The Nome daily nugget., 1911-04-18
By John Kenneth Turner.


 of November have caused a good many staid Americans to doubt their former belief in the righteousness of the rule of President Diaz
 The peculiar spectacle k presented of a man, Francisco I. MadeTo a million aire many times over a member of one of the leading families of the country; a man with liberal education gained in foreign countries, one noted for his philanthropic works; man who might easily have been governor of his state had he solicited the honor. but who never accepted any post under the gov ernment and held himself strictly aloof from political affairs. man appar- ently with no political ambitions. a man of mature age. mind you-such a man suddenly turning outlaw, taking a step that he know would result in the confiscation of his property. estrange- ment from lifelong friends, persecu- tion of the members of his family; and for himself. if he failed, banishment or Imprisonment, perhaps, execution.
 Why, of all Mexicans, should Fran cisco L Madero turn revolutionist? The propertyless by their very nature. are prone to sedition the world over: but a rich man usually thinks twice before he takes up arms against govern ment that has protected him in the enjoyment of his riches. Therefore, with the type of American which in- ,clines to the belief in general that rev ,olution is out of place in the twentieth century, the merits of a revolt headed by a man like Madcro seem unusually worth of consideration.
 And it must be remembered that Madero is by no means the only MeXi- can of wealth and distinction 10 iden- tify himself with this most recent up rising against the Diaz government. Probably more Mexicans of this class have been hunted for political reasons during the past twelve months than during all the rest of the Diaz epoch besides-an epoch which has extended over a period of thirty-four years. Have these men suddenly gone crazy? What is there about the system of Diaz that would cause hundreds of men of intelligence and standing to risk life. family. property-their all--in order to tke up arms against ruler so firmly seated in power that it would seem folly to oppose him,
 Until the past year or two the Am erican people generally have been in clined to accept the estimate of cur rent writings upon the statesmanship of Diaz without inquiring as to the motive of the writers. More recently because the unanimity of writers has been broken, and because of the ire quent reports of political disturbances the people have come to question both the estimate and the motive of those whom previously they had accepted as authority.
 For their blind concurrence of for mer days the American people cannot be blamed. for the men whose opinions they accepted as correct numbered among them many of the most distin- guished personages of our country and all agreed that Porfirio Diaz was a statesman Of the higher order
 The Republican had the assertion of Theodore Roosevelt that Among con temporary statesman there is none greater than Porhrio Diaz;" of Presi- dent Taft that to Diaz more than To any other one person is due the great. ness of the Mexican republic" of Sen ator Root that "I look upon Porhrio Diaz as one of the greatest Of men to be held up for the hero worship of mankind:" and of many other almost. if not quite. as prominent leaders of his party.
 The Democrat had the opinion of William Jennings Bryan. who, during a tiip ko ifVos SIbht III Ahf most eulogistic terms of Diaz's great work" of Judge Alton B. Parker that ''He has rendered to the people of Mexico a greater service than it has been permitted any other statesman in the world to contribute to his country during the same period:" of that -stal - wart Champ Clark that q regard him as one of the greatest men now living or who has ever lived in the last hun dred years" Although Champ Clark. by the way. during the refugee hearing held fin Washington last June told me: T have read all of your articles and I agree with all that you say" Perhaps this democratic leader is among those who have changed their minds!
 The academic man had for his au- thorities such men as David Starr Jor- dan. who said: 'T regard President