Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-07

nonth TO other boys. He was then 10
years old. He studied in the seminary in
preparation for the priesthood. The subjects
included in the course were scholastic
theology moral and natural philosophy and
advanced Latin When he was 10 he con-
cluded that the priesthood did not appeal to
him, and he decided to become a lawyer.
He had already spent four years in prepara-
tion for one profession. He spent FIVE years
in preparation for the law in the law school
in Oaxaca. He earned his way part of the
time by acting instructor. He was an
educated man at "a, with a knowledge of the
elements of international, civil and canon
law, as we'll as general law and with
clearly defined political creed.
Dared to Vote Against Santa Anna
This young man was among the professors
of the Oaxaca Law School who were sum
moned to vote at the election which Santa
Anna had ordered In 1854 to give to himself
n constitutional title to the Presidency. Word
had been sent around that whoever voted
against Santa Anna did so at his peril, so
free" were elections in Mexico even in those
days. The professors went to the City
Hall, where the election inspectors sat on a
platform with a book spread open before
them. The electors marched up on the plat
the name of their candidate following Diaz
stood to one side and did not vote One of
his colleagues called him up, but he replied
that a man had the right to decline to vote
mot II he is afraid" taunted the other
Dlaz accepted the challenge and wrote his
name in the book and after it the name of
an insurgent leader who was even then
under arms fighting Santa Anna The young
ma m 1aft ba ha1 nd aa1 tp
mountains that night He organized a band
of Indians 20 resist the forces of Santa Anna
sent after him, and succeeded in repulsing
them. Thus began the political and military
career Of the man who died Friday in Paris
at the age of S4 years.
His Rapid Rise to Power
The story OF his life for the intervening 60
years is the story of Mexico. He fought with
the Liberals for orderly government. and
rapidly promoted through various grades
in the army till he reached the rank of
brigadier general. He was Governor of
Tehuantepec when he was only 2s, a member
of Congress at 30 and general of division
in the army at 3S. He fought with the pa
triots against the French and captured Mex
leo City from the forces of Macmillan.
There was nothing sudden or spectacular in
He was the man of all men 20 be elected to
the Presidency in 1878 He served a term,
then for an interval OF four years was in
retirement, only to be called to the helm
again in 1884. From then until he fed to
France in 1911 he was Mexico. He estab-
lished orderly government. He restored the
credit of his country at home and abroad
He built railroads and developed the mineral
resources. He laid the foundations OF a sys-
TEN of education, and all the time he used
the tools at his hand with the conscious
purpose Of having his Government govern.
Benito Juarez, next TO Diaz the greatest
man OF modern Mexico. occupied himself
with theories of democracy, but DIaz recoe-
nized that his country was confronted by
conditions to meet which theories must be
wrested out OF shape II government could not
be maintained otherwise.
Madero who succeeded him in 1911 was
a theorist Of the Juares type. His dreams
were not fitted to cope with the realities
Huerta is the only realist in government
who has appeared in Mexico since Diaz aed
But Washington viii have none OF him.