The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-07-21
The Country Is in Better Condition, He Thinks,
 Than Year Ago
THE NATION NOW
 KNOWS ITSELF
Result of Second Free Election Is Gratifying Because It Demon strates That People of Mexico
 Are Capable of Ruling
By FRANCISCO I. MADERo President of MexIcn

| os FhaA&tS&O |. President of Mexico
 Mexico City. July 2o.-If there Is any lesson for the world outside of Mexico In the collapse of the orozco rebellion and the pacifcation vir- | tually of the entire republic, 1t is that | the people of Mexico are with the ad
 ministration and will not submit to seeing 1t overthrown. Back of thls predomi- | nant factor the consideration that ma | jority of the Mexican people are in favor | of law, order, progress, maintenance of | the constitutional institutions, the pres ervation of the integrity of the republic and the discouraging of any tactics which
 might offer to any nauon an excuse to | interfere in Mexican affairs.
 | With the exception of Orozco in the north, who Is so clearly beaten that he
 cannot longer be considered in the light of troublesome factor, there are now only two rebel leaders in opposition to | the government. zapata in Morelos and
 Salgado in Guerrero.
 Forces Negligible
 | The forces of both are now so neg ligible that it will require only a brief | time to include them with orozco
 Mexico has just finished it's second free election, one of the rights which was
 guaranteed to citizens by the propaganda that brought the present administration to power. The entire lack of disorder. | the intelligent appreciation of voters of | their civic duties and the absence of | fraud, coercion or force proves that the contention that the Mexican people wera AfI | founded. They have twice been given
 the opportunity to manifest this and in | both cases have demonstrated their iit-
 ness and they will continue to do so. | The election for senators and deputies | in Congress gave the divergent polit-
 ical clements an Opportunity to test | their strength. The result was an over- lwhelming victory for the government | The disturbing elements which sought
 to advance the candidacy of men who were opposed to the government mol with no enceuragement and seeing this ! many of them wisely suspended theiI
 activities Still there will be in the
 new Congress sufficient number of representatives of the people who are not pro government to constitute an | active minority. This is a healthful
 condition. for 1t is necessary in a dem ocracy to have a party in opposition
 in order that the public interest may
 be better served.
 Result Is Gratifying
 The result of the election Is partlcu- | larly gratifying considering that it 1 took place while the ashes of the reyo- lution were still hot.
 | Next to the success of the govern ment In combating the rebellious ele-
 ments, the importance of the result of | the election as showing that the people are favorable to the administration Is | paramount It had been prophesied that real democracy in Mexico was im- | pra cticable and that its concrete man l Hesitation In the administration that l was elected and seated last year was
 too weak to maintain itself We now see that not only is the administration
 able to maintain itself but that in reality democracy Is more powerful and lagreeable to the people than the abso- l lutism masauerading as democracy | which preceded 1t; for absolutism whey 1 put to the test was Overthrown by the same people who now have upheld os administration of real democracy The state of the government fin combat | ting two revolutionary attempts within l a year should remove any doubts which | may have been entertained by other gov ernments as to the ability of the admin istration 10 sustain It's stability and to fulfill any and all obligations which Mex ico owes to her sister nations. This is
 not the least important and beneficial of many favorable results which have been brought by the revolution. Therefore Mexico finds herself, generally speaking, in better condition than she was six months ago Then there was legitimate | doubts perhaps as to what might be api ! if a rebellion arose. The country stood 1 the test thus removing all doubts
 Army Is Loyal
 l The army has demonstrated it's loyalty and bravery What some have pleased l to term "the iron hand policy has dem
 onstrated it's efficiency fin pacifylng the 1 country Nothing more is now or has
 ever been comprehended in this so-called iron hand policy of government than
 a steadfast determination to preserve or dor and peace and insure to the vast ma jority of peaceful, law abiding Mexlcans the opportunity which is their right of i gaining a livelihood and pursuing their 1 vocations unmolested by revolutions of minor troubles, fomented by interruptions ! agitators.
 l In order to insure their rights to peo- ple a sufficient army will be maintained | to keep order. The iron hand" is solely
 for evidoers. and will he invoked only 1 when they invite 1t by their own traitor
 ous acts. This Is understood by our peo-
 uIe despite efforts of enemies. of the gov
 ernment to peryert facts and create dis order.
 No Heavy Taxes
 No heavy burden of taxation will be i imposed upon the people by tine expense authorized by Congress for the support of an adequate army, for ths cost will
 be defrayed by the small extra internal revenue charges to be collected on all cohol beer. tobacco and luxuries under the new act which is nov effective. De- spite unfavorable revenue producing con ditions of the past few months. the treas ury closed its last fiscal year with an unexpended balance of S50oo.0oo and a re-
 serve of s42. 600 eco. Mexico's credit is good 1 in the foreign money markets.
 With the restoration of peace business ! conditions may l1e expected speedily to re- sume their normal state. No abatement | has been noted of the keen desire of for eign investors to take advantage of the
 manifold opportunities for lucrative ex-
 ploitation of the rich natura. resources ! of the republic. The governments atti- tude toward foreign investors already has
 been clearly and exactly defined. It Is unquaifedly friendly and fair. The ad-
 ministratio Is opposed to uonopolies and favors proper competition but it is not /, disposed to impose conditions or restrc- tions that could be regarded as onerous or unfair as compared with Requirements which meet the investor n any other
 country"