Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1913-11-14
THE ROOT OF MEXICAN UNREST.

1t is freely admitted by all parties
in Mexico that there can be no lasting
peace while the land question remains
unsettled. In the later years of his
long presidency Porifirio Diaz was
compelled to recognize that fact, and
the statement has been made that had
he been permitted to work out his last
term Of office he would have made
heroic effort to carry into effect
what is known as the plan de Ayala."
This was an enactment that would
have called for the division Of the
enormous tracts of land at present
held by few Of the Mexican "hacien.
dados" and for the partition of these
estates among smaller tenants or free
holders. President Diaz had been fire.
quently urged to carry out some such
scheme as this, but he had always
hesitated, although recognizing its ne.
cessity and justice, for fear of alienat-
ing some OF his most powerful finan.
cial and political supporters. With the
investment of foreign capital In Mex.
leo and the rapid industrial develop.
ment throughout the republic, which
came soon after the accession of Diaz
to power, the cost of living began rap
Idly to rise, but the earnings of the
poor man remained stationary. The
great land owners who had been per.
mitted to possess themselves of vast
tracts Of territory, by methods more
or less fraudulent, managed to evade
the payment of taxes and succeeded in
imposing the burden upon the laboring
classes, with consequent increase of
the prevailing restitution. While the
foreign concessionaires, merchants,
contractors and officials, enjoyed sig.
nal prosperity during the Diaz regime,
the ordinary citizen of Mexico found
himself day by day more closely ap-
preaching industrial bondage, If not
actual slavery. These were the condi-
tions in Mexico in 1910 that gave birth
to the "Plan de San Luis Potosi,"
which was drawn as the platform of
the patriotic revolutionary movement
inaugurated by Madero to relieve a
situation which was rapidly becoming
intolerable. ;vs
If Huerta or any of the men around
him has any plan of dealing with the
root of Mexican discomfort, it has not
yet been made public. But whoever is
to be the instrument of reform, it is
beyond question that before any real
or permanent peace can come to the
disturbed and disconnected people of
Mexico" some plan of land dstribu-
ton must be formulated and carried
out. BY this means only can a stable
foundation be secured for the republic
by helping the large and Woodworking
farming class to become self.support-
ing. and gradually to form an element
of the community which would. in
their own interests, refuse to counter.
ance or to support revolutions. 1t is
argued that without such support no
successive movement would |
ever attain more than local import ]
ance. Briefly, 1t is the grievous and |
long enduring economic wretchedness
Of the people-poor, oppressed, robbed |
and denied the commonest justice
that is the open explanation of the ap-
incurable unrest of Mexico.
The correction OF these conditions
must form the keystone of any ma
tional movement having for its. object
The establishment OF a really stable
and permanent government. The fatal
weakness of the position OF Huerta
Is that he and those around him sterd
merely for the perpetuation of the old
an indefinite renewal and
OF the regime Of robbery
and oppression.-Journal of Com.
merce New York;