Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-11-06

er establish order. How can they!
THEY'RE Of the worst element. They're
leaders because they're the most ruth
less raiders among the jail sweepings'
who won't work, and the desperate
men who lost their ALL Let me tell
YOU how such a leader gets his follow
ing.
"A Mexican Of family plants his crop
Of corn and tends it. He depends upon
II for support. He is one Of many IN
the community who do this. One day
comes a detachment of Villistas, Zap
atistas or Carranzistas-the label does
MT matter. They are mounted. and must
have feed for their horses. The corn
is Just forming in the ear: the patch Is
well fenced. Do these fellows ask for
permission to take out enough fodder
for their horses: Do they even allow
the peon to cut it for them? Hardly!
They merely knock down the fence
and turn their horses into the standing
corn.
Their horses provided for, the men go
to the poems house to search for
saddle, blankets. clothing-anything
worth taking. All night long, the peon's
women folks cook for the soldiers.
IF there Is q girl in the family any
where from II years Of age upwards,
one or more Of the 'ofncers' will make
an offer Of marriage-an offer which
must be accepted-and the marriage
ceremony consists of the terrified
mother leading her daughter to the of
ficer's' tent under a nearby tree. The
girl may be a wife for day, or she
may be taken away and kept for a
week or two. Always she Is abandoned.
a ruined, pitiful remainder Of the fierce
passion for reconstruction our Presi-
dent talks about!
This happens over and over again.
MY workmen's homes have been in
vaded in this way, their everything de-
stroyed. I know the victims and their
destroyers. I'm not guessing, not re-
peating vague tales.
If that peon dares to resist any
part Of that programme. he Is instant
ly accused of being sympathizer with
the other faction and made a prisoner.
Bound. he watches the smash-up, and
If he struggles he is shot.
"Is it strange that after such an ex-
perience this peon goes looking for a
gun and joins the nearest general
who is for the moment fighting his
despoilers?
For two years I and my neighbors
have watched this going on. We saw
the line fine flower Of the Indian popu-
lation drawn away to serve in the Con-
stitutionalist army defending Mexico
City. Into the garrison nearest were
sent the jail-birds and riff-raff from
the South. It was a signal to the In
dians left behind-together with Mex
lean deserters from both sides. armed
by our Governments decree-to come
down from the hills to loot. Twice my
own ranch buildings were burned. my
grain carried into the hills, my cattle
killed or driven off. And what hap
pened to me was the common facts
except that killing was added to plum
der in the case of some Of our Mexican
and American neighbors.
"Only once have I known an Amer
leans home to be invaded. This was
the home of a well-known Americans
widow. She had a daughter of IA.
Two generals came there for a meal
one of them, who already had three
wives living within a radius Of 300
miles, proposed to marry the girl. He
insisted upon civil marriage, be-
cause of the girls parentage. He sent
an order to judge to come and ger
form the ceremony. The Judge refused,
and the general sent soldiers with a
saddled horse. OF course, the judge
came, and to make the farce little
more seemly, the Presidente (mayor) of
the town was forced to witness the