The Irish standard., 1914-12-05
Another View Of the Mexican Situation.

Another View of the
Writing on the subject of the ma
tfonal administration and Mexico,
Mathew ]. Rock, of Geneva, Nebraska,
has contributed the following article
published in the True Voice of Omaha.
At this time when views upon the Mex
fcan situation are intense the article
is worthy of note.
1.-THE NATIONAL ADMINISTRATION
AND MExlco!~
1t is with difficulty readers Of more
than one Catholic publication can fol.
low and reconcile the various almost
conflicting views anent Mexico ex.
pressed by the writer's of these pub
lications.
Thus the True Voice, not very long
ago, published long list of anti Cath
oltc laws, which in view of the fact
that the Catholic Church was prac.
tfcallX the only effective Christian
church in the country, were in reality
anti Christian laws.
These laws were enacted nearly fifty
years ago, were not repealed and more
or less enforced according to the in.
clination of the local authorities, but
were an ever existent menace and re.
tardent of effective work by the
Church.
Was this list of laws as published in
the True Voice correct? Presuming
1t was, we need not go to any great
lengths in criticizing President Wilson
and Secretary of State Bryan for the
present prevailing chaos in Mexico.
Why were these anti Christian laws
enacted? Was the Catholic Church in
Mexico at fault and did it require regu.
lat1on, and by men not practical Chris
tians? The writer will not concede
that the Church was at fault, that it
required regulation by men, who, con.
sidering the scope and effect of these
laws, gave ample evidence of being
positively hostile to any religion.
What has been the effect of these
laws? Have these laws been promo.
tive of good? Did they inculcate a
higher ideal of citizenship amongst the
Mexican people? Were these laws ad.
vancing education and self restraint
amongst the masses of the Mexican
people, the large number of poor poems
and Yaquis Indians, who have souls
to be saved and are human beings, not
any less so than are the so-called high
est families? Christ did not seek the
highest families, the self-indulgent
rich, but the lowly and poor, and found
his truest and most loyal adherents
amongst these, and it is these large
number of the poor people of Mexico
some OF the poems and Yaquis Indians
who have to be won to Christianity
before there can be real peace. WHY
have these large number of poor moi
been won over more largely to Chris
tianity? Writer repeats the answer
furnished by the True Voice, the lone
list of anti-religious, Christian
laws, enacted and maintained by men
of the stamp of Diaz and Huerta were
responsible. They were conducive to
keeping the people, the numerous poor
poems and Yaquis Indians in ignorance
hence an easily led mob and easily
exploited.
These ti-Christian laws had fol
their sole object the hampering of the
Church, which means they were to
hinder the Church from educating the
people along religious lines, having
the effect of preventing the teaching
of self restraint, with consequent lin
itations along material lines, for the
less self restraint, the less effective
ness in essentials for good morals and
good citizenship.
Writer asserts and logical reasoning
bears him out, the present anarchia]
condition of Mexico is directly trace
able to the irreligious clique and their
despicable anti-Christian policy, and
theirs is the responsibility for the alb
sence of authoritative government in
Mexico, and not the policy of President
Wilson and Secretary of State Bryan
Did the disorders in Mexico begin
during the administration of President
Wilson? No, they began during the
administration of President Taft. Why
this revolution in Mexico during Presi
dent Taft's administration? Writer
asserts, because of the intolerable in
justice prevailing in Mexico, the con
troll of vast areas of land by a com
paratively few, the practical bondage
OF the millions of absolutely poor, and
the absolute control of the govern.
ment by an INSCRIPTIONS, irreligious
element, an insignificant minority in
numbers, but all powerful because OF
Its wealth and the utter subjection OF
the poor poems, Indians, If you please
yet human beings withal that, and
perhaps worthier with all their ignor
ance and poverty, with souls to be
won, equally dear to God, than the
often selfish and self indulgent, robed
tn-silk rich, and lolling in idle luxury