The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1912-07-05
I||'B||AIDI HERO
Reasons Why Mexican Is at Wa
With Madero.
Was Victim Of the DIax Tyranny
Became AgItator When He Prom.
srty Was confiseatsd and He
Had TO Labor % Pson.

bandit, !" "Zapata, the ubsrator''-
these are the two public estimates
placed upon the man who for moro
than q year has been carrying On Q
continuous warfare against the con.
stituted government In this part OF
southern Mexico.
It 10 distinctly Q war Of the classes.
THE Tiger Of Ayala." % Zapata IL
called by his hundreds Of admiring
followers. claims to be fighting for
the freedom of the peon element and
the small property holders, who he
declares have long suffered from the
tyrannical acts and policies Of the
government. He also has personal
grievances and wrongs which he
wants to avenge.
Zapata is product Of the DiaS
rule. He was one of the victims Of
the system that oppressed many Of
the lower class all over the country
during the Dias regime. It happened
In his case that there existed in him
an element Of fighting power and 70.
lentless cruelty which marked him for
the leadership of the people who had
suffered similar wrongs. He is now
paying the government back for the
injuries It did him.
In the days of Diaz men who did
not agree with the government were
quickly put where they could do no
harm. Zapata was arrested and sem
fenced to long term of exile in the
hot lands Of Quintana Roo. It was to
that remote region that most of the
political prisoners were sent. Few Of
them survived their terms of exile.
But Zapata had a constitution OF iron.
Even in the distressing circumstances
under which he then labored he
planned the vengeance that he has
been intlicting on his oppressors for
the last twelve months. He lived
through his term of exile and returned
to his home in Ayala. The years
went by slowly and Zapata quietly
fomented spirit of retaliation
against the government among the
people Of his class. This was before
Madero started his revolution, and It
is now known that even had the lat
ter not inaugurated his revolt against
the Diaz government Zapata would
have soon started one OF his own.
Zapata did not quit fighting when
the peace compact was signed be-
tween Madero and the Diaz govern
ment. He had wrongs still to avenge.
and the petty municipal and district
officers who had carried out the Or
ders of the government were the spe-
cial objects Of his vengeance. He and
his men have shown special hatred
and cruelty toward the land owners
who dispossessed them Of their small
farms.
Emiliano Zapata is the hero Of the
common people. not only Of the states
that are now in actual revolt, but Of
all portions Of the country. The seeds
of revolt that have been sown by
Zapata are likely to continue to bear
fruit for years to come. unless the
government is able quickly to grant
the demands of the lower class for q
division among them of the vast es-
tates which have for the most part
been established by the merging of
small properties taken either by force
or by semblance Of law.
Zapata is a man of fine physique.
He was married only a few months
ago to pretty mountain girl, and she
has been his constant companion ever
since.