The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-06-23
PRISONS CROWDED
ON EvEur ELECTION


| ON EVE OF ELECTION
tcoatinued from Par. ose.)
their laws. as well as the common
rights of free press and speech. the
right TO be secure In property and IN
person, things that are everywhere
admitted as being necessary Tor the
evolution of any and All peoples have
been taken away from the sons OF
Mexico. And when, brave men de-
manded the return OF these rights
they have been put in Jail, shot or
compelled to flee for safety TO foreign
soil-yhere-. they have not always
found safety.
| "kiH Them IN Haste"
term, a party was organized for the
purpose OF working for the reelection
| of Lerdo. Upon the names OF the
known Diaz sent telegram, Ma
| hastel to Gen. Mier. Y. Teran. governor
! Of. Vera CEuz. That night June. 1879:
nine men, prominent citizens OF
beds, lined up against wall and shot
to death. r -
During the ten years following the
massacre Of Vera Cruz, two Mexicans
aspired at. different times to oppose
Diaz for the. presidency. One was
| Gen. Ramon Corona, governor OF
Jalisco, and the other was Gen. Garcia
de la Cadena, ex-governor OF Zacate-
Ia a
theater one night Corona was stabbed
to death by an assassin. While in
actual night for the United States
where he hoped to ffnd safety, Cadena
was pierced by the bullets Of squad
the depot at -ZacatecasI
In 1891 Mexico was thrown into a
! ferment by the announcement OF Diaz
that he intended to CONTINUE in power
for still another term. which made
his fourth one. A party of opposition
was Organized, fits choice for president
being Dr. Tgnacio Martinez. The party
was beaten down by gun and acfub
methods and Martinez fed to- Europe
for safety. He returned later and was
assassinated. ',r -
Russian Police Methods Used. ~
In the fall of 1900 the Mexican
Liberal party was organized. In less
than five months 125 clubs had arisen
in all parts OF the country and a score
/ or newspapers espoused the cause Of
the new party. In January. 1905. a
national convention was held In which
the party pledged itself to- use only
|peaceable~ means to restore the con-
stitution. But 1t made no difference.
BY the use OF Russian police methods
the clubs were broken up. the news
papers were suppressed, the leaders
imprisoned. Today no one In Mexico
dares openly to admit his membership
in the Liberal party. All the known
Mexican Liberals are political refugees
on American soil. where. through a
strange influence which Diaz exerts
upon American officials they are
bounded almost as cruelty as II they
were in Mexico -----
Finally. early In 1909, the Demo
cratic party OF Mexico was formed. II
was a. party headed by well known
men. some of them the brightest,
cleanest and most progressive In
Mexico. II was in no sense party OF
rebellion or revolution. II was moder-
ate in Its demands. mild In It's crfti-
cisms. II proposed TO re-elect DiaZ
and vice president who would be
the peoples choice and who would
succeed Diaz when the latter died.
Story Of HIgh-Handed Methods.
But even that. Diaz would not per
nit The Democratic movement was
proceeded against with all the police
powers Of the government The story
of the presidential campaign Just clos
| ing is a story OF political irnprfsuns1
ments, press suppressfors, barfsif.
ments, assassinations, police riots afid
massacres, all planned and perpetTat-
I ed by the government for the purpose
OF continuing the autocratic power of
Diaz until his death.
The story OF this campaign I shall
tell in some detail tomorrow.
Forty years ago Mexico was at peace
with the world. She had just over
thrown, after heroic war, the for
eign prince. Macmillan, who had been
seated as emperor By the armies OF
Napoleon III OF France. Her then
president Juarez. is today recognized
in Mexico as one of the most able as
well as unselfish patriots OF Mexican
Y history.
!. II was at this juncture that Gen.
lPorfrio Diaz,. wantonly and without
any apparent reason except that OF per-
lsonal ambition, stirred up rebellion
after rebellion for the purpose of Sc.
curing for himself the supreme power
lof the land. The support that he re-
Iceived came chilly from bandits. crTm.'
finals and professional soldiers. '----
Repeatedly st WIS proved that TIE
mexican people of~those days did not
'twant the rebel Bfaz- for their chief
fcxecutive~ Three times during his
first ave years of-.plotting he was an
Y unsuccessful candidate at the polls.
The third Tina be received only one
fifteenth OF the total vote.
At home and abroad he was looked
upon as common rebel, and when he
marched into the national capital at
the head OF victorious army and PRO.
IfIaimHH HimSxssr nroofIant .L..aI-