The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-06-03
THIRTY YEARS
IN MEXICO

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Rev. Neill E.. Pressly, Mission
ary From the Associate Re.
/ formed Presbyterian Church.
Tells Something of Mexican
Conditions-Agrarian TrOub-
les Root of Evil.
Mexico Is possibly the richest in re
sources Of the Latin republics. The ex-
tent of territory is about equal.to all thai
portion of our country east Of the Missis-
tsippi River to the Atlantic Coast and from
the Lakes>tojthe Gulf Of Mexico. The
population as given by the last census is
fifteen millions, more than half being de-
scendants of the Aboriginees, two-thirds
OF the remainder are Creole OF mixed, and
the remainder Of European blood. The IL
'literacy of the country as a whole is to be
lamented The story that such a condition
presents explains in a measure the dis
turbed state Of politics and destructive
revolution that has existed for the last
three years. OF the fifteen millions OF
people, more than eleven millions are ilht-
|erate.
Mexico became a sovereign and inde-
pendent country in 1857 and has as such
remained excepting the short time OF the
French intervention, with Macmillan as
emperor, during the decade beginning
with 1860. A constitution was adopted on
the 5th Of February, 1857, and a republic
only in name was launched. This step
was premature the people were not ready
for self-government the illiteracy OF the
masses made it impossible for them to
know and understand the rights Of citizen
ship. The means; for enlightenings the
masses we're few; the edition Of any OF
the newspapers published in the capital
city was limited to a few thousand there
was only one railroad connecting Vera
Cruz with Mexico City no mail facilities /;
mo! post sofices except In theScities and
more important towns. AS late as 1880
the postage on a letter was twenty-five
cents.
The country from the time of its indie
pendence, first declared in 1910, had been
the stage of internal disruption and al
most continued revolution. The struggle
of the illustrious Juarez which terminated
in the adoption Of the Constitution, the
c%onfiscation Of the vast estates, converts
.monasteries and churches, was the meas
ure that paref$ the way for the era OF
peace and prosperity under the admins
tration of President Dlaz. The Church OF
Rome, not as known in the United States,
was ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF. three-hfths
Of all the personal property and real estate
of Mexico, the sole ruler of the oppressed,
ignorant millions. % The simplest truths OF
morality have never been instllled into the
people, norimbibed,bya them. Moral law
In thef1dividual, 10 the home,Si in the state
and church. lis 'aspriRcipfe Of which the
masses are as ignorant as the peopfe'of
darkest Africa. Ignorance, superstition
and vice is the product Of the Roman
Church In Mexico, and has been a power in
keeping the multitudes in their decadent
condition. more powerful in its influence
for ignorance than all the agencies EN-
ployedft the lastlthirty years.for the uplift-
ing, elevating and 'ciyiiizing OF the coun-
try.
Since 1880 more than twenty thousand
miles Of railroad have been constructed
and operated successfully; and for the last
FIVE years by the Mexicans> alone. The
mining Of silver and copper has been a re-
source of great Importance, giving en-
ployment to thousands Of men ; new
modes and methods In the agricultural
pursuits have given a new Impetus to this
branch OF industry, and new branches OF
industry have been developed all over the
republic that have brought wealth to the
country aud large profits to the promot-
ers;; the last of these are the crude oil
deposits, which are found on the Gull
coast, and which are classed as the richest
in ther2world.- Millions of dollars have
beenoinvestedin this industry.
The country has made more progress In
the last thirty years than in the two cen:
turtles before. In this generation Of thirty
yearsa new Mexico has come on the stage
of life and a majority Of them have come
from the humble class. They have been
taxed to support the government while
the landlords, the aristocratic, have not
borne their proportionate part Of taxation.
On the" contrary they have legislated
against the humble tillers Of the soil, their
lands have been c%onfiscated, and burdens
too heavy to bear have been increasing
from year to year. The aristocratic land
proprietor was growing richer and the Ia
borer more and more oppressed.
The causes that brought about the de-
position of President Diaz, and the over
throw Of his government lasting for more
than thirty years, are many; but the
lgreatest one is the land question, the
agrarian problem. The country had nc
sooner rounded out It's first century than
this serious problem came to the front
and it found a champion in the person OF
Mr.. Francisco I. Madero. He found thou
sands that we're ripe for his standard and
the aristocratic land owner began to real.
ize the energy, vigor and determination Of
the new move. Some of the ways pro