Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-09-03
AS VIEWED AT CLOSE RANGE.
Guy T. Grove, of Texas, Gives I'M
preSSions on Mexican Situation.


tives and friends in the county for
some days, spent a short while in
W&lhalla last week, and was most
cordially greeted by host Of his
old friends here. Mr.. Grove Is a
close observer of men and things,
and knowing this, we felt that some
thing from him concerning the Texas
view of the Mexican situation would
be of interest to our readers.
"You are close to the border, Mr..
Grove, and know more of the imme-
date effects of the continued state Of
revolution down in Mexico, as affect
ing that country and our own, than
we do at this distance. What is the
real situation, and how is it affecting
that part Of the country along the
Mexican border?"
This question put to Mr.. Grove
brought out some interesting facts
from him, and he gave the following
resume of conditions and opinions
as they have come to him at close
range:
well, to begin with" said Mr.
Grove, conditions in Mexico and
along the border are narrowing in
the extreme. A large majority of
the people Of Texas are in favor of
armed Intervention to put a stop to
the terrible state Of anarchy now
prevailing over the border. Anarchy
Is the only term that can properly be
applied to the conditions existing and
that have existed for The past three
years.
1--WE thoroughly understand the
great responsibility resting upon the
officials of our government in laking
such step, but do not think the re-
sponsibility any greater in the Mexi-
can question than it was in the Mica
raguan question, and think the rea-
sons hundred-fold greater.
"To recognize the Huerta govern
ment would be a blot on American
history that would never be erased.
have personally talked with men
who were in the City Of Mexico at
the time Madero was murdered, and
the concensus Of opinion, based on
facts as they creep out, is that
more dastardly crime never was COM
initted. The people Of Northern
Mexico know this, and such a thing
as subjecting them to the present ad-
administration at Mexico City will
never occur. However, it may be no
AFFAIR Of ours so long as the Mexicans
are content to kill each other; but
we people of Texas know that they
are daily killing our own citizens.
They are robbing our people, confis-
eating their property and insulting
us as no other nation has ever done
And all the while our government
sits by, content with filing diplo-
matte protests that are the standing
q joke of the Mexican population The
Mexican people have lasting hatred
for the American people, and espe-
cially the people of Texas.
"The people Of the eastern and
northern portions OF the United
States are not familiar with the char
acteristics of the Mexican We Of
Texas know them thoroughly, and
are, therefore, In position to judge
of their capability as to civil govern
ment.
THE policy of President Wilson in
demanding an election for President
OF Mexico that will be fair and i'm
partial Is one that is impossible Of
fufTlment. Such a thing as a fair
and impartial election, conducted by
these people at the present time, is
absolutely out Of the question. Ma
dero tried it and gave them an op-
portunity to exercise their rights Of
citizenship at the ballot box. We
are all familiar with the result. A
Vice President was elected who was
not satisfactory to some of the de-
feated leaders, and the present revo-
luton is the result.
Fifty per cent Of the population
of Mexico are Indians. With the ex-
ception of the Yaquis, these Indians
are peaceable, as well as indolent and
Ignorant. The Yaquis are very war
like and have been fighting Mexico
for years. A large per cent of the
remainder Of the population are
poems, or the laboring class. They
are ignorant in every respect, and to-
day are in more deplorable condi-
tion than the negro slave was in mis-
country before the war. In time of
peace the peon works for wages
ranging from 20 to 35 cents per day.
They live without education and
without influences to uplift them So
cially and mentally. 1t is this class
OF men that Is furnishing the armies
OF Mexico They would rather fight
than work; in the army, in time Of
war, they receive better food, have
opportunity for loot and pillage, and
in general their lot is a great deal
better than in peace. 1t Is for this
reason that any petty leader with
small amount Of money, can cross
the border and soon have an army of
poems following his standard. (
"In Mexico these people are con
trolled entirely by the wealthy class.
Even in our border towns Of Texas,
such as Brownwood, we see the same
thing. One wealthy Mexican Of di-
rect Spanish descent will control the
votes of perhaps $50 poems, who are
citizens Of the United States. These
poems dare not go contrary to the
wishes of the men who control them.
In that event their position is taken
from them and they are run out of