The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1911-06-01
THE HuNIIIaTING CLOSE OF A
NOTABLE CAREER

and by the unanimous vote o. the
Mexican Congress. his ignominioas
flight from his Dan country. and the
attack upon him on the gay by the
indignant people. Is not only sad but
tragic. ~ one time General Diaz was
the Idol Of the Mexican people He
and General juarez led the patriotic
and triumphant Mexican army In its
struggle 10 overthrow the reign OF
Emperor Macmillan.
Juarez. who was the head OF the
army. was made the first President Of
the Mexican Republic. The new
constitution OF Mexico provided that
the President should serve but one
term. President Juarez was succeed
ed by President Diaz, the next most
popular man in Mexico. Diaz was sue
ceeded after his first term by Gonzales
whose rule was very inefficient and
unpopular, and stained with charges
OF corruption. There was a popular
demand that Diaz should be re-elect-
ed. He was reelected and has been
serving as President ever since; seven
tional inhibition against a President
succeeding himself.
For a number Of terms Diaz was
quite popular with his people, but for
the last several terms his popularity
has been waning, and there have been
mutterings and discomfort among the
masses fthe people Of that country.
Daz is man of marked ability, but
his inordinate love of power and his
growing Impotence with age at any
protest against his imperial will have
been his undoing
Daz has been rated by the people
of the world generally as great
statesman. He has fallen short of
being a wise statesman in that he
has never undertaken to build up a
| great middle class in Mexico, which
must be the backbone of every Re-
! publican, and, indeed, of every nation
with any kind of government. 1t
may have been impossible for Diaz
TO have built up a great middle class
/ hn ho he TO-
giving to Mexico self-government, but
his great error was in not using his
great abilities in undertaking to do
so.
/ Mexico is country of over fifteen
land of that country is owned by less
than thirteen thousand people. This
thirteen thousand are wealthy land
! owners and aristocrats The bulk of
/ the people are the tenants or poems
on these great landed estates, who
! are little better than slaves. These
poems are not permitted to own land.
They are kept in debt to the land
lord, and the laws of Mexico have
| given to the lanlord the right to have
arrested any tenant on his place who
attempts to leave while still in his
debt. This made the peon the worst
kind of a slave.
The poems were not permitted to
vote. Indeed, no one was permitted
to vote who was not friendly to Diaz
and the ruling classes. In short, the
people of Mexico were denied local
| f-government. This was the real
cause of the revolution, and the fact
that there was enough manhood and
patriotism among the rank and file
of the people of Mexico to over
throw the powerful regime which
made up the Diaz administration
makes it appear that strong class
of. yeomanry-a great middle class
could be developed in Mexico that
would govern themselves and make
| that rich country great and prosper
Gus Republic. But then we must
| remember that the Mexicans are not
Anglo-Saxons, and therefore what the
result of this revolution will mean
! for the future Of Mexico is still a
problem with a thousand uncertain
| ities
| A TEST OF JUDGE CLARK'S PA
TRI0TISM