The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-09-29
HISTORY OF MEXICO.
BY Eber Cole Byam.
Part XXI.

into a shambles 1t has been held up
before the American people as being
universal in that country, and 1t has
been taken for granted that the VIC
Tins" of the system were practically
slaves, and that it was, in fact, the
common lot of all Mexican laborers.
The word 'peon" in the Spanish
language means "a person on foot,
and generally one employed in I'M
skilled day labor. 1t does not in any
sense imply servitude. "Peonage' in
the Spanish language means "a null
titude of people on foot the
body of poems who work at once on
the same place." This word "peon-
age" has been borrowed by Americans
who have attached to it a meaning
not its own. This was done to give
name to a system existing universally
throughout the southern states of the
U. S. A. 1t is system whereby the
laborer is given an advance OF wages
or credit, which he later pays back in
labor or in crops, or both. Its opera
ton necessarily permits of evil prac-
tees, it is wholly indefensible, and
the greatest loser by it has always
been the planter who extended the
credit. In Mexico the laborers in GER
tain localities were accustomed to it
and have always insisted upon it. In
other sections of Mexico it is alto
gether unknown. AS matter of fact,
the populous districts of Mexico are
quite unfamiliar with it. Indeed, it
may be said that it's practice is much
| less in proportion to the population OF
| Mexico, than it is in proportion to the
population in the United States.
The southern negro in the United
| States is well known for his charac-
teristic of working only part time. He
receives his wages on Saturday night
and does not show up until the fol
lowing Tuesday or, Wednesday. 1t is
so in Mexico The Mexican is con-
| tent with small sum for his mainte-
nance and with this he need work only
part time. 1t therefore happens that
when the laborer calls for loan or
an advance of credit at the store, and
pledges his crop or his labor, he be-
comes party to contract that calls
for him to labor the ordinary working
days of the week until his debt is
paid. To those at all familiar with
southern labor conditions, it is mat
ter of common knowledge that many
negroes cannot be depended upon for
work unless they sre Sin at the store. =
The abuses possible in such system
are obvious.
In portions of the states of Vera
Cruz, Tabasco, Chiapas and Campeche,
peonage-or the system of advancing
wages to farm laborers-was common
The laborers insisted upon these ad
vances as a preliminary to engaging
to work, and their only complaints
about the system were those occasion
ed by the Discrimination of the planter
to be more liberal in his advances.
The practical viewpoint of the
"peon' is evidenced by the ideas pre-
vailing among them at the time OF
the accession of Madero. They were
assured that their accounts were to be
L CduCCllcu anu IudC LnOy WClC w DS
free-to incur new obligations. Ma
dero refused to cancel the debts and
so they were disillusioned. But Car
rama issued decree cancelling all
| the debts, and since then they have
been trying to borrow anew, which is
not permitted, and to find employment
(which cannot be, found.
| Many Americans in Mexico heartily
disliked the system for various rea-
sons, principally and practically be-
cause it kept large amount Of capital
| tied up in an unrealizable asset Many
of them succeeded in inducing an oc-
| casional laborer to forego credit and
| be content with his weekly wage. I'm
fortunately, the result usually obtain
ed was that the laborer worked only
| part time.
Peonage in Mexico did not mean a
low rate of wages, and, as a matter OF
fact, the average laborer or peon, or
| indebted servant, reces~ed frequently
as much or more than lis fellow work
ers in other districts where "peonage"
was unknown. For example, the writ
er was employed, some twenty years
ago, on a certain plantation, or haci-
| enda, where the "peons" received for
ty-five cents per day in wages, were
given good houses to live in, and food
| for themselves and their families.
| They were permitted to keep all the
domestic animals they cared to own,
and, by this means, drove a thriving
business with the plantation head
quarters and the neighboring village.
They were permitted to make as large
a corn and bean patch as they cared
to cultivate The limited stock of
goods in the "store" were sold at
prices no greater than charged in the
village. The estimated cost of ra-
ton for a family was fifteen cents per
day, SO that the laborer received, in
reality, sixty cents day for his labor,
plus the use of house and land. In
ten years this wage practically dou-
bled
Far from considering his condition
as "deplorable,'' the 'speon' looked
upon such employment as STEADY"
because those not SO employed were
casual" laborers, working only on oc-
casion. Furthermore, they really con-
sidered their accounts, as an indica-
/ ton of their financial and social stand