The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1916-06-29
OUR RECORD IN MEXICO.

OUR RECORD IN MEXICO.
It is important for every American
to know the salient facts in the Mex
lean imbroglio. Secretary Lansing has
summed up these facts so far as they
relate to the Carranza regime in a
way which cannot be improved upon;
but the record there presented needs
events of the revolution before Car
rama came to the front.
Mexico never has enjoyed a gov
eminent which was at once orderly
and free. Under Porfirio Diaz she
had outward order for considerable
season, but at the price of atrocious
oppression. The Diaz regime was an
unmixed despotism, and the friends
of the despot used the powers of the
state to heap up huge private for
tunes. There is no need of going into
detail of this question; the fact that
practically all the best land of Mexi-
co is owned by a handful of "cienti-
ficos' and still smaller group of
foreign concessionairies is proof
enough.
About six years ago the opposition
to Diaz began to gain in strength. In
1910 Francisco Madero announced
himself a candidate for president
against the old dictator, then serving
his seventh term. Diaz wasted no
time in campaign argument or ora
tory. He simply arrested Madero
and threw him into prison. When the
Election was over and Diaz was
chosen almost unanimously for the
eighth term Madero was contemptu-
ously released. He came north and
at once began to mature plans for
revolution.
On Oct. Is, 1910, Madero put out
a reform program known as the plan
of San Luis Potosi.'
On Nov. 20, 1910, the revolt
against Diaz began.
On Nov 3O-just ten days later
Diaz was inaugurated president for
the eighth time. The Mexican consti-
tuition forbids any man to hold the
presidential office for more than one
term.
The revolution spread rapidly in
northern Mexico, and with it spread
disorder. In January, 1911, Ameri-
can troops were sent to Texas to
border With few and brief excep-
tions almost half of that part of our
standing army which is in the United
States has been in Texas ever since.
On May %, 1911, Porfirio Diaz re-
signed and left Mexico.
On Oct. 1, 1911, general election
was held and Madero was chosen
president. Five weeks later he was
inaugurated, and, after some delays,
was recognized as lawful head of the
Mexican government by practically
all nations, including the United
States 1t is the general verdict OF
observers that he was the best leaoer
who has come to the front in all OF
Mexico's troubles.
But he could not bring peace.
Some of his radical followers revolt
ed because he did not go fast and
far enough in righting the wrongs of
the poems. These troubles might
have been adjusted, but the counter
revolution of the privileged classes
who mourned the days of Porflrlo
was more formidable.
On Oct. 16, 1912, Felix Diaz, neph-
ew of Porfirio, started revolt by
Selling the arsenal at Vera Cruz. He
was captured a week later, but in
stead of being executed as traitor
his life was spared and he was kept
in mild confinement.
On Feb. 8, 1913, Diaz escaped"
and was made the nominal head OF
another counter revolution in Mexl-
co City. Victoriano .Huerta, COM
mander of the Madero forces in that
city, was sent against the rebels, but
turned traitor Madero was seized,
thrown into prison, and murdered on
Feb. %. Huerta was proclaimed pres
ident, but the governors of the five
northern states refused to recognize
him, and, choosing Carranza as their
"first chief began the revolution
against Huerta.
There is the record: On Mexico's
side it is the story of blind, helpless
cropping toward liberty by men too
ignorant and ofttimes too corrupt to
distinguish liberty from license. On
Americas side it is a story of unex-
ampled patience and forbearance, be-
gun under Taft and continued under
Wilson. 1t is worth noting that the
Madero revolution began and ended,
that Madero was recognized by the
world as the lawful president, and
was deposed and murdered, that HUI
erta established himself as dictator
in Mexico City and that five north
ern states were defying him-aH be-
fore President Wilson took Office.
For six years jingoes have been
calling for Intervention. For six
years corrupt or stupid Mexican
chieftains have been giving excuses
for Intervention. And for six years
humane and patriotic men in the
White House have ignored the sell
fish call and refused to take advan-