El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-05-25

I ~ - E1N0 III ~ - ~ ~
T ELECTIONS FAKE
Continued from page II
lions and dragonades so numerous in
the history OF his rivals.
BOnillaa Boosted by Public's Cazhf
This extraordinarily expensive pub
licity, the like of which had never
been seen In Mexico, could not possi-
bly, have been financed by Bonillas.
His campaign comnittee paid. but
composed as this committee was OF
men who had always lived on the ma
tional budget. II is not likely that the
members made any personal sacri-
fees
In short, everybody believed that
Carranza was defrayfnE the cam
pnign expenses OF BOnillas and that
he was doing II with public funds.
This system Of propaganda was, at
the sane time, an indirect means OF
corruption All the great Mexican
dailies, even those that were hostile
to the candidate, sold whole pages Of
advertising space to the Bonillas
committee. and the editors thought
they were saving their consciences
by inserting a line at the foot OF the
and paid for at advertising rates BY
the BonIllas party.
The net result OF this was that the
PAPERS carried in their news columns
few brief lines OF criticism against
the government candidate and in the
rest Of the edition pictures OF Bonillas
and his friends and long articles
praising the candidate and his poll
cies-
What Did Campaign Costg
How much was spent in this cam
The sympathizers Of Gems. Obrs-
gon and Pablo Gonzalez state posi-
lively that Carranza had already used
S2,000,0o0 popularizing his candidate,
and that he was disposed 70 spend
a great deal more II it became nee
essary.
The need Of mourning these ex-
travagaut expenditures Is even more
difficult TO justify than the merits
Of the candidate Bonillas-
The mountainous heaps Of printed
paper, the hundreds OF thousands OF
photographs, and the miles OF adver-
tisements were wholly useless as aids
IN a presidential election in Mexico.
To use the election methods Of a
modern, politically matured country
in poor Mexico, the eternal victim OF
all sorts Of tyrannles, Il about M ef-
fectfve As importing sewing machines
into country where cloth Is un-
known What Is the use Of such pub
leity in a country that has never
gone to the pOIIsf
The Mexican people. in reality. do
not know what an election means
During the long period OF his rule,
Porfirio piaz always reelected him
self Until the unfortunate Madero
turned up no one dared 10 protest
against the practice
~. n-r-- arr.-..--E r.--rs
Before Porfirio DIazs time the 7
way 20 power led along the path OF
revolution: or else the elections were /
so scandalously immoral that they
provoked and Justified uprisings I
Since the close OF the DiaZ regime /
the present election was the first in /
the history OF Mexico scheduled TO /
Be carried on In a modern way We I
have seen how it developed into a 4
revolution.
The great propa uganda in favor Of 1
Bonillas seemed ridiculous. and. az I
times, ironically sad. especially when /
we consider the character OF the i
country. So much printed paper for
a poor people in great part illiterate,
owing TO the neglect Of Its rulersl
So much electioneerinE. when every /
voter knew that his preference
counted for nothing and that in the /
end the candidate backed by the gov
eminent would win Quit
To vote conscientiously the elector
must have the conviction tht his vote
wiz be respected that IL viii mean
In Mexico the man who
casts his ballot knows that he is ex-
ercising a useless right The result ]
viii always be what the party in j
power decides
Moreover. the privilege Of voting
Is a dangerous function II the man
In power gets wind OF the fact that /
Nn IL Hrrrf rn 70 10 ~ II aHrHN
and think with his own head the
voter Is soon brought TO his sensesl
Cen Aware Obregon and Gen.
Pablo Gonzalez are right when they
Justify their uprising with the state
ment that the government had de-
MED their candidates the guarantees
n security and fair play.
Il IL true, Neuustiano Carrauza-
who IS q stubborn man. incapable OF
1udging an inch after he has once
fgnacio Bonillas should win. and Be-
lillas would have been the next pre1-
dent OF Mexico II the revolution had
lot broken out
All the states that had Carranza
governors would have voted en- masse
Tor Bonillas. as though there were no
followers OF the other candidates
here at all
Carranza Rivals No Saints.
But Oregon and Gonzalez are no
saints. they were not born yester-
lay, and they certainly are not po-
itical infants. Their record Is al
most as long and brilliant as that OF
Don Venustiano. and no one knows
what they will each cook up when
ne elections are announced again
What can we expect from a coun-
~ when Il has never had an cleo
oral body considered and respected
IS a vital and permanent institution
What can We expecte from a country
where the defeated candidate always
escorts to arms. claiming that he has
leen defrauded2
II the elections prepared BY Car
ANA had taken place, Bonillss
would have won in all the Carranza
Itates. But Obregon. for instance.
Who controlled the government OF
he state OF Sonora, would have re-
.eived every single vote cast there.
nd Bonillas, who was also born in
hat state, would not have received
! ballot
ALet Us Be Opfimistic.s
It Is possible that real elections
nay be held in Mexico in the future.
Why should we not be optimistic
bout it, But up to the present time
10 candidate has ever failed TO CO.
rec the national will by voting for
he people in his own favor wherever
nd whenever he has had a chance
md his opponents have done the
anne thing under similar conditions.
Copyright, 1920. by v Belasco Ibanez
and the Chicago Tribune.
Tomorrow ST. Ibanez viii de-
cribe the faxed up reception OF Bo-
.fllaE in tire caniral the dfaanuaar- ]