American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1916-03-23
WHAT OF MEXICO?

Only a brief time after the Puritans landed in New
England and the Cavaliers in Virginia, the steady exter-
mlnatlon OF the Indians began. It is easy to believe that
most of the wars with them might have been avoided, had
not the pale faces forgotten to be just, but from the first
the rule was that the Indian had no rights that the white
man was bound to respect, and the sentiment of the world
has been that no barbarous race must stand in the path
Of the worlds advancement.
The Spaniards went to Mexico. First by atrocious
cruelties they subdued the native people and then for two
hundred years proceeded to corrupt them.
Then the breath of liberty swept from our country over
that country and the mongrel race that had grown up
there awakened to the cry of freedom" arose and shook
off the semi-serfdom that had become fixed upon it and
imagined that it was free. It's liberty was but license; it
had overthrow Spanish rule, but it had taken on no sense
of the responsibility which should attach to the conduct
of a free people.
The result has been that except during the few years
when the iron Diaz held them down, for a hundred and
fifteen years the Mexicans have been engaged principally
in converting a naturally lovely land into a hell.
Diaz saw the impossibiity of ever maintaining a staple
government there without a substitution of races and so
urged the men of the worlds strong races to come, promis-
ing them protection for life and property. While his
strength held out he held his country level, but at last he
was crushed and now forfour years his countrymen have
been busy in undoing what he had done. In those four
years not one battle worth the name has been fought. but
there has been wholesale looting and no end of assassina-
tions-the whole land seems to be sown with dragons
teeth and as soon as one head is bruised another springs
up. What different is the situation, and what more hope
does it carry. than it did through most Of the years of the
last century?
Is the refined barbarism there any different in effect
from that which under our flag has been pushed aside?
Fourteen out of every fifteen of the inhabitants are but
semi-serfs; it would be a mercy to them to place them on
reservations for the rest Of their natural lives, for they
lack very element that goes to make up a self-respectful
race, and the mass of them really awaken the pity of those
who know their condition.
We do not want that country; we have a most serious
race trouble OF our own; moreover during the coming fiji
teen years we are liable to have an addition of distracted
people from the present battle ground of Europe which
will strain the assimilative power of our country to the
limit. We think our government even now should be
making arrangements to turn q part of the flood upon 9TH
er coasts.
But the confusion in Mexico must cease, or we shall
in the near future receive a notice from some of the pow
ers OF the old world that if we do not propose to establish
order and protection for life and property in Mexico they
will.
The time has come when some real craftsmanship for
Mexico must be exercised.-Goodwin's Weekly.