The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1914-02-19
MEXICO AND
INTERVENTION


policy In regard to Mexico, and MANY
urge tEat it is our dutg to intervene.
SJne assert that the case OF Cuba is
similar. But tnere is this funda-
mSnati difference, that the Cubans
were being oppressed by rulers *
traneous to Cubi-by a deeadent
mother county across lie sea.
Civil War prevails in Mexico. New
re have outside influences aided In
settling internal disputes tEst haze
become so bitter as to cause resort to
war. MexicD must settle its own
troubl-s mi Is oAn way. The Span
Ism and Indian temperament is not
that OF the nnrtnern races. W cin-
not understand them, as we should,
for ose strSins are proud. je ! us,
naughty, 3 nrimental. aud, 10 SPITE
Of a tst dency TO selfish | ok Of feel
in fcr OF ers, Ideailt .ic.
In Mexicl the Indian strain still
predomiGates because Of intermar-
riage "itn tile SPA lar S. This
MI vlng 1t the Spanish with the
aroripines had been Characteristic OF
all Spanish COLOMBIA ion. Very pus-
isbly this tenoency IS traceable to the
conQuering Of Spain by the Monrs.
and the evtn earlier ineruIarriage of
the lberian stocks witt. eastern Med
iterIanear strains that began with
the comin4 of the Pnooniciins and
Carthaginians to expl lit the mines Of
the Sp tnisn peninsula. but however
tins inclination aros it shows thar
there is more syIpIthy and undei-
standing ott@een the Spaniards anu
the Indian stocks than there ever
was between the Indians and the
north, TN races Of Eufope. AS a re-
suit we have a preservation, as an
iLportint element in Mexico, OF the
old Nehua and Toltec strains, in
stead of ruthless, rapid, conscience
less determination VI the Indians NJ
means OF fire-arms, fire-water, d
disease, such as has char cter zed our
civil tiou the abor ines of tn
county,
tuli so PER cen Of the blood of
NJ co IS b iginal. When tine
Spa iiar came to Mex co 400 wears
had attained to high stage OF civil
IL .tion-a stage that has been sur
pass d by man only when under Indo-
European influence. While highly re-
llgious, with the priests pulling the
strings OF government, and with the
tsTple and observation of religious
rights hiQhly Important parts OF
their daily life, tnese people were
still 10 that stage OF religious fog
where human sacr fee is made to ap-
pease the wrath OF the God OF gods
While they ma e wondrously beauti-
full garments and ornaments out OF
feathers, and we're rather highly de-
veloped In several forms of art, this
race Of men had never had the benz
lit of the two great civilizers OF
Europe, the horse and the principle
of the wheel axle. Think of it, this
Idea of the wheel and axle which was
appliedto the cart and wagon hy the
Arysns even before migration OF the
several offsbcots fEum the parent
plains ha never occurred to the alb
orlgines Of the ives ern hemisphere.
Yet We expect a race so different
fundamentally from US In temperd-
ment and mentality to leap forth
from hieratic form Of government
into a modern democracy In four
short centuries, when 1t took US from
the days of Egypt and BABYLON up TO
the 18th century to do this same
thing.
Bee use MexcIo has not accom-
plished tIe impossible, because Mex
leo must pass through the feuoal
stage and develop a demucracr sith
the attendant growing pains such as
all Europe vent through, many pro-
claim tRat we ought to 20 down there
and try to compel this 'uddea lie .
under the hypnutic influeuee of a
thousand Maxim ''sileneers. It
could not be done except j" the say
that We accomplished it In the Unit
ed States when We ''civiliZed" the
Indians. Yet this tpye OF "ciViliza-
Iiun" Is being advocated because ut
Some traders and ADVENT turers Sto
have vone there to gain quick prJfts
In country that they were exploit
ing oSing to this Vsry fact that its
people are backward. What 40 alb
surdlty.
A country is n uch like an individ-
ual. Reform must come froB with
10. You can eontine thieves in cells,
but unless You have cnauged their
conceptions of ria 1t ana wrong ard
ueryed them for better things, they
come out thieEes just as they entered
Unless tlIe psr,oa engaged Ia phil
anthropic ~urk understands the peo-
pie he Is trying TO aid, and is in sHy-
pathy attn ,em, his philanthropy is
worse than nothing.
Just as strife and adversity are
ue.eSsary to develop rue chaI acfer in
The Individual, iast as Saf anu op-