The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-12
OLD MEXICO.
Americans Are Changing the Natives
Lazy Customs.
Louisville Herald.

Louisville Herald.
The capital. the enterprise and initiative
of the American people have enabled Mex
leo to leap from the tenth to the twenti-
eth century. Mexico's fourteen millions OF
people are growing thousand years in
as many weeks. The whole territory of the
republic is owned by about 1000 land bar
ons. with millions of poems for serfs.
American enterprise, with its investment
of $500 900. 900 has dealt peonage a deadly
blow. The peon under the Mexican sys-
tenn earned IS cents day, and was always
kept in debt by his patron, who held him
ferred him with every sale of the estate
to the purchaser. But the Americans, with
their railroads, farming methods, shelters
and industrial energy generally, have bid
up the price of labor to rs cents, 81, and
more day. The peon thus pays off his
debts and becomes free man. The Mex
lean government offers free education to
his children, from the elementary school
to the university, and schooling will soon
become compulsory.
constantly on the increase. We sold the sis
ter republic in 1901-O2 a third more than all
the rest of the world combined. We bought
from her four times more than she sold to
all other nations. The uncertain value of
MeXico'S silver money affects trade in
juriously, making it gamble The boot
black must raise the price OF his shine
when silver depreciates. Wages do not rise
correspondingly. Capital figures on mar
gin OF 80 per cent, and yet often loses
money.
American capital is, in spite of this draw
back, pouring into the land of the Monte
ZumaS. Seventy per cent. of all American
money invested In Mexico has gone into
railroad development. The Mexican Central
has taken Sl59 10000; the National, $l07. 800
GOO. Eighty per cent. of all Mexican railway
capital is American. There is now railway
mileage there of 11Os0, and it is steadily
growing. All the important systems but
three are owned by Americans, and in these
three Americans are heavy stockholders.
They have recently acquired The National
from the British and the Outline from the
Belgians. The United States furnishes the
operating officers, conductors, engineers
and sometimes the entire train crew.
American methods are rejuvenatng the
Old Mexican mines Americans are imprOv-
ing the great ranches and developing the
manufacture of cotton faster than the raw
material can be supplied by Mexico Some
of the raw cotton is thus to be imported
from the United States. There are American
factories of every kind everywhere. Ameri-
cans are constructing great irrigation dams
and canals The Mexican people are adopt
ing American ways. The American circus
has taken the descendants of the Aztec sun
worshipers by storm. The typewriter is
popular institution. A wireless telegraph
system connects the opposite shores of the
Gulf of California. Best of all, the Next
cans propose to elect a successor to Diaz
without revolution. Even more striking
is the grasp of American capital and
terprise on the Canadian dominion.
The spirit of Old Glory. therefore, reigns
from Yucatan to Greenland, and blesses a
whole continent with an Americanization
benefiting its every interest.