Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-06-11
MEXICAN BANDITS.
Hordes of Ruffians Who Once Ter
rorized Mexico.


The banditti were in many cases,
men of position, and their operation
was known, If not openly recognized,
writes a correspondent Of the Terre
Haute Star, in discussing old Mexico.
1t is difficult to realize how lately
Mexico swarmed with. these marau-
ders he continues. Travellers writing
of Mexico as late as 1882 speak Of the
prevalence Of the evil, which spread
to the very gates of the capital. One
of the most frequented roads near the
city was that which Cortes built from
Mexico over to Cuernavaca. In the
mountains between the diligences
were constantly being robbed.
In some parts of the country the
bandits were not quite as gallant as
these gentlemen are in poetry and ro-
nance, and they took everything that
passengers had, so that incoming dill
gences sometimes looked as is they
were bringing tourists home from the
Garden of Eden.
1t was one of the most characters
tic and practical services that Presi-
dent Diaz did for his country, the rid
ding 1t Of these pests. The stroke was
characteristic in it's shrewd diplomacy,
for President Diaz is a master diplo-
mat. He declared an amnesty for all
gentlemen of the road on condition
they would enter the army, and he
promised to organize them into cav
airy corps, practically independent OF
the army organization, and much bet
ter paid.
For those who did not come and be
good he promised determination.
They came in, were organized as
rangers, or technically, rurales, the
most respected and feared division OF
Mexico's armed forces, and one Of the
best organizations Of mounted irregu-
lars in the world.
Thus the political wisdom and prac-
tical sense Of General Diaz has been
justified by its fruits.
An American of many years resi-
dence in Mexico, who has known the
president personally and seen condi-
tions change steadily and progressive
ly during his long rule, told me that
while this was one of the most pic
turesque examples of Diaz's genius, 1t
was only one of many less observed.
Coming to the presidency after the
pseudo-republic's three-quarters Of a
century Of misrule, he managed by a
knowledge of men, by a remarkable
insight into individual character, by
an extraordinary mingling Of strength
and complaisance, by mastery play
ing Of one factor against another, to
bring order out Of political chaos, to
dispose Of faction, and to make hon
est foes into friends and to crush the
foes that would not "come in" from
the mountains of ambition and the
thickets Of revolt, to help him make
order and establish modern progress.
When one gets these frequent vivid
glimpses Of what Mexico was before
Diaz came to the presidency, one is
likely to modify ones pronounced pref
udices against a rule which has been
dictatorial and not republican. When
one reads of the ambition of Iturbide
or the treachery Of Santa Ana, when
one looks down the century's perspec-
tive, with its perpetual revolts, its
rapid succession of governments and
almost complete stagnation of pro-
gress, one begins to realize how truly
benefcent has been the rule Of one of
the worlds greatest dictators. Liber-
ty is not a narrow formula, and what
Mexico and the Mexicans needed most
was liberty to learn and practice the
arts of peace. Porfirio Diaz secured to
them that liberty. If there are defects
in the edifice he has builded it is be-
cause he is human, not divine. The
work accomplished surely justifies
him as a patriot and statesman.