The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-01-13


 Mexico. Such statesmen and pubiicists aa the country boasts of are D. hInd him. The Pfesi, dent has had for some years the most tmpi cit confidence in the judgment of Linantour. not only as 1t is brought to bear on the pubic finances. but also with rclation to the conH- merce and business of tho people-ane. indeed. to all questions of policy.
 Linantour has conv need the President, whom 1t was not easy to convince on this subject, that the silver standard was fn- furious to the veal of his people Dias was slow to come to that conclusion. naturally enough for with the white me al as the money basis the nat on and the people have prospe-ed wonde fully. The si yer mining interests C one of the Iaregst sou ces of Mexican wealth. The mine owners q rirh and powerful ele nieut of society Every interest of tradition and of conssrvat srn tended to hold pfas. to silver.
 when. however. the logic and information of Limantnur decided President Diaz that he must range himself with the United States and Europe (the change of Japans monetary policy was a powerful factor h b s deCisi n. by the way.) he was impatient to begin. Seuor En' ique C. Greel. an important banker of the City of Mexico. was asked to go to New York a year ago. to take counsel with our leading men of finance. The subject of the gold standard for Mexico was diso ussed at dinner given here by Char 'es R. Flint. wheh was attended by Sec eta'y of the Treasury Lyman J. Gage, Don Manuel de Aspiroz, the Mexican Ambassador at Washington: ]. Pier pont Mor gan. James Stiilman. Richard Dela. field. Senator Chauncey M. Depe%. H, B. Rollins. John A. Mccall. Geo gs W. Pc kns. H. H. Rogers, Andrew Carnes ie Henry Roso, John D. Achbold. Robert Bacon. Senator Hanna. Levi P. Morton William M.s Ivins' J. Sloat Fasss tt. James T. Ga ner. Levi z Letter. T. Jefferson Coolidge. IT,. and A B Hammond. The aggrc cyate fortunes of the as- senbled group was estimatei by one esent to be at least $500. 900 900. The dinner cost Mir Flint an even SIooo.
 Tho true import of Mir Creel's visit was not made known to the public at the time The men at the dinner toll Mfr. eel that the financial interests of the world undoubtedly would regard he contemplated change of the Mex can monetary system to goii b1s's as step of high importance to both America and Europe.
 In due time Limantou- began to sound bank CTS in New York who had been reDresen ed at the Flint dinner. and representatives of the Rothschild house in EurcpeA with view to floating gold loan. sufficient to carry tn ough the change. He su sed 10 meet an irT- portant objection from the bankers.
 They told him that while they regarded Mexico now and in prospect as highly pros porous and solvent nation, capable Of devei' oping it's resou ces to an immense extent. there element of inseour ty fn its credit that must be pointed out
 You have had peace and anqullity under Diaz," the Roths hild rep esent tative said to the Minister If Finance. "but what may hap pen if az should die?
 Your Government in spite of the calm se- cur fly of Diazs Iuie. Is nothing but a mi itary dictatorship piaz mas been able to keep him. self in power for longer than any other dlc- tator of time. but he Is growing old and who knows what plot may now be matching to owe th-ow him?
 "on his death. to judge by the history of all the Latin American republics, a man of will surely rise to overthrow whatever government may sucreed him under the pro- visions of tho constitution How many Men on Horseback do you reason are all eady plan ming to take the fleld. as soon as path seems open to their ambitions?
 No banker can lend money fin so la ge sum as Mexico will require to G0ve' nnnent whose futu stability is so doubtful"
 Limantour his hopes dashed, reported these hard but ue say ngs to his chiat The old patriots answer instent.
 ''If should reti in your favor and stand behind you with al my influence long as shall live. what would your bankers say thenF''
 The fact is that this Is just what had been hinted to Limantour, who was too loyal to hNs chief to repeat that part of the eonveTsa- tion to his chief The p oposaf in plain terms was conveyed to New York banking house soon after this that if 1t would undertake, with 1t sforeign connections to underwr te loan for Mexico. P=s dent Diaz would abdioate in January. He would also qua antee that Lt- mantou- shouId be chosen in his stead to serve as esilent for the two years remain rg ot his term, and he w. uli further piedgs his rep utation that the cnan-e of government woSid be carried through without a revolution
 What of Reyes? the bankers asked them- selves, but they signihed their willingness to go ahead on those terms.
 Could D az, peweIf full as he is, undertake to balk the most powerful soldie- in his eDun- tiy, the man whom the silve- intesests would ho re1v fn with and in civil war? piez himself last fall had no m g. givings on that point The army. he w convinced, to Q man adored him. The peop . of Mexico. he wouli have bet his Lead. wOull obey his lightf st W sh.
 Since then the significant retirement of Reyes from the ministry of war. and the absence of i evidence of Diaz's immediate intent to leave the pres dency. have indicated hitch in the program. Reyes retaina his command of the army. If he were sent abroad he would be swe to be In a position to be warned in- stantly of any step taken to put Limantour in the highest office. and he would hasten back.
 The Mexican army is devoted to Reyes not, par heps. aga nst Dia5, but obably against Limantour Diaxs choice. Reyes has taken 39 900 men. fed them well. clothed them. d, filed them. had their pay iaised, made them see thaht every improve mcnt in their condition has come from Der nardo Reyes. The men well armed with Mauser Hes the a my Is vel organized and
 
 against insurrecto Indians like the Yaquis. beside quasi police duty, to be an eff cient fighting machine. Indeed. 1t Is said in Mexico that the Yaqui "wars mere army ma neuvers kept alive by Reyes to Sive h. men work.
 With Diaz dead the army would be likely to follow its general. With D.az merely out of office 1t might add to the regular my an other a my of uNne wol kers. persuaded that their bread ls in danger. and one can ngu out a respectable showing for a revolut on. These mine workers can handle rifles as well as they handle pick and shovel.
 There is s,il another class that might be led into sort of ''holy war for silver. This includes the great planters. the owners of great coffee and sugar hac endas ant the large employers of labor. Their products a e mainly exported; that Is to say, they are sold for gold.
 They pay their men In silver. Their interest In keeping the country a silver basis Is not far to seek.
 Against these Lmantou''s political allies would be the impo ting class. American inves- tors in the country and espec ly the rail road and comme eial ints ests, the neI- chants and the bankers. The ''peon'' or la bo ing class and the small farmers are not well informed and might be expected to give their adhereuts along lines of per sonal preference rather than bo moved by politieo- economic a guments.