Mountain advocate. (Barbourville, Ky.) 1904-1935, 1914-05-08
Agrarian Democracy Has Been
the Aim Of the Peon Class
for Past Century.
STRUGGLE STILL GOING ON
Position Of Revolutlonlsts and consti-
tuition Of 1857 for Which They
Stand, Set Forth in Book by
Senior de Lara.

with Mexico the big issue that has
moved the Mexican people to revolt
against Huerta has been lost sight of
or is not known to most Americans.
What the people of Mexico have
fought for from the first war OF in
dependence, and what they are fight.
ing for now under Carranza and villa
Is the right to buy and till farms.
For a hundred years the peon class
has waged a continuous struggle to
achieve agrarian democracy. Time
after time the revolution has been
carried to the verge of success, and
time after time the Mexican ruling
class has invoked foreign Intervention
in order to prolong its power
All this and a great deal more is
made clear In a book just published
by Doubleday, Page & Co, THE Mexi-
can People; Their Struggle for Free
DOM" by L. Gutierrez de Lara and
Edgcomb Pinchon. 1t is frankly a
statement Of the position of the rev.
olutionists, and shows why they be-
lieve American Intervention in Mexi-
CO at the present time would only
bring about more loss of life and
worse conditions in the long run.
Senior de Lara has much to say
about the constitution of 1857, that
has been ruthlessly set aside by sue
cessive governments, and he gives
q digest of that instrument, the heads
of which follow:
Article |. The Mexican people recog-
nize that the rights of men are the
foundation and the purpose OF social
institutions. In consequence they pro-
claim that all the laws and authorities
OF the country must respect and sus-
tain the warranties stipulated by this
constitution.
Article H. In the republic every one
is born free. The slaves who step
into the national territory recover their
freedom by this mere fact, and have
the right of the protection of the law.
Article III. All education is free.
The law will determine which profess
sion needs a diploma for its exer-
else. and what requisites are to be
fulfilled.
This fundamental principle was
later amplified to make education uni
versal, free, non-sectarian and COM
pulsory.
Article ". Every man Is free to
adopt the profession. trade, or work
that suits him. 1t being useful and
honest; and to enjoy the product
thereof
Article V. No man shall be COM
PEELED to work without his plain con-
sent and without just compensation
The state will not permit to become
effective any contract. pact or agree
ment with the purpose of the curtail-
ment, the loss or the irrevocable sac
rlfice OF the liberty OF any man, may
the cause be for personal labor, edu-
cation, or religious vows. The law in
consequence does not recognize mon
astic orders. and will not permit their
establishment, no matter what may be
the denomination or purpose for which
they pretend TO be established. Meth
er will be permitted a contract or
agreement by which a man makes q
pact for his prescription or exile.
Article VI. The expression OF ideas
shall not be subjected to any judicial
or governmental prosecution except
in cases of attack upon the public
morality, the rights Of third party,
or the prevention OF a crime or a dis
turbance of public order
Article VII. The liberty OF writing
and publishing writings upon any mat
ter is invlolable. No previous censor
ship nor imposition of bonds upon the
writer's nor the publishers for the pur-
pose OF curtailing the freedom of the
press can be established by any law
or authority, such freedom being re-
stricted to respect OF private life, NOR
ais and public business.
Article VIII. This deals with the
right OF petition to the government.
Article TX. This gives the right OF
assembly.
Article X. This establishes the right
OF every man to possess and carry
arms for his safety and legitimate
defense.
Article XII. This deals with lmmigrs-
ton TO the country and other travelling
both from the country and into the
same.
Article XII. This establishes the in
validity Of all titles OF nobility, pre-
negatives and hereditary honors.
Article XIII In the Mexican Repub-
lie no one shall be subjected to prl-
vate laws nor special courts. No man
or corporation shall enjoy fueros or
receive emoluments unless they be a
compensation for public services and
already fixed by law
Article XIV This establishes the
principle that no one shall be tried by
retroactive laws.
Article XIV, No treaties can be made |
for the extraditlon OF political offend
ers; neither for those criminals whose
crime was committed In a country
where they had been slaves; neither
can a treaty or agreement be made BY
which the warrantiss or rights that