El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-07-12

| TREMENDOUS d Qu IL ever d mdu uSe0TV6U
public appreciation, he does. His truet
in the people is courageous when one
considers their mixed ra .es, charactt re
and emotions. On his daily drive be
tween castle and palace over the Paseo
de Ia Reforma aud through the narrow,
crowded San Francisco and Plateros
streets, he is attended by only a coach
man and footman and his assassina-
ton would be ridiculousiy easy to &C
complish.
An American reporter for one of the
two daily papers in the city told me he
met the president and Mrs. DiaZ stroll
ling on the Paseo one Sunday morning.
The reporter was new TO Mexico at
that time and bis curiosity was excited
to ascertain If they were guarded. He
looked everywhere for gendarmes or
soldiers, but could see none and was
forced to the conclusion that Mr.. and
plebisns enjoying a walk on popular
thorougbfare in the freshness of the
morning. In fact, the president goes
where he wishes without any apparent
thought of dagger, bullet or bomb.
OPPOSITION.
Another thing. The opposition.
There is plenty of it, though a minori-
ty. In it's ranks are the disappointed,
the vindictive, the ambitious and the
patriotic.
The victory of Juarez over Maximil-
ian in 1867 was the victory of the Lib
eral party over the Conservative or
Church party. That is what the estab-
lishment of the republic meant and
when the people, that ia the governing
class, proclaimed a republic they pro-
claimed separation of church and state,
and to emphasize that sentiment their
reform government confscated all the
lands and buildings of the churches,
valued at $3.50, 100000. You must bear
this fact in mind if you wish to form
anywhere near a just estimate of the
politics of Mexico. It is the keynote
of the situation. Republicanism and
reform meant separation of church and
state and curtailment of church power.
This same issue will be the cause of
the next crisis in Mexico. Let me re-
peat what Mexican gentleman, who
is q strong opponent of Mr.. Diaz. told
me.
1.-THE opposition to the president is
based on his changed attitude toward
the church. Until within the last few
years there was no suspicion that he
was not as firmly opposed to the ex-
tension of church power as he was dur
ing the earlier years of his ascendancy.
The pretense that he is a determined
opponent of this element in politics is
maintained; but we observe the growth
of it's influence in the government aud
cannot reconcile pretense and fact.
The presidents wife-the seconds q
devout Catholic and her family is noted
for it's adherence to the church. 1t is
the domestic influence we suspect and
fear. Mr.. Diaz is thirty-third degree
Mason and it used to be that all the
men he selected for important positions
where fidelity to himself was required
were also Masons. OF late years this
has not been therule. You know, Free
Masonry is not in favor with the
church"
SIS there danger of a revolution?" L
asked.
mot while Porfirio lives. But he
foreign country"
"And when he dies?"
The Mexican shrugged his shoulders.
The above is the fercest criticism of
the president [ heard. 1t remains to
be seen whether there is an element of
truth in it. But no matter what Mr..
Diaz does in the future, what he has
already done for his country is his mon
ument. And his spirit will go march
ing on, for he has introduced free
schools aud education for the masses.
In this work aud in the task of eleva-
ting the condition of women his wife is
mis- helpmate.
SPANISH AND AMERICANS.
When the Spanish-American war
was in progress the Spsniards and
Americans were summoned before the
put under bonds of honor to keep the |
peace This was al order from Presi- |
dent Diaz. 1 was told by several Ame |
ricans that the bond was remarkably |
we'll preserved on both sides. There |
was, of course, some friction, but Anne |
ricans aud Spaniards who have lived |
any length of time in Mexico learn |
to respect the law, and they learn to
pay particular respect to any law pro- |
mulgated by Mr.. DiaZ. II L am wrong |
in this assertion I challenge any Amer |
lean or Spaniard in Mexico to deny it. |
AT any rate, they got along without |
bloodshed. A Spaniard and an Ameri- |
can in Guadalajara were business as |
sociates and friends, and they discuss
ed the varying phases of the struggle |
in a state of irritated camaraderie. !
The Spsniard was confident and re-
peatedly said: "Wait until our sol
Spain will crush the volunteers of Am
erica" Excuses were readily present
ed for the failures of the Spanish to
take the aggressive. At last the Am
orleans landed at Santiago. Now"
said the Spaniard, "you will see our
troops make meal of your Americans.
They will eat 'em up"
Ever since then the American on
meeting the Spanisrd on street or in
club, inquiries: "Ah Don Jorge, how
about that dinner in Santiago?''
The Americans were intensely pat
triotic during the war and many wen
to the United States to enlist. Among
this number were two Sherer brothers
at Guadalajara. One gave up fine pt-
sition as electrician for the electrical
system being put in where the Falls OF
Juanacatlan supply the power. The
owner is Bermejillo. one of an old and