Evening star., 1902-02-15
Form Over Two-Thirds of the
Population.
AZTEC HABITS SURVIVE
INDEPENDENCE AND INCIDENCE
CHIEF CHARACTERISTICS.
Natives Are Still Primitive, Retaining
Old Customs and Preserving
Ancient Language.
sr"ci, Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
copyrighted 1902. by C. NJ. Pepper.)
CITY OF MEXICO, February 10. 1902.
Its omnipresence is the most patent fact
about the Indian population Of Mexico.
From the Texas border to the gulf of Mexi-
90 and Isthmus of Tehuantepec l have had
that fact impressed upon me. In a general
way it is said that of the fourteen million
inhabitants, ten millions are of the aborigi-
nal race. A Mexican authority tells me that
this Is only partly so and that of the IN
dtans something like half have a mixture
OF other blood. Whether that Is true or not
it is one of the surprises TO find how much
OF this country still is Indian. Sixteen or
seventeen dialects are recognized and
spoken.
1t has seemed to me that the assimilation
with the Latin race is not very deep. Many
Of the Aztec customs survive and the indi-
yiduality Of the native, dwelling in his
iacal. or hut. seems scarcely less marked
than 1t was two or three hundred years ago
If the chronicles of Mexico have been read
Alright
Possibly the native population wears
more clothes than then; or the bright col
ored serape, blanket, which the head of
the family folds himself in. or the reboso.
which serves a shawl for the women.
may be a little more capable OF enveloping
its wearer than formerly, yet clothes clear
Is are not to their mind one of the essen
tials Of happy existence. On many OF the
great ranches or haciendas fairly strict
rules are enforced which secure at least
the liberation of the notion that garments
have something TO do with dignifying man
or woman. and these rules make 1t easier
for modest Americans to poke their noses
Into odd places when they are seeking to
see the country and learn Its customs.
The poems. as the native laborers are
called. in the country impress me as of a
lkgt hntt ,1n, tbnt, To-, ptff hatr
faces are winning and hospitable Coming
across the long strip of desert and looking
In vain for jack rabbits to break the
monotony of the journey, 1t Is an agreea-
bic sight to encounter q pleasant kindly
face pecring out Of the cactus and the dust
Then there is the real humble Mexican life
along the wayside, with the women making
the tortillas or corn pancakes which form
the staple food, and the baby strapped to
the back. while the other offspring sprawl
careleSsly around. The man seems to do
his share of work in the fields. though
sometimes 1t Is difficult to determine which
Is the man and which is the woman, be-
cause the women wear the peaked straw
hats just like their lords and master. This
Is a property In common, apparently.
Chief Characteristics.
l have been told that independence and
Incidence are the chief characteristics Of
this native Indian population. though the
traits vary widely In the different parts
of the country. as Is natural enough in
land which covers an area equal to a fifth
OF the United States. From the standpoint
OF political economy their chief drawback
TO their own advancement Is that they are
contented with what they have. They ask
no more. over and over again the claim is
heard that a raise in wages Is no benefit to
the working classes of Mexico because this
simply means that they Will shorten their
working days
am not inclined to accept this broad
generalization or to believe that the eco
nomic future Of Mexico does not lie in a
gradual increase in the price Of labor and
the consequent stimulus to better living and
greater capacity for consumption. though
those most interested and whose judgment
must be given weight insist that the con-
trary fact already is demonstrated. They
say that with wages at 40 cents a day I'm
silver. they can count on perhaps five days
labor ont Of seven. but IL their pay were 80
cents in silver. they would get just four
days labor. and they give innumerable in
stances 10 prove the view they take.
II should not be understood that 40 or 80
cents is regular wages In the country, be-
cause often 1t is 20 cents. An American
who has had a good deal to do with clear
ing off and developing some of the interior
sections. told me that his company paid II
cents. mostly In corn. and that it got along
very we'll indeed. He believed In cheap
labor. because he was not selling anything