The Washington herald., 1920-11-16
N n THE HERALD
WALL B AG'
MExICo's EXPLOITED CLASSES.
the Editor, The wsshington Herald:

To the Editor, The Washington Herald:
The press Is full Of editorial COM
ment on the prerent-day conditions
Of Mexico. Besides the wartime
German plotters, that country now
has to deal with a sort of Bolshevik
revolutionary labor party. we are
told. To solve the difficulties aris-
iEg out OF this condition, the new
Huerta-Obregon forces sympathixe
with certain agrarian reforms that
Will benefit the ''long-exploited
classes OF the neighboring republic.
Like our own picturesque Wild
West life of the movies, the fiction
OF an exploited class In Mexico has
taken deep roots in the American
mind. We seem unable or unwilling
10 part with the idea that Mexico lie
composed chiefly Of a class of peo-
PIE that are downtrodden, wretched.
ignorant, filthy, murderous, and at
the same time the object Of unmer-
ciIul exploitation. So sure are we
OF these unfortunate conditions.
that our mind finds 1t most natural
tor these downtrodden masses 10
breed Bolshevism. The truth is that
no matter how active the agents of
Moscow may be, in Mexico they are
sowing on barren soil, for the great
class Of the exploited, in that coun-
try, are more of an exaggeration
than a fact.
Who Is being exploited in Mex
ico' and who Is doing the exploit
ing' We might reasonably ask. The
answer, which will come, as a rule,
from someone who does not even
know where Mexico is, will be
something like this:
who Is being exploited in Mex
leo? Why, the peon, of course
the poor unhappy. filthy, bandit
peon. As to the exploiter, why. er,
HIM. OF course, IL these people are
being exploited there must be an
exploiter. well-How's that? You
say there are hardly any million
aires in Mexico, and that two or
three big farmers were driven out
OF the country ten years ago. Well.
l suppose the old 'Diaz gang or
some great American companies; or,
well, to tell you the truth, / don't
know"
OF course he doesn't know! No
body can satisfactorily say who is
exploiting, the Mexican peon. A
few rich land owners. employing
several hundred hands, and a half
dozen American smelters, employ
ing a few thousand laborera fail
10 account for 4 great class of ex-
plotted men.
The great majority OF Mexican.
are farmers or farm ,aborers. The
average farm hand works fye or
six hours a day; receives about SO
cents in wages. and Is benefited by
certain extras. His employer fur
nisheS food for the laborer and his
family, gives him house 10 live
in. allows him to raise a few hogs,
goats, and chickens. and sometimes
he is even allowed to cultivate a
few acres of land for his own
benefit.
OF course. compared with his
American brother. the Mexican farm
hand or small farmer, has to do
without number Of things that
make life so enjoyable in these
United States. For instance, the
Mexican is deprived of the oppor-
tunity of buying coal in winter, the
climate being so mild that no fuel is
needed. He has to do without ex-
pensive wooden clothing, also on ac-
count of the climate. The custom
of wearing home made sandals de-
prives him--What are we now pay
ing for boots? The poor old poems
wife and grown daughters Just
simply won't wear a hat. the cheap
cotton shawl being the style all
over the country. Say. are you b.
ginning to feel sorry for the down.
trodden Mexi"en? II he owns his
farm, which is quite often the case.
land being so cheap down there, he
seldom has the privilege Of paying
interest on a mortgage. Hardly any
Of the little farms are mortgaged.
And then there is another feature,
a feature that our industrial work.
ers can fully appreciate. In Mex
leo labor is always in demand. Ev-
erybody Is constantly complaining
of the scarcity Of farm hands. So
the poor Mexican hasn't even
chance TO worry about losing his
Job or getting another.
Evidently the Mexican Of the low
er closs-the poor man-in all Sc
riousness, is far from being as I'M
happy as We are usually led to be-
lieve. AS to his being exploited. I
fear we shall have TO dismiss the
idea. But We shall have to dismiss
1t gradually so as not to shock our
preconceived notions on the subject.
NJ G. sTECKER.
Washington. d. c.