Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-10-03
THE N IN MEXICOn
From the Outlook.

HAS 10! many years been engaged i'm bnSi-
ness IN Mexico, gives a first-hand and
VIVID impression of conditions as they ap-
pear to an American who knows the
country well.
In all previous revolutions in Mexico.
VAIN the exception OF Juarez against
MaSi!niliaf, when Juarez was backed by
a national sentiment of more or less
strength, 1t has been one man against an
other-some one man on the outside try
ing TO Dust the man In power. But today
That is not the case. 1t is NOT one man
against the government, but a dozen men
ali working without organization OF cohe-
sion, but more or less to the same end,
VIZ, the overthrow of the existing govern-
ment. Carranza, a man of considerable
ability. controlling several thousand men,
raises the standard OF constltutionalism.
Maytorena in Sonora cries .Seccssion:''
Contreras and Pesequira, "Restoration
and JUSTICE and Zapata, really the only
consistent one In the lot for the last
three years, says s'The cause meaning
the settlement of the land question.
These various leaders and others mem
toned, some being men of good ability
and Intelligence, are seeking power and
control of the country only for their own
personal interest, but they are holding
their men and gaining recruits daily by
an appeal to the socialistic instinct which
lies In every poor and downtrod-
dem man such as the peon of Mexico.
Today the revolution in Mexico is a
class revolution, not one of Individuals or
principles, and the absurdity of our gov
eminent trying to mediate bespealls AN
almost pitiable ignorance of conditions.
Madero's murder was deplorable, but it
is argued that there was no other course
to the successful revolutionists. Madero
was an idealist, and more or less of a
crank, as we would express it; but there
was not a drop of cowardly blood in him.
He would not sign a resignation, and con-
sequently some one had to sign it for him.,
and he could not be left free to deny his
signature. Had he really resigned, it is
said, there Is no question that he would
have been allowed to leave the country.
Universal Bankruptcy.
Tho condition Of the country today is
hopeless. There is hardly any state that
is not disaffected, and the government
controls only the territory Immediately
adjacent to the railway as far north from
the City Of Mexico as Zacatecas. For five
months there have been no trains through
Laredo. Piedras Negras, or Juarez, or
any other border point except, for a short
time from Matamoras. North of Zaca-
tecas there is not a mine or manufacture
Ing industry OF any kind that is running.
and south of Zacatecas there is nothing
doing 10 miles away from the railway.
The government is bankrupt; the rail-
way system of some 1900 kilonleters Isl
bankrupt, and it will take $4,000, GEO to put
Its physical condition back to where II
was two years ago. III the truth We're
known. most of the banks would be
found to be insolvent, and thousands of
men supposed to be and rated as wealthy
are pawling their jewelry. Take, for in
stance, the town of Sombrerete, q place of
some 10000 or $4,000 Inhabitants; you can
not buy a spool of thread or a lead pencil
or Il yard of cloth in it; even the slelv-
Ing in the store has been Quilted; and 5000
men vino might be and should be working
there are drifting into the evolutionary
ranks. The miner as a rule is not a nat
ural revolutionfst; he prefers to work and
take his chances on stealing a little rich
ore to help out; but present conditions are
forcing him into rebellion or outlawry,
and tie longer he keeps at that the hard
er 1t will be to induce him to return to
legitimate work.
other foreigners in Mexico are concerned,
they are comparatively safe as long as
they consent to ave their horses and
mules. money, and general supplies taken
from them without protest; but the slight
est resistance outside CT talk is a death
warrant.
Savaaery of 1t.
Take, for instance, the case of Zorro, a
Russian by birth and a naturalized Amer
lean citizen, an engineer in charge of q
mine who thought he was there to pro-
tect and save his c~onpany's property. A
bunch of federal soldiers came to his
property and demanded certain stocks and
supplies. In the course of the argument
a federal soldier was killed or wounde
and Zorro was badly wounded in both
arms and one leg, so that he was prac-
tically helpless; he succeeded, however,
in ba~rricading himself and could have
held out probably for some little time.
He was growing very weak, however,
and after a parley. in which they prom
Used to spare his life, he let them in. Now
Zorro was a man who took great pride
in his personal appearance. had spent
large sums on his dentist. and had prac-
ticaily Il full set of solid gold b~ridgework.
One of the soldiers took a fancy to the
gold teeth, and, putting a finger in his
mouth, tried to pull them out. but GorMo.
in a last effort, bit the mans finger
through, il not entirely off; SO the soldier
picked up q rock about the size of a paw
ing stone, smashed his head In, and broke
his jaw off-and got the teeth. And these
were federal troops, not bandits.
Ambassador Wilson is somewhat in err
ror In characterizing- all opponents of the
government in arms as<~ bandits. Some
of the leaders are men of more than or
binary intelligence, with good ideas as to
organization and discipline among their
men. AS an example take Natera. the
man who took Zacatecas. He has q force
OF 1890 or 1900 men, poorly armed and
equipped and short Of ammunition. The
federals lac 500 or GOO men only, but they
were we'll armed and equipped. had rapid
fire guns n all advantage in position,
but at the end of the second days tight
Ing Natera rushed the town and took it
calamity by assault, the federals making
their escape as best they could.
Einanc;nu the War.