Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1915-03-06

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we will fight him and uphold the reso
luton of the convention, Villas re
tirement being with the understanding
that Carranza will be forced to retire.
The reply we received from Gen
eral Gutierrez was that he had given
Villa the command of the forces which
were to fight against Carranza that
is, he had violated the fundamental
resolution of the convention, which
was the basis of the whole agreement
and the essential condition of our obi
cation.
This violent and illegal decision re
lieved us of every obligation toward
an assembly without patriotism OF
moral force, the tool OF an ambitious
and savage faction to which we had
shown undeserved complacency out
OF love for peace, but whose blind and
unconditional figureheads we could
not and would not be.
Thereupon we decided with full
consciousness of our act, certain that
We were following the course OF pa
triotism and duty, to fight Francisco
Villa with all our force until we had
removed from the horizon of the ma
ton this menace of reaction and bar
barity."
Carranza a Civilian.
Carranza is essentially civilian
rather than military man. From the
inception of the revolution he sought
to direct its destinies as did Presi-
dents Lincoln and Davis control
events In our Civil war. Accordingly
when Villa commenced his military
campaign against Carranza the latter
had not single soldier directly under
his personal command. His only
strength lay in the justice OF his cause
and the only means he used to or
ganize an army was to unfurl the BAN
ner of patriotism and to allow such
generals and their armies to gather
around 1t as desired to combat for
right and justice. The entire Consti-
nationalist army, exclusive of the Divi-
sion Of the North, commanded by vii
la, fiocked to the support of Carranza.
Carranza withdrew from Mexico
City and established the national cap
ital at Vera Cruz
Pathetic In its note OF helplessnoss
is the story that President Gutierrez
told OF conditions existing in Mexico
City while he occupied the presiden-
tial chair. He narrated this after
he had fed from the city and endeav-
ored to attach himself to Carranza.
The following parts of his narrative
are taken up after he recites In detail
the executions of Alberto Garcia Ara
gon, VicePresident of the Aguascali-
ntes convention and Professor David
8erlango, another distinguished men,
her of the convention, both of whom
had been brutally murdered by the
orders of Villa.
He says: THE members OF the
Aguascalientes convention which was
0w meeting in Mexico City, Justly
armed by these daily murders, In
rmed me that they desired to change
heir residence from Mexico City to
he town of San Luis Potosi, where
hey expected to convene in safety.
"A large number of the members OF
he convention proceeded to the above
'ity and General Villa having been in
ormed by his agents of what had hap
'ened had the audacity to issue or
iers OF arrest and execution against
hese persons whose immunity was
lbsolute and who were the source
rom which Villa derived the authority
With which he is invested.
Delegates Flee.
I'm view of these terrible orders the
delegates, carrying the flag of the con-
'ention, called for protection on the
}arranza Governor of the State of
Nuevo Laredo, in which State they
ire at present"
indicative of what an empty honor
Gutierrez held and how the so-called
convention party now means but one
the following excerpt
rom the same narrative:
"On Sunday, December 31st, Cen
raj Villa came to my home, revolver
n hand, accompanied by ten or
welve armed men, besides two thou
and cavalry, who surrounded my
ouse and removed the meager guard
I twenty men who were defending
re. With the courage instilled in him
y such an array of force, Villa sha ne
llly insulted me and hurled baseless,
and criminal charges at
le
With shame and Indignation had
, be spectator of all these outrages
ecause | did not have sufficient force
} halt the reign Of murder and rob-
cry that Villa conducted"
The flight of Gutierrez from Mexico
ity, accompanied by many prominent
zen in the so-called Convention ]
arty, strikingly illustrated to the !
orld the impossibility of this or any
her kindred government ruling in s
exico that was not subservient to the
ishes Of Villa
The abandonment Of Gutierrez and t
e other prominent men Of the Con. h
sntion party has left Villa isolated v
I'd alone and made the issue in Next t
now definite and certain. 1t is: u
lall Villa be allowed to become the a
ctator Of the country, or shall the t.
'ople themselves ruler Ia