Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-04-17
Tho Mexican instruction Reaction
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Tho Mexican lnsurrectlon Reaction
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Los Angeles, CAL, Mar. II.
I trust that you may be able to find
room in your newspaper for the fol-
lowing article on the Mexican situa-
ton, which, hope will prove of inter-
est to readers in the general confus-
ion prevailing on that subject. I
speak from the knowledge of one
who has lived in Mexico practically
from infancy, who was educated
there, and has studied the history and
politics Of that country from child
hood.
The Madero revolution, as I think
is generally conceded, was an attempt
to overthrow a dictatorship which
had Of late years degenerated into a
despotism so shameless and tyran-
meal that it was impossible longer
to endure it. The Dictator, in his
advancing age, had practically re-
signed his absolute power to group
of men who formed the heads Of what
is known in Mexico as the Cienti6co
Party, and these, shielding themselves
behind the great Generals fame and
prestige, converted his at one time
benefcent rule into a perfect orgy
Of unbridled tyranny, greed and ex-
ploitation. The appalling electoral
fraud of 1910, and the wholesale ar
rest and persecution Of members of
an Anti-re-electionist Party, thrown
into startling relief by the brutal
mockery Of the Centennial celebra-
tons, marked the end Of Diaz. The
country rebelled, and, after a brief
struggle, the revolution obtained
what appeared to be complete tri-
umph.
The resignation of Diaz and Cor
raj, however, and even the election,
by an overwhelming majority of votes
of the hero Of the population revolu-
ton, Francisco Madero, constituted
only a partial victory. The "Cienti-
ficos" and their money had still to be
reckoned with before the liberal ideas
of the new administration could be
carried out; and it is against the car
rying out of these liberal ideas that
the whole fight is being made.
In reality, the present revolution"
is not revolution at all, but a re-
action-an effort on the part Of the
Cientifcos, whom Madero deposed, to
get back into the place Of supreme
power from which they were ousted.
The money and the munitions Of war
that keep the disturbance alive come
from the Cientifcos, and go to arm
and equip the lowest Of the peon clacs
few Of whom, in their hope
less ignorance and illiteracy, have
been persuaded that Madero has fail
ed to keep his promises to them, but
most Of whom are nothing but BAN
dts and pillagers. A short time ago
this revolution" had no head at all,
no political significance; for Zapata
was never anything but a bandit,
whose methods Of warfare were bar
barous and intolerable. Then the
Terrazas family, and the bankers and
land owners of Chihuahua openly
gave Pascual Orozco 100000 to
equip an army against the city of
Mexico "for the overthrow of Ma
dero;" and, in addition, Alberto Ter
razas gave him $4,000, and he was
promised, and subsequently received,
100000 more. That is why Pascual
Orozco, erstwhile commander of the
Government troops in Chihuahua, to
whom Madero had entrusted the
safeguarding of that State, is now
shouting for Vazquez Gomez. For
an equal sum of money he would
doubtless shout as Justify for any one
else, and, indeed, he is already veer-
irg around to De la Barra.
Certainly the money that bought
Orozco was not furnished by poems
fighting for liberty against plutocracy
is what some people appear
to think the present rebellion stands
for. 1t came direct and barefaced-
ly from the pockets Of the plutocrats
and Creel, the kings of
the Cientifcos-ana it went to pay
ignorant poems to fight against the
man who promised the peon redemp-
ton, and to put back into power
those same Cientiicos, that they may
continue to exploit the peon in the
good old way.
The reason the Cientifcos and land
owners are so determined to over
throw Mexico is precisely because he
did not break his promises and betray
the ideals of the revolution. He had
promised the people primarily that he
would divide the land, and upon en-
tering Office, he at once took steps
toward the fulfillment of that pledge.
He did not undertake to accomplish
this division by confscation nor ar
bitrary measures, but by the simple
application of land tax tantamount
to the putting in force of what is
known in this country as the Single
tag. =
Tho land of A6ox:a :. LII