Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-09-02
Letters from n Political Heather
Mexico.


SOMEWHERE, Sept. Ito the Ed
itor Of The Bee: Yes, the French occu.
patton Of Mexico was part of the slave
holders rebellion. The last battle OF our
civil war was fought at Queretaro. Mex.
on May 10, 1867, where and when Juarez'
General Escobedo captured Maximilian
OF Hapsburg and his army Had there
been no secession there would have been
no occupation.
The Californian copperhead CDr Gwin.
eN-United States senator) was impris
oned for disloyalty. AFTER the SUSPENSION
OF the writ of habeas corpus. Gwin and
Judge Terry with others were trying TO
Induce California and Oregon to secede
and found the Pacific republic AT the
failure OF this Terry entered the Con-
federato army. At his release, Gwin went
over to Mexico and tried to plant a coll
ony in Sonora. The proposition of Lin
coin TO assume the debt of Mexico and
take security on Sonora-mentioned in
the previous letter-may have had for
one of its objects the checkmating OF
Gwin's colony scheme Gwin trotted back
and forth between Mexico City and the
Tuileries for a period, but his colony
scheme fell through. Notwithstanding he
had forfeited his American citizenship by
accepting a title OF nobility-duke Of So
nora-from Mexico. he was back in Cali
fornia in 1876, bowling for Tilden and
reform, After Appomatox, the sicen-
fist. Maury Ia Virginisn) the dress-pa-
rade soldier Sterling Price and John
Bankhead Magfuder went over 10 Maxi
milan, on the promise OF lands and
poems, in lieu of their lost slaves.
Al nj
reign. In 1910. Madero offered himself
as a candidate in opposition to Daz
Madero was a Portuguese by race, whose
family had settled in Mexico before his
BIRTH and had distinguished themselves
for grasping more eNacting than the
avarlce OF the Shylock of fiction. Ma
dero was defeated for president. Fol-
lowing the rule of Iatin-America, he fled
tho country and made San Antonio, Tex,
the base OF revolution against Diaz.
The dissatisfaction with Diaz appears to
have been general We are not discussing
him Reading the handwriting on the
WALL Daz resigned his office and left
Mexico.
Whatever may he said pro or con Diaz,
Madero was nothing but an empty dema-
gogue. lie knew how TO make money,
the highest order of ability is especially
true In Mexico At the election Madero
was opposed by Reyes. Madero by MAX
ing pledges he knew he could not fulfill.
secured his own election
The crying evil in Mexico is the land
question Settle that and you settle Mex
Eco. The discontinued poems, without
homes. are like the Romans of the age
OF Marius. They are ready to follow the
loader who pays the highest wages.
Their attachment is to the standard of
their leader and not TO the soil OF their
country. Contrast Mexico with Belgium
and Scrvia. Belgium has population of
CSC TO the square mile, yet 65 per cent of
its rural male adults own the land they
work, Servia has only IA 20 the square
mile, but a similar condition exists as to
land ownership. In such countries you
find real patriotism.
Madero promised the poems an equal
distribution OF land He knew he could
not keep the promise and he did not in
tend 20 keep II. The keeping OF this
promise would have involved political.
social and industrial upheaval, like the
French revolution-the abolition OF the
Mexican constitution under which Aladero
was seeking an election. Furthermore
large part OF the land was owned by
foreigners. ANY interference with their
rights would have involved Mexico in
foreign war The single tax theory-that
chimera popularized by Henry George
would have resulted in nothing but gov
eminent ownership, the condition that
existed under the Brehon laws OF Ire
land.
Madero secured his office under false
pretense. Like some American politicians,
he did not carry out his platform pledges.
Eminently respectable authority excuses
him Of substituting the ruffian Zapata in
order TO lower the price OF sugar plan
tations IN southern Mexico, and thus en-
able his family 20 buy them at a reduced
price. This we do know Francis I.
Madero made conspicuous failure as
president OF Mexico. We know he was
weak-and he was almost certainly cor
rupt Like all little men he was afflicted
with a girlish vanity. which did not rise
70 the dignity OF egotism. When the coun-
ter revolution arose. this conceited popin-
jay could not appreciate the volcano OF
wrath beneath his feet or the wllrlwind
Of Indignation about his ears. The pep
pie had repudiated him as liar. He re-
piled In purrIns and feminine accent:
Il am the president uf Mexico"