Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1911-06-08
PORfIRIO DlAz.
Mexico Owes Him a DEBT Of eratituds,

1t was the irony Of the situation in
which President Diaz found himself
when his resignation was demanded as
condition of peace in Mexico that ne
had twice been a rebel against the fed
eral government and that in each case
he took the field because constitutional
guarantees had been violated. He. like
Madero, had made FL Paso base of
operations and, like Madero, he had
known what it was to have his head
quarters in the saddle and make a cam
paign in the wastes of Chihuahua.
Neither the administration of his for
mer idol Benito Juarez nor that of Pres
dent Lerdo proved satisfactory to the
hero of Puebla. Juarez had performed
great service in striking down ecclesi-
astical tyranny and setting up ideals of
democracy to inspire his countrymen,
but as president of the republic he was
impracticable, vscillating and feeble.
Mexico made no material progress I'M
der his administration. The govern
ment of President Lerdo was corrupt,
lawless and oppressive and soon became
intolerable to patriotic men like Porfirio
Diaz. With the death of Juarez on
July Is, 1872, Diaz sheathed his sword
and retired to his farm in Oaxaca, hop
ing for better things; but the rebellion
against the rule of President Lerdo
ended only when General Diaz entered
the city of Mexico at the head of II, 600
soldiers on November %, 1876. In the
following spring he became president
with the sanction of congress.
The Mexico of Juarez and Le1do was
bankrupt and cursed with brigandsge.
Its bonds sold for ten cents on the dol
lar. Except in the large cities there
was no security of life, no protection of
property. The central government was
without real authority and in distant
states and territories it was openly de-
fed. When Porfirio Diaz entered upon
the presidency the national income was
only SO, ZIG, 698. BY 1907 it had reached
the sum of $114, 286, 122 Mexican per
cents rose to 81 on foreign exchanges.
In 1884-5 the imports were $23, 1856 694
and exports SAC, go, 845, while in 1909
1910 imports had increased to $194, 1884,
SAT and exports to $500, 056, 22S. In 1876
there were only 407 miles of railway in
Mexico and after thirty years of the
presidency of Porfirio Diaz there were
Is, 900 miles, valued at 81, 1924, 272, Cpl.
In 1909 these railroads carried IS. 652, 756
passengers and 9,758, 800, 1853 tons of
freight and their receipts were Sol, 49,
794, as compared with 81, 564, 800 earned
by the railroads in 1876. There were
4, 420 miles of telegraph in Mexico when
Diaz became president; the telegraph
and telephone lines of the republic in
1909 extended over 10000, 900 miles,
bringing the most remote parts of the
country into touch with the capital. In
1876 the postoffice department carried
4, 700, $50 pieces Of mali and in 1909 the
number carried was 191, 744, 906 and
revenue of $4,3l6, S48 was derived from
the service. In public improvements
great sums of money have been spent,
no less than $120, 900, 900 on the ports,
harbor channels and the lighthouse ser
vice. Twenty-Five years ago Mexico
had only one bank and it was maintain
ed by foreign capital. In 1907 it had
thirty two national banks with assets of
S764. 001, 9S8. In 1877 there were 4, 715
public schools in the country and 164, 699
pupils; in 1909 there were IT'S, 900 pupils
in IL, 500 schools.
Mexico" said President Diaz re-
Gently, twas once without a middle
class, but she has one now" And he
added: ''It is a great comfort to me in