Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-04-20
BLOODL.ESS BALLOT
IS HOPE Of MEXICAN
INTERESTS
BY DAVID LAWRENCE

Copyright 1920, for The Atlanta Journal. }
WASHINGTON, April 17.-MeXico
is experiencing a recurrence of the
trouble that started the present era
Of revolution ten years ago. After
u reign OF three decades of peace
under orforio Diaz, the latter as
sumed to use his presidential office in
the elections of June, 1910, to defeat
Francisco Madero and the country
took up arms and drove out the die
tator. Now after five years OF pain
full reconstruction under Venustlano
Carranza, the presidential elections
again are scheduled and this time
the supporters of General Alvaro
Obregon, one of the principal candl-
dates and hero of the revolution,
are outspok er in their charges that
President Carranza is manipulating
the machir cry of the government IN
the interest of Ignacio Bonlllas, his
candidate.
The secession of sonora-,General
ObregOn'S home State--from the Mex
lean union is a symptom of wide
spread revolt, though not necessarily
conclusive evidence that civil war
and bloodshed will follow. The peo-
pie in Mexico don't want another era
of destruction and the effort to con-
duct a fair election will be supported
by ali the business elements as we'll
as the influential citizenry who are
not under the thumb Of any OF the
government officials or candidates.
The realization that the cards have
been stacked against Obregon has
driven his supporters to extremes.
Stories of high-handed tactics in sup
pressing electoral freedom have
reached here and done no end OF
damage to Mexico, for there always
is a party in our national capital who
accepts every cloud that hangs over
Mexico as justification for American
interference. Friends of Mexico nave
through the election crisis without
revolution.
Manifesto Issued
But from Mexico City itself come
advices that a manifesto has been IS
sued to the nation, signed by forty-
eight members of the house OF depu-
ties and sixteen members of the
Mexican senate. bluntly. charging
President Carranza with having Elk,
With having ''violared the constltu-
tional promises which induced the
Mexican people to cake up arms and
engage in a bloody civil war"
This is all the more resented be-
Cause the 0rigina r re- Wbieh the
Carranza regime mas professed to
support, was waged with the slogan
reflective suffrage-and no re-elec-
ton" there follow a series of rea-
sons for the movement in behalf OF
Obregon, among them violations OF
the ballot. the packing of state gov
ernorships, irregularity in the munlc-
ipal elections in Mexico City, con-
clave of governors presumably TO
forward the desires of President Car
rama in handling, the election ma
chinery, the resort by the executive
to methods of coercion, including the
arrest of partisans of Obregon, i'm
prisoning members of congress on
trumped up charges. and the attempt
to entangle Obregon himself In
court proceedings 80 as to incapacl-
tate in the electoral struggle
The manifesto which was drawn
up in the green room of the cham
Der of deputies closes with a warm
ing that the responsibility for the
evils that may grow out Of the pres
ent situation will rest solely upon
President CarranZa and his asso-
ciateS.
Washington On Alert
Meanwhile the Washington gov
eminent is keeping a Watchful eye
on events below the Rio Grande and
anticipates trouble along the inter-
national line if Chihuahua, which al
ways has been a hOtbed of revolt,
should decide to accompany the state
of Sonora in the secession movement.
Naturally the Carranza government
wants to transport troops through
American territory so as to reach
from the American border states, but
there is very little doubt of what
the decision Of the United States gov
eminent will be.