The Topeka state journal., 1914-02-21
Mass Meeting at Ell PasO Severely
Criticises the Government.

MASS QG6G1MR NJ t-xAkO SeVeKcAy
Criticises the Government.
Ell Paso, Tex. Feb. 21-Resolutions
condemning the government for its
handling of Mexican affairs were adopt
ed at a mass meeting held in a thea
ter here to protest against the execu-
ton of Benton by General Villa at
Juarez. The meeting came as the eli
max Of a day Of excitement caused by
news of the death of Benton. The
meeting was first called for Cleveland
square, but Mayor Kelly, in a letter to
George Curry, former governor Of New
Mexico, asked him to rent a hall. as
he regarded an open meeting danger
GUS. The mayor said he would sup
press any attempt to hold the meeting
in the open.
Richard Dudley. head Of the contract
ing firm which built several hundred
miles of the Mexican Northwestern rail-
road and one Of the most wealthy and
influential refugees from Mexico.
promptly paid $50 for the use OF the
; theater. The resolutions follow:
Whereas, Mr.. William 8. Benton, a.
highly respected and honored citizen
of the state Of Chihuahua and a sub
ject of Great Britain, was brutally
! murdered and assassinated at Ciudad
Juarez. Mex. by -Trancisco Villa,s we.
the citizens of Ell Paso and refugees
from Mexico, at an indignation meet
ing held in Ell Paso, February 20. 1914
wishing to protest most emphatically
| against the cruel and violent treatment
which has been accorded foreigners
during the past three years Of revolu-
tions in that country. beg to submit
to the world and the American people
the following brief statement OF facts:
Hundreds of Crimes.
1.-The cold -blooded and heartless as
sassination of William S. Benton, with
out any cause whatever other than
the fact that he went to Juarez to pro-
test against the -confiscatiOn OF his
property, Los Remedies ranch, in
northern Mexico, which had been re-
peatedly looted, is but another crime
to be added to- the hundreds that have
already been committed against all
foreigners living in Mexico who have
been driven from their homes, their
property destroyed, women outraged
and foreigners murdered in cold blood
and for no other reason than because
Of their nationality.
I'VE believe the state department at
Washington has persistently suppress
ed facts concerning the true conditions
| in Mexico, and endeavored, through
inspired newspaper articles and by
other means, to mislead the American
| people and form public opinion for
| political purposes in support of q
| policy that is ruinous to all foreign in
terests in Mexico and to the Mexican
| people themselves. In support of this
| statement we would call attention to
recent article in the New York
World which purported to be a semi
official interview coming from the
secretary of states office. and which
stated that while great many Ameri-
cans had lost their lives in Mexico, not
one had been murdered solely on ac-
count of his nationality.
| Some months ago the state depart
ment officially declared in one Of its
messages to Mexico that it would hold
the Mexican leaders personally re-
spOnsible for Outrages committed
against American citizens. At the
present moment our government is
harboring General Ynez Salazar. who
has an unbrOken record ever since he
i took the field in Mexico Of Outrages
committed against our citizens. There
are many citizens Of these cities who
were cruelty and brutally treated by
this man, many of whom have been
held for ransom and at least one, Mr.
Fountain, was shot by his order, and
thus far he has been immune from all
punishment by our government.
AT the present moment Maxine
Castillo. who for many months has
been at the head of an outlaw band
in Mexico. holding our citizens for
ransom and perpetrating all kinds OF
outrages, whose band recently burned
alive between fifty and sixty passen-
gers in the Cumbre tunnel on the
Northwestern railroad, Is being given
asylum and protection by our govern
ment.
I'VE submit these facts as evidences
that our government Is. through 9
weak and vacillating policy, encour.
aging these lawless leaders to commit
| all kinds Of outrages against foreign
|, ers and doing q great injustice to ou1
| own people that Is resulting in q loss
Of hundreds of millions of dollars OF
foreign capital, the murder of many
Of our citizens. the attacking Of
American women, and ruination o1
Mexico itself.
II villa Worst Of An.
Francisco Villa, q man who has beer
an outlaw and murderer for many
years, and who Il now leading an ar