Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-11-19
How Does Wilson
Justify Himself?

We wonder how President Wilson
justifies to himself his interference
with the domestic affairs of Mexico.
He avows that he wishes to establish
constitutional government in Mexico.
We say establish" instead of re
store, because the history of Mexico
shows that constitutional forms have
always been more of an appearance in
, that country than a reality. Whence
does President Wilson draw his au-
thority for this desire to improve polit-
| ical conditions in Mexico? He is not
! a Mexican himself. and he would
probably deny with some warmth that
he has any material interests in that
| country He would presumably assert
that his zeal to better the political
| life of Mexico is wholly altruistie-just
! a simple burning wish on his part to
do good to foreign country and
foreign people because they need this
good that he is trying to make set
| tied thing in their public life. A world
! wide benevolent feeling of this sort Is
| of course an admirable indivlduai
quality, but it affords no basis Tor
public acts by one country in regard
| to another 50 long as these two coun-
tries stand equally upon an independ-
! ent footing. 1t is also the fact that
President Wilson alone of all the gov
! ornamental agencies of the United
! States has taken up this reformation
: of the political methods of Mexico.
: Congress- has made no demands IN
| that regard. and every attempt on the
1 mart of the United States Senate-the
| representative body which our Sonsti-
| tutiop closely links with the President
! IN tho conduct of the foreign business
| of this country-to examine ana ais-
cuss our current Mexican relations,
| has been suppressed, perhaps not lih-
! nolitely but in fact, eompleteiy'
]; ,broueh those senators who SPEAK
most directly for President wilson, :.
; is fair question, then. and a ra'.ei
in,nortant one, as to what authoii.s
president Wilson thinks to hlmseil
: that he has for his demand presence
in the Mexican capital, last ouhoa'
,hat the de facto head of the MEXICAN
Government get out ana olsappea'
and take all his official associates am
/! friends with him. aot tina
| Tot us assume for momeh. ~
4 President Wilson designs, II anu
, General Huerta catches up ms siip o.,
,,an,ooses to place Venustiano 9arr'HN
in charge of the executive business
Mexico. This Carranza has "elNeo - ~.
sa,f RI front place among 'hose VIZ
| ,a,,o onnosed the de facto Mexican so'
au,,r,ant He claims, we believe 10 nay
| ,,.,.;oo, control in one Mexican state
80 he has adherents, temporary OF OF"
,.o in other states of that country
| II;s man have plundered wherever tue,
| o,,a have burned or blown up with as
.n,;te a good deal of private ana paph
,,.onarty and have killed in cold pioo
poodly number of those ueioftuiia.
$1,000 ,ybo have fallen into thei
| hands and power as prisoners AS a.
effective instrument in tee is
president Wilson for giving to the Mex
lean people an orderly ana se..,eu So
arnnent this Venustano Carrahz'
| stands on a lower level imam
| Huerta. who is trained soioie' an
has always handled trained troops' aH
| in the matter of an election 10 ene oi''s
of President of Mexico poth ei'' az"
this Carranza stand upon an idehnea
level Neither has been electea 70 va
ofiffice by even such electoral methous a
were in use under Porfirio Dlaz. luei'
aid. however, get the CONSTITUTIONS az
sent of the Mexican Congress aolh
business at that time to his assumpuo
| of mower as the Provisional fresioeh'
ca that If mere constitutional forms ar
tho main thing, as President Wiiso
seams IN hold Huerta has consatu
! tional qualification that Carranza iachs
For there is no shred or latter Oh con
) stitutional authority about the po"e
!. chat Carranza holds. He has never pee
: before the Mexican people as Presiaei
t tial candidate, but has picked up
the authority that he has by nam lore
!, | and brutal and bloody violence
: The brutal and bloody violence
/, Carranzas men is not thereby con
/ iectured, as it is in the secret am
backstairs reports brought 10 rres'
dent Wilson in regard to Huertas re
/ latien to the death of Francisco Ma
| dero. but is of current report IN the
days news and from many dineren'
!, localities Carranza has accepted 81
lently, and no doubt grateIuily, the
+, authority slowly built up for him by
these robberies and murders, ana tney
constitute the sole basis OF all tne
7! Constitutional merit or quality tnat ne
possesses. Upon what ground does
=