only such al
amount as furnish substenancc nnt
| competence for themselves and thel
| dependence. Thus the fertile soil which
should yield sufficient for all its chill
| dren Is withheld from them, and blu
| for the mild climate thousands woult
suffer starvation each year.
| Despite the fertile soil agriculture Il
| yet in its infancy. and abounds witt
undeveloped resources The agricul
turai industry, which commends itsel
most greatly to Americans, Is coffe
growing, although sugar and frui
growing are both INDUCED in by tn
| American colonists. Mexico can an
| doubtless will in the near future. pro
duce every pound OF coffee used in on
trade. All grades are grown. from tn
most delicate to the coarsest. Ever
other troplcal pant nouIisHeh thti
| also.
A government so well and judiciousl
administered as that of the republic n
| Mexica presupposes n time when II
| dependents will he cared for by I'll
nation. The laboring class Of Mexio
Is nowhere adequate for the needs O
the country. but any independent la
borer seeking employment Will not far
so well, inasmuch as he must come int
competition with cheap labor. hig
living and a language foreign to hin
1t would be hard to make poor In
vestment in either copper or silve
mines. SO much waste OF silve
from primitive washing flows throug
the streets OF n certain town that II
were collected the per cent of increas
would be sufficient to furnish all tn
half starved population of Mexico wit
sufficient for ali their needs. Yet Mex
leo is a prosperous country. The cite
of Mexico are like unto themselves. an
no other. No city on the globe Is S
interesting as the City Of Mexico. G
can furnish such a panorama daily o
its streets 1t Is a gay. brilliant cit,
and always has its holiday garner
displayed in park and drive. The ret
life of the city Is not felt by the casui
visitor. What goes to make Mexico
nation is lived behind closed doors. II
very conservatism means solidity, Gu
ture. refinement. strength. Mexico
land asleep in the lap of legends oil
yet n sleeping giant, who will one IA
wake refreshed and impinge the viFol
Gus present upon the mighty past
Peoria Journal.
I