Arizona republican., 1904-11-16
PHOENIX. ARIZONA. NOV. 16. 1904
President Dlaz and Ills Enemies.


 During the past year President Diaz has dealt so severely with all malcon- tent editors and newspapers in Mex ico that the opposition press in that country is now virtually extinct. The illustrated papers which were wont to caricature Gen. Diaz and his officials are no more. It might be argued from this that the great Mexican president is deficient in a sense of hulnor, but it should be remembered that the so- called humorous papers of Mexico in variably give a coarse and bitter turn to their alleged fun. The leading pub lications of that class have been nOth- ing less than revolutionary in their doctrines, and Gen. Diaz knows from experience that the way to nip a rev olution in the bud is to nip it's instiga- tors and land them behind the bars. Accordingly, the jail of the capital city as we'll as the jails of several of the state capitals have entertained as guests most of the revolutionary edi- tors. Meanwhile their printing plants have been oonfscated.
 One of the untamed editors, Juan Sarabia. has taken refuge in the Unit cd States. ard has begun at San An tonic, Texas, the publication Of Re generacicn," a weekly periodical which was suppressed in the City of Mex ico. Printed in Spanish, "Regenera- cion" is mailed to Mexican subscribers from Senor Sarabia's safe asylum in Texas. The paper is hot stuff, after the traditional style of the Spanish American revolutionist. It is the warmest sheet that reaches The Re publican's exchange table. It deals in much plausible sophistry and all the familiar rhetoric of the suppressed "uberaP' press of Mexico. Diaz is de- scribed as all kinds of a tyrant and dictator. He is assailed because Of his friendship for lbs yanquis''-the Unit ed States, for the fairness with which he has treated the Catholic church; for his usurpation of all the constitutional functions of government, and for de- stroying the constitutions: for his sup pression of popular suffrag ge; for nam ing the governors of the several states instead of permitting the people to elect them; for dictating the personnel of congress instead of leaving the choice of their lawmakers to the peo- pie; for throwing opposition editors into jail and causing some of them to be shot, and so on.
 Alluding to the free and peaceful presidential election in the United States last week, and pointing out that fifteen million citizens determined for themselves without let or hfndrance which candidate should be the chief magistrate for the next four years. and citing the fact that the American cleo ion should be an inspiration for free dom-loving people the world over, Regeneration" says:
 What a difference between this inn posing spectacle. superlatively grand and democratic. and the ridiculous. far cicaI elections accorded the people in our own country!
 Tn Mexico, a presidential election prOvokes no emotions. neither anxiety nor doubts. Tn Mexico tyranny has Usurped the democratic functions of the political parties, and we always know that the triumph of our per petual candidate is obIigatory-the only and eternal candidate whose gi- gantic figure for 27 years has cast it's shadow across our political horizon. We all know beforehand. in Mexico, that Porhrio DiaZ has decided again to place himself in the office which he has taken before; and on that account we feel no curiosity concerning the outcome of our pretended elections. But we do have a feeling Of indigna- tion
 But we have not lost all If we fight honorably and periodically against this tyranny, we shall be able to re-establish in our beloved country the reign of democracy"
 Were papers of this class printed in English and circulated extensively in the United States. they might do some thing toward undermining the conf- dence and esteem entertained for Por- firio Diaz by all Americans But in any event it would be impossible to mislead the American people to a great extent as to the situation in Mexico. They know that President Diaz is the wisest and best ruler that any Span ish-American people ever had. Diaz, it is true, is practically a dictator. But his is a benevolent dictatorship. He gives to his people the greatest amount of liberty and the fullest measure of self government for which they are fitted. He appreciates the fact that Mexico is not the United States of the north and that the uneducated masses in Mexico are not capable of governing themselves. If left without the strong