Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-28
DIAz AND HIS WORK
RECORD MADE BY THE PREsI-
DENT OF MEXICO.
Designed for Priesth9ed, but Served
Country as soldief and States
man-Popular as Ruler.

1.-THE attempt to assassinate President
Diaz of Mexico tends to impress upon
those who know of his remarkable career
and his strong hold upon his people what
a great loss to Mexico his death would
have BEEN" said w. G. Ramsay of Ell Paso,
Texas, who has been engaged in business
in the City of Mexico for a number OF
years. Mr.. Ramsay has been visiting
friends in Washington for several days,
and to reporter for The Star today spoke
of Diaz and his work. He said:
Mexico owes her stable government,
freedom from revolutions and upheavals
and her rapid ascendency within the last
twenty-five years because of her good gov
eminent to Diaz. Before his election in
1876 the country struggled and stumbled
along. weighted down by wars, practically
ruled by brigands.
president DiaZ has brought order out of
chaos, an almost incredible thing to those
who know the state of the country before
he was made head of the nation. The
people of Mexico have borne the burden of
more than 200 revolutions.
About fifty men at different times have
tried to rule country that swarmed with
brigands and malcontents No wonder.
then, that President Porfirio Diaz is looked
upon by his country a sort of second
Moses.
president Diaz is seventy-two years OF
age, and his entire career, including his
splendid military record, which began
when he was still a boy, is full Of interest
when Porfrio Diaz was old enough to
begin his schooling his mother began to
prepare him for the priesthood. The lad
was far from DESTROYS of entering the
church, but he Obediently did as he was
told until the Mexican war broke out, when
he abandoned the habit of the novitiate
for the uniform of the soldier and organ
lied a small body of men and drilled them
But they were not called out.
However, his efforts were not fruitless.
His earnest desire to aid Mexico was no
ticed by President Juarez. Juarez kept the
boy under his eye from that time on.
Begins Study of Law.
Probably that first real taste of active
life led him to his next move. He refused
to go back to his religious studies at the
request Of his parents and determined to
take up the study of law, instead. His
mother scoded and his priest expostulat-
ed. His patron refused to aid him further
so that he was thrown entirely on his own
resources. He was given position in the
law Office of Juarez He made very good
use Of his time there, and supported him.
self on a very slender income. while he
studied the condition of his country.
I'm spite of his being so young he had
remarkably clear head and realized the
state of affairs in Mexico as well as and
better than number of the so-called
statesmen of Juarez's administration
Mexico was continually in a STATE of tur-
mol, and Diaz soon found ample cause for
pressing himself into active service. In
vaders We're pushing in on all sides. He en-
tered the army, and from that time on until
Mexico was restored to something like tran
quillity his career was full of brilliant vic
torres and few defeats. and hairbreadth es-
capes.
"One town after another he had his men
Wrest from the invaders. He was fortu-
nate in being put in charge! of men as gall
liant as himself. His brother Felix was as
daring a soldier as PoriiriO and with such
support. small though it may have been
as to number, Diaz was able to work Won
ders He was a splendid skirmisher.
"At one tine handful of men under his
command held at bay and finally defeated
as Diaz's company 2The- army was in
trenched behind the hills on the outskirts of
a small town. The MeX!c ms scatter d
over the hills. so harassed and wearied The
enemy that they finally gave way and fed.
''DiaZ retired from the army when pc &c
| was restored to Mexico p esident Jua ez
had caused dissatisfaction through h s slow
ness in acting for the cOuntry'S good. He
was steadfaSt in his undertakings, but he
had not the diplomacy which marked the
career of DiaZ who by tn s time had Sen
to an advisory position to the president.
'Diaz was the man on horseback who had
won the love and great admiration of the
Mexican republic Small wonder that the
people so regarded him. He is the first
man in the history of Mexico to give such
government