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6 the revolutionary spirit of the Mexicans dormant. Diaz understood how to preserve a republican and democratic government in form without yielding anything to republicanism or democracy in substance. L i k e a strong and skilful driver he drove the Mexican nation without pulling the reins too tightly, or releasing his control. But with old age his strength and skill left him. W h e n he turned over the reins to awkward hands, the horses ran away, carrying coach and drivers to destruction. W h e n Porfirio Diaz rose to power he was sur­ rounded with the halo of a legendary hero. H e stood before the people as the conqueror of the French, the destroyer of the political power of the Catholic Church, and the champion of de­ mocracy. But when, after Mexico had been ex­ hausted by years of toreign wars and interna­ tional strife, Juarez was elected president Diaz refused to submit to the voice of the people, and took up arms against his own country. Three times his presidential ambitions were disap­ pointed at the polls, and for nine consecutive years he kept the land in constant turmoil and anarchy. Then, after having been repeatedly defeated by the government troops, mere chance placed the victory in a battle in the hands of Manuel Gonzalez, and Diaz became president. General Diaz now began to divide the spoils among the victors. A l l the generals who had fought for him—and they make a formidable list—were made governors, ministers, senators, congressmen, and so forth. Mexico's constitution provided that a presi­ dent cannot be elected for two consecutive terms. During his first term Diaz respected this provision, and declared in Congress in 1879: " I shall never sanction a candidacy for re-election, because even if it were not prohibited by our code, I should always respect the principles from which emanated the Revolution of Tuxtepec." Therefore he was succeeded in 1880 by General Gonzalez. But that was as far as his democracy went. W h e n in 1884 he became president again, he had apparently made up his mind that there shall never again be any interregnum in Mexico so long as he was alive. H e forced Congress to amend the constitution so as to allow the presi­ dent two successive terms. But later he found that that was insufficient for his long span of life, and he had the presidential two-term clause still further amended to abolish any limitation whatsoever. It was easy for Diaz to do this.

To the Mexican—To the Foreigner The congressmen were his mere lackeys. They had to do his bidding, or go. In the meantime, while the congressmen were being drilled in the act of bowing and scraping before their omnipotent lord until almost the point of perfection was reached, the growth of that flower of modern civilization, the Diaz bureaucracy, about which the Americans are at last beginning to learn a few things, proceeded apace. A l l the little bandits were corralled, and made rurales and soldiers. T h e cleverer thieves and pickpockets were made detectives and police­ men. T h e great political pirates stepped into higher offices. A n d so the maker of modern Mexico placed a great deal of power into the

MASSES

hands of people who should have been safely lodged behind prison bars. A s for the jails, they are filled mostly with political prisoners. W h e n Diaz could not catch the political offenders in Mexico he followed them into the United States,

Diaz, the Executioner of Mexican Liberty and flooded that country with spies and secret service men. H e used the American government to pull the chestnuts out of the fire for him, and spent millions on literature extolling himself and his government. H e sold concessions to foreign­ ers, and gave away land to prominent Americans. H e flattered, cajoled, and bought them until every foreigner, American, or European, who had been befriended by him, became his great advertising medium at home and elsewhere. The legend of Porfirio Diaz went abroad like an echo that repeats itself. It is a stupid legend, absolutely devoid of meaning. T h e credit of Diaz's government was based entirely upon a fictitious peace and upon the ignorance of for­ eign investors concerning the real state of affairs in Mexico. Porfirio Diaz played his political and financial game with loaded dice, and won credit, fame, prestige, and power at the expense of Mexicans and foreigners. One day it happened that an inquiring mind discovered the political and financial bunco game, and informed the amazed and incredulous world that President Diaz was really a Czar of Mexico. Others took up the thread and dis­ covered that slavery existed in Mexico, untold graft, political persecutions, assassinations, i n ­ competence, and that Mexico was not a safe country for the investor. Books containing i n ­ formation about the actual conditions existing i n Mexico were suppressed, men were sent to jail, and millions were spent to prove that Mexico was great and Diaz was its prophet. Nevertheless the greater part of the outside world remained incredulous. That "skilfully ap­ plied influence," of which the American Maga­ zine spoke when it began its series of articles by Turner, called "Barbarous M e x i c o , " still con­ tinued to exert its power. American newspapers and magazines rushed to the rescue of the dear name and fame of Diaz, and the people rubbed their eyes in bewilderment, not knowing which side to believe.

March, 1911 Then suddenly one day the world was amazed to hear that there was a revolution in Mexico. Impossible, everybody said. T h e iron hand of Diaz will soon crush it. Day after day, the gov­ ernment informs us, it is winning victories, and week after week we are told the rebellion has been stamped out, and it is nothing but bandits that are disturbing and infesting the country. But we must remember that the only news we get over the wires is the news sanctioned by Diaz. There is supposed to be no revolution in Chihua­ hua, and yet the government keeps 5,000 soldiers fighting there for dear life. They are trapped, ambushed, and cut to pieces by the mounted re­ volutionists. W e are told the revolution is only local, confined to Chihuahua. The truth is, it has broken out in fourteen different states. The gov­ ernment reports say only bandits are fighting now. T h e Mexican government does not realize that this is a most damaging admission. What becomes of the vaunted strength of the Diaz régime when it is forced to admit that its won­ derful army cannot put down at once the guerilla warfare, and is forced to admit further that its wonderful corps of rurales cannot even cope with the incursions of bandits in half of Mexico? Where is the boasted safety of life and limb in Mexico? Where is the much-advertised stability of a government which has to suppress the truth for fear it will not be able to obtain any more loans in foreign countries? Where is the Gib­ raltar of the Diaz rule when it has to keep an ex-minister of finance in Paris to subsidize a venal press in order to be able to get loans in France, the greatest money-lending nation in the world ? The truth of the matter is, General Diaz has succeeded i n fooling the world for so long a time that he has finally succeeded in convincing himself. H e had neither the decency nor the patriotic courage to retire six years ago. I f he had done so then, he might with all his faults have gone down into history as a great man. History as it is written nowadays is full of great men of the type of Diaz. For the last six years he has been trying with the aid of the United States to stem the tide of revolutionary sentiment among the Mexicans. H e seems to have persuaded himself that he was successful. F o r , when finally the Revolution raised its terrible head, he was taken by surprise, (Continued on page 18)

The square deal for the native