The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-12-24
MAGAZINE AGAIN
ARRAIGNS MEXICO.


In its January number the American
Magazine comes back" good and
strong at those In Mexico and else
where who have questioned the truth
OF the articles on "Barbarous Mexico
which are running in that periodical.
Following Is an extract from an edi-
torial which leads of the number,
1--WE wish to reaff1rm what we said
at the beginning of these articles
that Mexico as civilized government
is a farce and failure; as a repub-
lie 1t is a mockery. It is still barbar-
Gus, In that 1t permits and INDUCES
in barbaritIos. There are other coun'
tries as backward and as barbarous,
but their chiefs do not make the pre-
tense that the rulers of Mexico make.
The shams OF Mexico are many They
reign at the top, where sits powerful
half-Indian autocrat. He builds an
So 900, 900 theater when around the
corner is the most appalling poverty.
He takes over railroads with a great
show OF advanced government owner
ship. loads the country with debt, and
despite of urging does little to further
the agriculture OF one of the greatest
agricultural regions on the continent.
He is at the head of land of almost
uneXampled richness; yet in a great
corn-producing country he has had to
take the tariff off corn so that it might
be imported and the people kept alive.
Why? Because he has not helped
teach the people how TO raise fair
crops The native land of the bean is
said To import beans from Manchurla
from Manchuria, forSooth Mexico
has some show. some glitter. some out
ward appearance OF civilization, but
little OF the real thing
President Diaz Is a man of genius
now aging and decayed In the days
Of his greatest power and activity he
enlisted number OF men in the or
ganization of his autocratlc system;
they worked with him; they had TO be
paid by exercising power. and using
place for personal gain and advantage
Diaz could not prevent the develop
ment Of this tendency. So there grew
up an olIgarchy, and as Diaz became
cid. the oligarchy. was more necessary
TO him, and 1t grew in strength. The
members of the government group
amasscd great wealth. In plantations,
bonds. railroads, mines and factories.
same men as those who control its in
dustries and It's finance. 1t is almost
as if the heads of the Standard Oil
Company. the Sugar Trust and the
great railroads were themselves MEM
bers of the cabinet, and together with
the president controlled by direct word
the action OF legislatures and ap-
pointed senators and members Of con
Gress. or course wealth and power,
emanatlng from political organization.
dominate to some extent in all coun-
tries But in no civilized country are
tnelr effects displayed in so gross a
form as In Mexico In their selfish
ness this group manages wastefully so
far as the general welfare is con-
ceTnod
The have power, they have wealth.
they have education. they have brains.
They have technical skill at money.
making, with unequalled opportunities.
but little sense of responsibility to the
people We must not fool ourselves
about Mexico or its rulers We shall
make a great mistake if we do.
so We repeat.
There is slavery at this moment.
See documents and announcements Of
fering Yaqui families on the following
pages.
There Is barbarous political perse-
cutlon at this moment See stories of
most recent events on following pages.
There is Imprisonment for free
speaking at this moment See Incl.
dents freshly drawn from Mexican
sources on the following pages.
'rhcre is suppression of personal
and political liberty at this moment
See true tales OF disappearance and Of
evils on following pages"