The Detroit times., 1914-05-04
MEXICANS In
DESPERATE FIGHT
FOR JUST RIGHTS
Native Authors Tell How and
Why Of Long Struggle For
Freedom
PEOPLE EXPLOITED
BY CAPITALISTS
Wholesale Massacres, Ordered by
Diaz, in the Name of Law
and Order"

"They are lighting today as they
fought in the days OF Hidalgo, OK
dorelos, OF Guerrero oL Gonez
t'Arias, OF Juars4 for the land, and
must triumph. Nothing short OF
Intervention can stay their hand.
Ia these words, Gutierrez De Lara,
and Edgcumb pinchOn, authors of The
Mexican People. Their struggle for
doubleday. Page g. Co, Garden City, y.
Al sum up the main issue OF the revo-
lution now raglns in the war torn re-
public TO the south, This book, al
though strongly tinged with socialism
and extremely radical in It's viewpoint.
goes far toward explaining The how
is, In effect. history OF Mexico from
the time or the Spanish colonization,
written from the standpoint OF the
real condition or the country during
the time or Diaz as IL appeared 10 the
man behind the scenes. and tells OF the
horrors which lay beneath the much
lauded visible law and order OF the
(. Diaz regime. Diaz himself is denounced
as the INSCRIPTIONS tool of foreign
clergy, and eNcoriated as the man who
reduced the< Mexican people from an
asrarian democracy to condition OF
The following citation gives good
idea of the methods ascribed To Dia2
IN, the carrying out OF his 'PolicS-2t
concentration OF the lands OF the couhS -
try In the hands OF few capitalists
"Sfnce the success at the DiaI Guar
telazo, in 1871 the spectators; and
POLITICIANS Of the new regiWye ,Rad. not
: lost SightAfor one moment OF tfftif ol-
innate object--the. possession Of all,
4 the valuable lands IN Mexico. But i
was not until 1885 that they were In
! position TO begin a Definite and Well
supported campaign OF appropriation
BY that time the mastery man h MA
placed I'm their hands, rs we have said,
millions OF dollars worth OF govern
ment bonds exchangeable for land at
the rate OF $35 In bonds for $500 In
land; the department OF agriculture
had unblushingly liked the price OF the
irrigated lands at cents an acre, and
the arabic lands at from l To cents
an acre. and all pasture lands at | 10
y cent an acre: and finally President
Diaz had built up powerful engine
for the suppression or revolt and the
Y castigation OF recalcitrants by the ef-
fcient organization OF the army, and
ny a sne ersaslan a 81 spstial ooT{
latter indeed played a highly Important
part in the land evictions. Recruited
from the lowest class OF criminals.
splenGidly mounted, trained. and equip
3 ped, and wholly destitute OF humanity
they. were regarded by Dlaz and MS
peace" Conditions, therefore, were
now highly favorable for systematic
attack upon the agrarian democracy
s"Accordingly In the winter OF this
year 1885, the campaign was opened In
the valley or Papantla I'm the state OF
Vera Cruz. This valley Is one of the
richest in Mexico, Welding abundant
crops OF coffee. cocoa. sugar cane.
pineapples. and many other tropical or
sub-tropical products. At this time u
supported an agrarian population OF
over 10000 honest and industrious
working folk In the full enjoyment or
prosperity and peace SO rich prize
as this was naturally the first TO fall
into the handz OF the spectators.
Zone day party OF surveyors APP
peared i'm the valley with their tram
sits. The people knew only too well ssi
ed with foreboding. they protested TO
the surveyors that they had no desire
the government had ordered it, for
those lands were their own private
property by the warranty OF the con-
stltution.
'aThe surveyors persisted and the
next day reappeared with posse OF
rurales Again the people protested.
bpt this time they were silenced ny
several lives were lost on both sides
-Four days later force consisting
OF several thousand rurales and di.
Vision OF the army entered the valley
aud began the systematic eNtermina-
tion of the population How many
were killed will never be known. About
10 years ago In the course Of our In,
vesflgations we visited this valley and
endeavored 10 elicit some details or
the affair from the people Neither
man woman. nor child could be in- |
duced 10 SAY a word. because already
n number OF them had met death ban
ishment. imprisonment. ana hogglng
for even speaking OF IL. In spite or
this dumbhess 81 the people. however,
VIE obtained Independent proof that for
Is days the slaughter never ceased.
that not man escaped alive. that only
a remnant of women and children were
shared. and that the task or burying
the dead was SO grert that q a., montIh
lay was Uubreathable owing TO the
stencil OF the thousands OF putrefNlnE
cerpses. Today this whole resion
trfous folk obtained prosperous l'v-
ing from the soil. belongs TO single
rich family"
rule the book says:
taFrancisco Madero In short. was that
most unhappy OF oil types 81 poll
.irlans--the bourgeois ideallst: sub
se0uent events proved him 30 be
nohticai opportunlst as welt BETRAYED
into the open by the cunning OF Por-
hrio Diaz he rashlv embraced the
cause OF the people az the moment OF
their impassionsd revolt. not from con-
vttion. but as an alluring political eN
pedIent. Almost, without EFFORT of his
own he was lifted into power by the
night OF the people. as straw Is lift-
ed by wave, only to be dashed on the
rocks Of dilemma created by his own
Exponent OF the Revolution hv the
Will OF the masses he found himself In
fAct merely the deus eN fnachlna or the
Seientihcos. And he had neither the
knowledge. viii. nor understanding 10
eytricAte himself from his false pos
tion
F'such was the man who had ridden
irytO power on the crest 81 the Revolu-
ton. constitutional President under
false pretences. hts whole subseduentf
career was n denial OF the popular
cause.
rScarcely had he assumed office than
he ordered the national treasury 20 nav
49, .
~ 100000. ostensibly as indemnity FOR
the expenses he had Incurred In the
support OF the Revolution There was
M proof that those expenses had been
Incurred IN total or in part. and the In
accent haste with which the transac-
ton was consummated awakened an
Npgiy suspicion IN the public mind lie
then proceeded 90 hll HIS cabinet and