Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-03-31
INTERESTING ADDRESS GIVEN AT
FIRST M. e. CHURCH SUN.
DAY EVENING.
HISTORY is REVIEWED
Says Development Of Mexico Under
Dictatorship of ex-President Daz
Was The Marvel Of the
Thinking World.

; seer etary of the board of education Of
the Methodist Episcopal church, gave
an interesting and comprehensive adj
dress on Mexico" at the First M. E..
church Sunday evening. DR.. Hancher
reviewed the history of the country
from its discovery by Cortez until the
present time. He did not attempt to
predict the outcome Of the present
situation, but he advocated cooperation
with the MeXicans on the part of the
| United States. His address in part fol-
lows:
1T is long river with big name
that separates Mexico from the United
States. 1t is called the Rio Grande,
meaning, in Spanish. big river" but
although it is big in domain, it is
small in the amount of water it carries.
without boats at most times of the
year. But civilization, life and folks
are as different on the two sides of
that river as though they were on two
different continents. There is more
difference than between the United
States and Great Britain. or the coun-
tries of northern Europe. Mexico is
different from the countries of south
ern Europe, although she patterns af-
ter one of them. But her people are
folks-they belong to the great cate
CORY which was in the mind of Christ
at Gethsemane.
What our relationship to Mexico
should be is perhaps as engrossing
question as is before us at the present
time, and the most difficult to answer.
l only hope to give my opinion on 1t.
lived in Mexico from December, 1907
until December 1910, having gone there
to regain my health.
Eve Americans pride ourselves a
good deal, and there is much in us to
be proud of. look to the days when
our pilgrim fathers landed at Plymouth
Rock with no little gratitude. But
Cortez landed on the Mexican shores
in 1920. a hundred years before the
pilgrim fathers. He had seen the color
of Mexican gold, and had been thrilled
with the stories Of the metal in the
Mexican soil. He came in the. name
of the sovereign of Spain to bring
Christianity to the Aztecs, secondacily
and primarily to reach the heart of the
silver and gold mines. He told the
Aztec that he should be converted and
baltized. but the Indian replied that
he worshiped the sun. You cant get
far with an Indian when he is content
with what he has unless you can en-
phasze your persuasion with persua-
de- that appeals to him. Cortez had
large baptismal font made and forced
the Aztecs to be baptized, at the points
of bayonets.
"A little while later Cortez went to
CASTILLO and built the first Christian
church on this continent When it was
completed he told the story Of the ty-
ranny Of the chief Montezuma and
aroused the young men to rebellion.
He finally enlisted an army of one
hundred thousand men and after long
and bloody struggle he overthrow the
empire and Spain took charge Of Mex
leo. The religious zeal of the priests
insisted that all records Of the history
of the country should be destroyed
anG they were.
Thus Mexico fell, and for three nun
dred years Mexico was In charge Of
Christian nation building Christian
civilization. But while the open bible
stands for our Christian civilization,
the closed bible stood for Mexicos, and
that is what Is the matter with her
today. They have the open bible now,
but it was closed too long.
"On September Is. 1871, the Mexican
priests heard that their plot to rebel
against the Spanish people had been
discovered. The people were sum-
moned together and bell was tolled,
proclaiming the anguish of the Next
cans. crying out for liberty. Cortez
was later killed. but that cry went out
among the people and eleven years lat
err Spain coded to Mexico her liberty.
From 1921 to 1863 Mexico had forty
six different rulers. When 1t became
apparent to various ambitious rulers
of Europe that the United States had
her hands full with the civil war, Ma
poleon the Third concluded to estab-
lish a papal empire on American soil.
The arch duke of Austria and young
duchess of neighboring realm came
over to establish and build the en-
pire. And there was nothing between
that country and the United States but
the Rio Grande. and that dry most Of
the time.
Down in Oaxaca there was young
Indian named DiaZ. He interested an
third named I.erdo. and the three
planned to establish a republic in Mex
leo. In the meantime the Arch Duke
Maximillian had good time. He built
him summer palace and spent most
Of his time enjoying the luxuries that
his wealth afforded, imagining that he
was building an empire. The three
young Indians closed in on Macmillan
and he took trip for his health, real
izing his dangers. One beautiful sum-
mer morning some time later he and
his conspirators walked out and stood
up against a wall, the command to fire
was given. and when the shots died
away they lay on the ground dead,
traitors to the spirit Of American lib
erty.
General Juarez became president
and made Diaz his secretary. Diaz re-
signed a year later and Juarez died
before his term was out. Lerdo then
became president for year, and final
ly Diaz The country of Mexico had
never succeeded in paying its way. it's
j bonds were worthless, it had no rail