Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-02-26
WALHALLA, S. c.:
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1913
OUR DUTY TO MEXICO.

behalf of another. where peace and
order have been utterly destroyed
and the lives Of its citizens in peril,
surely hat solemn duty rests upon
the United States toward our neigh
bOrs south OF the Rio Grande at this
very hour. Our friends across the
border are sorely vexed, and we have
n duty toward Mexico that no other
nation can perform. BY our national
poliCy-callcd By way of distinction
the Monroe Doctrine-we have
served notice on the world that any
attempt on the part of other nations
to occupy territory in the Western
Hemisphere would be regarded by
us as al u%nfriendly act, or, in popu-
lar speech, would be sufficient ground
for a declaration of war, and in thus
hedging off succor from others, we
are bound by every token Of honor to
extend that succor ourselves. Human
life in Mexico is in great peril. The
reign Of law has been suspended and
anarchy stalks boldly through the
'"'' J." "hN ~ Ia "
untamed by fear OIL unwhipped OF
justice, and the civilized people there
are reckoning for help with an ap-
pealing hand, and unless the govern
ment at Washington reaches out a
helping han and stands sponsorship
for peace and order on this side the
water, our boosted civilization will
be d~iscredited n our Monroe Doc
.tMt No"0mo a. reproach and a by
wora among the '.,tj0ns o. ,he oyg,',.
NoNi>o he's 81 sad aud tragic his
tory. 4 proper regard FIR human
HtC IS , .iJt.a w'rr whIel tho people
or tnat county Soon Go have been
strangely unfamiliar during all the
years Of their history. From the
time that Cortez invited the conf
dence of the brave Montezuma, and
afterwards betrayed and murdered
this simple child OF nature, until the
day that Gen. Banquet accepted the
hospitality OF GuStavo Madero, and,
while eating at his table, plotted the
arrest and assassination Of his host,
the history Of Mexico furnishes an
illad of crimes that stagger belief
and make the heart sick; and to
crown this sickening tale, news dis
patches tell us that Francisco |. Ma
dcrO was murdered upon the streets
Of the capital city while being CON
Quoted to a prisoners cell, under an
armed pnDr1 Of nnn a rod EoInr,l
soldiers. Mexico has rather a short
method Of unburdening herself OF
political prisoners. These poor I'M
t~ortunateS are entrusted to a gov
eminent guard and the guard soon
reports to headquarters that the pris-
oner was shot while attempting to
make his escape, and the tragic story
usually ends with this report.
At present there appear no hope
OF relief from these conditions. With
Iapata, the impla2able foe of all
government, on the south; Orozco,
~harraSsing on the north, and Felix
Diaz and Gomez both contending for
The chief place OF power. and numer-
pHS Slltl ulStul DdiCSS All over the
country, nothing but the Intervention
OF an outside power with a wise. firm
hand can bring order out of chaos
and restore a system OF order that
VIII guarantee the protection of life
and property, and We cannot but feel
thai most people who have Informal
ton enough to see and courage
enough to speak entertain a like
view Of the situation.
We hope hat our incoming Presi-
dent. Mr.. Wilson, will make no bluffs
unless he is prepared to act in the
event his warning and counsel are
disregarded. Mr.. Taft has made a
sorry spectacle of himself in this
particular. The public will recall
Mr.. Taft's warning to both rebels and
Federals not to fire across the line
at Douglass, Arizona. two years ago.
His warning was contemptuously
disregarded and the matter here end
ed by Mr.. Taft c%ounseling the inhab-
itants OF Douglass to keep out Of the
range Of Mexican bullets. Just the
other day the State Department, by
order of Mr.. Taft, warned Gen. HUI
death Of EX-President Madero would
he seriously objected to by the gov
eminent at Washington, but Huerta
had scarcely received the warning
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