Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-11-04
Mr.. BRYCE ON MEXICO
British Diplomat Believed Diaz's Des.
potie Government Best.

British Diplomat Believed Diaz's Des.
potie Government Best.
In his book on South America, re-
cording observations and conclusions
made during tour Of that continent
in 1910, James Bryce, author Of "The
American Commonwealth" discusses
political conditions in Mexico and ex-
presses views upon the government of
that country which have interesting
applicability to the present state of
affairs. He says:
To speak of increasing wealth as a
factor making for the political pro-
gress Of a country may sound strange
to those who in Europe and the United
States see how the workings Of free
institutions may be endangered and
perverted by the corrupting influences
Of money and the money power. New
ertheless, according to the proverb,
"One mans meat Is another mans
poison" there are stages in a nations
growth when 1t is so essential to es-
tablish security and give everybody a
sense of the need for 1t, that whatever
makes for security makes for progress.
The heart Is better than the pocket.
but 1t is easier to fill the pocket than
to purify the heart. The love Of liber-
ty is a nobler thing than the love of
security, but sometimes the latter
needs to be diffused before the former
can have its perfect work: 1t Is true
that the desire for order and security
may lead men to submit willingly to
arbitrary power. This has often hap
pened since the days Of Julius Caesar
and his nephew. But 1t has usually
happened not because men have ceas-
ed to value liberty, but because. find
ing. that they are failing to secure
either security or liberty, they think 1t
better to have one than to have neith-
er.
There are in Spanish America, some
communities still so far from being
capable Of genuine popular self-gov-
ernment that the best thing for them
is the strong rule Of an able ruler,
which will give them prosperity
through peace, show them how to de-
velop their resources, make them, by
education and by better communica-
tions a more homogeneous people.
Those things done, such communities
will, like Argentina, find themselves
filter to work free intuitions. At pres
ent, under the rule Of selfish adventur-
ers and corrupt legislatures who are
the tools Of the adventurer, the condi-
tions Of progress are absent. Two or
three Of the South American republics
they are not among those which /
saw-are still in this condition. rhe
rule Of a man like Porfiro Diaz would
seem to give them the best chance Of
emerging from 1t. At present they ad-
vance neither morally nor materially.
The most striking example of the
second class was Mexico under the
government of President Porfiro Diaz
The government Of that statesman,
one of the most remarkable men OF
our time, was autocratic. His power
had been won by fighting but was
maintained by legal forms. The legis-
lature obeyed him implicitly. Elec-
tions were managed by his govern
ment and that with little difficulty, be-
cause, until 1910, when his hold had
begun to be shaken, no one ventured
to vote against him. His personal su-
periority to all the vulgar temptations
was recognized and admired. His min
listers talked to the chambers but took
their orders from him alone. His poll
cies were directed to the material de-
velopment Of the country by the con-
struction of railways. the encourage
ment Of manufactures, the opening up
of mines and extension of irrigation
Order was maintained by rural po-
lice formed out Of many bandits, who
by having been enrolled, disciplined
and regularly paid became useful men,
bers Of society The lure to conquest
which the weakness Of the republics