Omaha daily bee., 1914-04-30
5Be Bed8eeS640
oLeMe2SB0afT
Letters Of = Political Hes,hen.


MEXICO.
SOMEWHERE. April E.-To the Editor
Of The Bee with your kind indulgence
! will pen a few articles on the Mexican
situation. To fully understand Il, one
must travel back to the days when
Mexico was a viceroyalty OF Spain. We
hear on every hand that the Mexicsns
are incapable OF self-government. CJpdg-
Ing by some OF the fellows who are ex-
allied 10 high office. we Americans should
withhold criticism on that score) We
forget that from the conquest OF Cortez
10 the third decade OF the eighteenth
century Mexico existed for the benefit
Of Spain For nearly 400 years she was
governed by unprincipled viceroys. The
first was Anthony Mendoza, sent out by
Charles V in 1885 The last was John
ODonoju. sent out by Ferdinand VII in
1928. Between the two dates there we're
just sixty viceroys. as / now remember,
making an average reign OF five years
each. A Spanish viceroy was like a
Roman proconsul: he was expected TO get
itch out of his province. His royal mas
ter cared not what he did 80 he returned
the proper amount TO the royal treasury
nt Madrid. Among these viceroys OF
Mexico there was occasionaliy-judged
by the standard OF the race and of the
time-a fairly decent fellow. But most
OF them were OF the type OF Sallust,
verres and Catiline of classic infsmy
The inquisltion was established in Spain
No priest and no soldier could be prose
outed In q civil court As most OF the
crimes were committed by the soldiers
and half the extortions by the clergy,
he hoA 90
before courts-martial or curia &C.
clesia. He was kept in wholesome re-
stralnt by the fear Of he'll fire, and by
the promise OF beatifc reward by the
fellows who dealt in futures The king
or viceroy. OF course, not he, could be
held TO answer before a civil court.
Kings are in place of gods; remember
They answer to the gods and not to
men.
When one sees state and church in
partnership, one is reminded OF two
drunken fellows treading highway lean
ing together. each trying to hold tho
other UP, for a mutual benefit.
During the 800 years Of the viceroyalty
no native OF Mexico was allowed to hold
any office whatsoever. The people were
purposely held in ignorance by their mas
iers. Ability TO read and write was con-
fined almost exclusively to the priests
and spanish office-holders. The arch
bishops, bishops and most OF the priests
we're Spanish born and Spanish bred. The
priest had his head shaved to represent
the crown OF thorns and rode an ass in
imitation OF the historic entry into Jeru-
salem. But here ended his emulation OF
the Lowly Nazarepe.
The native Mexican was simply a bap-
tized pagan. He could repeat his cate
chlsm like a parrot But the beautiful
service OF Corpus Christi was TO him but
the worship OF a wafer God The ec~
clesiastics we're blind to many Aztec
superstitlons, rites and ceremonies re-
tained by their devotees. The revenue OF
the church was the sine qua non.
Is II wonder that a people emerging
from three centuries OF worse than
Egyptian darkness whose ancestors for
nine generations had been allowed to take
no part In their own government, were
untitled to govern themselves? What
wonder that from 1922 to 1875 Mexico hal
fifty-five presidents. two emperors and
a regency? DER HEIDE.