Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-05-20

Ell Paso. May 2o.-1n recent inter-
view Gustave Madero, financial head
Of the revolution in Mexico and broth
er Of the president Of the provisional
government established by the insur-
rectos. gave the following extended
explanation Of the causes leading up
to the rebellion. He is anxious that the
people Of the United States understand
definitely the reasons for the uprising
against the Diaz government. Mr..
Madero said:
Unjust Taxes Arouse Men.
Injustice Of taxation has done
more perhaps, to drive US to plan des-
peration than any other one thing has.
The system has been such that only
the small favored few have been en-
abled to progress.
''The ordinary citizen can make no
Roadway toward prosperity, no matter
how eternally and efficiently he may
strive for It, Human effort has demand
ed its reward; in Mexico it has not
had it; there, as elsewhere, when 1t
does not get at least a small proportion
Of 1t, it will rise and smite and take
for its own self It's own, Let me tell
you something Of the system Of taxa
ton.
The great estates are owned by
men of influence because Of their great
wealth, and because of this great in
huence and this great wealth the gov
eminent is generally friendly to them.
and they are generally friendly to the
government.
Especially are their owners usually
the close friends Of the governors Of
the states in which they may be To-
Gated. The governors are representa-
tives Of Diaz, and to be a representa-
tive of Diaz means to be Diaz. Other
wise man does not remain COVER
nor.
Explains tho System Used.
'They control assessment boards,
and this, then, is the system of taxa
ton:
1.-THE board is supposed to go to the
property to be taxed, each year, ex-
anime it. and value it impartially. But
it never goes. The appraisement Is. in
truth, according to the influence OF
him who owns the land, and as the big
land owners always are Of influence,
it has been they, who are the best
able to pay taxes. who have had the
fewest taxes charged to them.
ITO find a. great estate taxed at q
value not greater than that placed on
little farm adjoining and owned by a
poor man who has no influence Is not
at all astonishing in Mexico.
1.-THE result is to increase the power
Of the great owner, because decreasing
cost of his production. and to make
life quite impossible for the small
owner.
Finally, the small owner Is forced
to sell to. the larger owner against
whose his lands abut. It Is in this way
that the big estates have all increased
and small estates diminished during
the regime Of Diaz. altho he has re-
Gently claimed that he is strong adj
vocate Of the subdivision of all great
estates.
And the magnitude Of those estates!
It makes their owners kings. The Ter
rassas family of Chihuahua may be in
stanced- They are charming people.
worthy people. our families have al
ways been good friends. That they
have been the beneficiaries OF the sys-
tenn has not been entirely their fault.
But let me tell you what their
property consists of and then imagine
for yourself whether have erred In
stating that the owners of the large
estates are little monarchs. My faith
er, who has made careful study OF
such matters, estimates the holdings
Of the Terrassas family at not less than
100000 acres, and they, themselves,
put them at 100000 acres.
Therefore they own $4,000 square
miles, or more, a territory seven times
that Of your own Connecticut. fourteen
times that of your Delaware, two
thirds that Of your Indiana. twice that
Of your Maryland, nearly three times
that of your Massachusetts. three times
that Of your New Hampshire, more
than three times that Of your New
Jersey, more than twenty-two' times
that of your Rhode Island, almost
three times that of your Vermont, and
a little more than that Of your West
Virginia.
II wonder II you. do not agree with
us when we state that this means a
little more Of territory than 1t is quite
safe for one single family to controls?
Fight for Right to Education.
II do not say that one family mis-
uses it, but do say that many Of the
great land owners do misuse their
power over their great populations
power which amounts almost, and
sometimes literally, to that of life or
death.
You see, on this great estate OF the
Terrassas family there exists popu-
lation of between $1,000 and 10000
people Among all those people there
is not one school. It has been said that
in the revolutionary party there are
many men of ignorance. How could 1t
be otherwise when there are no schools
in which they may secure an educa-
ton? It is for the right to education,
among other things, that the party of
the instruction fights.
ri repeat that do not say that the
Terrassas family abuses this great
power, but also repeat that it is true
that 1t and other holders Of vast Mex
lean estates have over the large popu-