The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1900-09-29
A REruRLIcAN pIcrAroR.

| The official announcement of til,
Unanimous election of Diaz, to the
presidency of Mexico has beer
made. Porfrio Diaz Is one of the
most remarkable, and in our judg
ment, when his environments are
considered, one of the creates
men this century has produced.
Born seventy years ago, as I
mere boy he took part in the wal
between his country and this, and
has lived to see the animositle'
engendered by that strife give
place to friendship, mutual trust.
fullness and good will. In the
process of national evolution
which has wrought from u colIec-
ton of i'll organized and petty des-
potisms government with fixed
character, stable institutions and
promising future, it has fallen to
his lot to play part accorded to
few men in any country.
Throughout his public career,
bis methods have been those of an
absolute dictator, but one who has
used his almost unlimited power
uniformly for the betterment of
his country and its people; his life
has shown him to he an autocrat,
risen superior TO surroundings,
preccdents and selfish ambition. A
leader in the opposition to Maxi
milan, he became a bitter oppo-
nent Of his former associate,
Juarez, when that general became
president. The last revolt, of
consequence, against constituted
authority In Mexico, was led by
Diaz himself, and he first became
president through a successful rev.
olutlon, in which the successor to
Juarez was driven from office, in
1876.
Immediately upon his accession
to power he abandoned the charac-
ter of a Spanish-Amerlcan revolu-
tionlst and assumed the role of
statesman and patriot.
So successfully did he apply
himself to the task OF restoring or.
der, harmonizing warning factions
and developing the mate rial inter
ests of his people, that, as the con-
stitution did not permit his imme-
1iate reelection, he was practically |
allowed to name his own success
,r. The Mexican constitution was
for his sole benefit, and
when he again became president,
n 1884, it was to enter upon what
las proven to be a life tenure of
,ffice.
The SUCCESS achieved by Mexico
8 frequently used as an argument
or the capacity of Spanish-Amer-
cans for seIf-goyernment, but
hose who do so simply exhibit
heir own ignorance of the real
AZURE of that so-called republic.
lexico is Diaz and Diaz is Mex
20. Devoted to his peoples well
are, his people, in the main,
re devoted to him. His word
law, and though the hand
nat rules them may be gloved,
fexicans know that it is of iron.
lot one of the legislators enacting
Tvs for the twenty-seven states
the republic would dare go /
ounter to his known policies, AM
} abe governor of a state is to be
J thorough accord with the presi- {
ent. What Washington was to
S, Dlaz has been to Mexico and 1
,ore. No man who was ever the
cad of a people had wiser coun- {
,IIors than the former, and our
overnment represents the aggre-
ated wisdom of many men. Diaz
as made Mexico, and SO thor
ughly has his own mind been
laster for nearly a quarter of a
entury, that he may be said to {
ave made it well nigh alone. The
ears succeeding his death can {
one answer the question as to {
hat extent his people are capaei-
led to take care of themselves.
We imagine that even then, the
nswer will depend not so much
pom them, as upon, the character
the man succeeding him who has
cen, and is, In truth, father to
is country.
AGAIN THE FAR EAST.