Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-27

till in uOgue in Mexico City.
national Congress His course and that of Ortiz
Rubio parted however, when Vasconcelos be-
came partisan of Villa, move which even
tually made necessary his flight to the United
States.
For some years Vasconcelos was a political
refugee, earning his living in small tailor
shop on Main avenue San Antonio, and writing
on political and economic subjects.
TN 1920 ne went back to Mexico to join in
the Obregon revolution, and when it was
successful became rector Of the University
of Mexico. Later he was promoted to the
position of secretary of education and public
instruction. 1t was under his administration
that the present elaborate system of rural
schools, the first Mexico had known, was in
augurated
But in 1928 Vasconcelos became a candidate
for governor of Oaxaca and broke with Obregon
when Obregon refused to support him for that
office Vasconcelos was unsuccessful in his
candidacy and left Mexico for an extensive tour
OF Europe and the United States.
The presidential candidates are devoting the
Summer and Fall to speaking in every state
in Mexico.
Posters are to be seen in every town OF
any consequence, but, except for these mani
festations, there is little to indicate to the
casual observer that a national campaign Is
in progress. Newspapers carry only brief &C
counts Of the candidates speeches and move
mentS.
Mexico has no free press in the sense in
which you are accustomed to think Of it in
the United States. Censorship is frequent and
thorough-going. The result has been general
disposition to avoid trouble by ignoring political
news to a great extent and particularly 70
play down" all charges of sensational
character by the Opposition" candidate.
For this reason and for the even more Inn
portant one of illiteracy there IS almost no
such thing as public opinion in Mexico.
Fourteen odd million people inhabit the
country, and of these, IS per cent Of Indian
blood. with Indian ways of living predominant
ing. The great mass of these people do not
read Two million Indians do not understand
the Spanish language.
Until the people of Mexico learn to speak
a common language to develop a national
consciousness, to read and to demand fair and
full accounts of what is happening in their
press, nationwide participation in an election
is impossible.
A MOTHER important element that enters into
consideration in Mexican election is the
absence of a secret ballot.
Each voter going to the election booth must
ask the officials there to give him the ballot
of the party for which he wishes to vote II
he is successful in securing the desired ballot,
he must check it and drop it into the ballot box.
When it is time to count the ballots, the work
is done by local authorities appointed by state
authorities who, in turn-while nominally elect
ed by their respective states-are actually de-
pendant to a large extent for their positions
upon the federal government.
In the past, while numerous charges have
been made of failure to count ballots and fail
ure to allow opponents to vote, these have al
most invariably gone unpublished. And so a
really free" democratic election or the approx
innate of this ideal as it is known in the United
States, has not yet taken place in Mexico.
Resort to arms has been necessary to effect
a change of government, and when discomfort
became sufficiently widespread this means has
beer followed.
pRESIDENT PORTES GIL has issued orders
designed to better conditions this year as
much as the existing system will permit. He
has directed that there be no coercion OF voters
at the polls that every voter shall be given the
ballot for which he asks and that all votes shall
be honestly counted N~' ' "
The newly elected president will take office
on February s. 1880. He will find hold-oVer
Congress. waiting for him. State officers are
being ELECTED this yea1 aloag with tbs presi-
dent, but the next Congressional elections win
not take place until 1880.