El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-06-07

q -
- in Washington should issue a
new series Of paper money some
. day, declaring il legal tender Every
one accepts it. Then the government
should any one question the money
/ declares repeatedly that the debt
and that it Will Be scrupulously paid
at the first convenient moment.
Then suppose the same govern
ment suddenly DEGREES that the paper
is worth nothing. that the state does
not recognize the promise inscribed
on the face Of its notes. and that not
a cent viii be paid on any Of them
The financial organism Of the coun-
try, OF course, would collapse
Such a thing would, indeed. seem
impossible. II is hard TO imagine it
happening in any country on the face
We'll it happened in Mexico-not
once. but twice.
Carranza Government Guilty.
The Carranza government, On two
different occasions, issued paper
money which IL forced upon the
Mexican public as legal tender. and
later repudiHted. n robbery more
mitted by party chieftains in the
country, since Il embraced the whole
nation in the ruin II caused
Recently. a few weeks before the
revolution which overthrow II, the
government launched a new series OF
notes, but without daring 10 make it
legal tender Everybody. in the con-
viction that II would prove valueless
eventually, refused to take it
Carranza's jack Of all financial
trades was Luis Cabrera, a lawyer. /
need not draw a portrait Of Cabrera.
for he has been in the United States
frequently and is well known here
Cabrera has a good literary educa-
ton and writes we'll He was the
pen and style Of Don Venusiano, and
when the president wanted to stab
some enemy to the quick he sent for
the minister OF finance. Many IN
fortunate DEGREES went out under
Cabrera in reality was their author.
Councillor Of First Chief.
For four years Cabrera PLAYED the
role Of an astute counselor at Car
ranza's side. suggesting ways out Of
many a tight hole.
must pay homage TO Cabrera's lit
erary talent He would have made
an excellent professor Of criticism
It was only the lack Of logic in the
revolution, the lack Of enough good
men 20 go around. that forced him
10 become a minister OF finance.
He often used his ability as a
writer TO bamboozle the public into
believing that under Don Venus
tiano's rule il was living in greater
prosperity than ever before He was
always proving the existence of a
superavit in income over outlay, but
this was true only because the
creditors to the Mexican debt "a mat
ter Of hundreds Of millions) had re-
ceived no interest for many years,
because public service had been
abandoned IN many ways, because
not a cent had been given 10 the
school teachers (whom the govern
ment threw back upon the towns.
while the towns with no means Of
raising the necessary funds. simply
closed the schools)
4 Genius with the Pen
Cabrera has a sense Of humor with
a dash Of cynicism to it In his ef-
forts to get a foreign loan, without
which no government in Mexico,
whatever IL is. can long survive, he
must have laughed TO himself many
times as he reread the elegant
fabrications that issued from his pen
10 amuse the Mexican public and
throw dust in the eyes Of the United
States bankers.
As the reader will surmise. the peo-
pie hated Cabrera because he was the
personification Of taxes, more taxes,
and heavier taxes; and then because
OF the gossip about his private af-
fairs and the big deals he pulled off.
OF this unpopularity he was himself
aware, and he used TO say irOnicaIIyi
Il have the honor Of being the first
and most distinguished thief in Mex
icO.7
Fought With the Rear Guard.
It is TO his credit that he never
batted an eyelash before the attacks
made upon him. Lawyer Cabrera is
a peace loving man He fought the
war through under Carrauza, but he
was like Bonillas, always with the
J ear guard. as part Of the administra-
tive baggage
But this did not prevent his having
IN his life a dose OF that tragic !
fatalism all the Mexicans mixed up I
in the revolution have. Two Of his /
brothers Tell before a firing squad I
Luis Cabrera himself would undoubt- 4
eddy have been shot at the moment /
il the populace Of Mexico had found /
him lying loose somewhere at the 4
time Of Don Venustisno's flight.
Deserted HIS Master.
But like a rat deserving a sinking (
ship he made good his escape sew
aral days In advance, leaving Car
rama TO his fate
In time Of peace. when he felt him
self secure under the power That
every government has, his audacity
and SELF possession were something
that inspired awe When his enemies
would accuse him Of having Rmassed
z huge fortune in The ministry ne
would answer in a published article I
'ffering to hand over all his gains to
anybody who could locate them He
vas poor man-as poor as a monk
4 the desert
At first this boldness succeeded
With the publics but after a while
t produced only laughter.
Rule By Generals Terrible
The most terrible thing in the his
.ory OF Mexico, and the principal
lbnOrmnl condition. f. that the eoun-
y has always been governed by
or, rather by trough rid
'rs' from the country dfstricts-men
lxpert with the Innchete who are
put in charge OF bodies Of
iOIdiers.
There have been some civilian gov
.rnments, but they have been few
nd FAR between, like islands lost in
ne sea AS every government has
Deen the product Of a revolution. the
nan in control has always been
-uerrillero, holder than than his ]
or more clever in leading
nd exploiting them
For that reason. Carranza's policy
I having done with militarism. once Z
nj Tor all by putting in the presi-
entail chair a thorough going
iFlnan. was sound one. and
Hactly what the country needed
The fallacy in II was his choice Of {
n unsuitable and unpopular candi- {
ate, imported from abroad, and the s
'iolent method he resorted TO in !
arrying II out
Plenty OF Good Men.
Are there not people in Mexico
he reader may ask. sufficiently dis
lnguished TO make up purely 7
ivilian government. like those Of !