OCR Text |
Show GLOOMY OUTLOOK IN MEXICO. Tho Mexican Congress has nullified the recent clcctious in thnt unhappy country, and now elections aro called for next July. The action takon is in accordance with tho programme of the dictator to Tctain his power as long as possible, which moans that he will not retire until his so-called government is tippod over by Carran.a or a new uprising in tho shadow of tho palaco itself. ' Prom tho time tho country fell into tho hands of Spain in 3521, with Corlcz as Captain General, tho Moxi-cans Moxi-cans havo made comparatively little advance in any direction. There is no middle olnss in Mexico. Thero is a constitution niodoled in part on that of tho United States, which, for all tho good it docs, might 33 well havo never been adopted. In most of the states education is freo and compulsory, com-pulsory, but tho laws are not enforced and illiteracy is tho rule. Tho country coun-try has tho legislative and judicial machinery of tho ordinary constitutional constitu-tional governmont, but tho judges and legislators were dominated by Diaz for thirty years, and now they bend tho knee to Huerta. Tito civilization of Mexico is a sham and a pretense. Tho wealth of the country la in tho hands of a few men who prefer the rulo of a dictator to a government of tho people, under which the lands illegally acquired probably would rovort to the stato and the peons probably would be allowed to riso from what is in effect a state of bondage to dignified citizenship. Tho road to civilization is long and rocky, and so far as tho Mexicans arc concerned tho end is not yet in sight. The overthrow of Huorta will not necessarily bring pcaco, that much is conceded on all sides. It is conceded also that so long as ho remains .at the head of affairs tho constitutionalists will continue to fight, unless, indeed, the federal army is able to crush them, an event extremely improbable at the present writing. Recognition of the Huerta government govern-ment by tho United States at this time would not mond matters, whatever the result may havo been had recognition been extended in tho first place. The w.tt will go on and tho country continue con-tinue to bo ravaged indefinitely unless by some happy chanoo tho plutocrats and peons join hands and'sweep out tho adherents of tho dictator on the one hand and tho bandits on the other. The fato of Mexico rests with tho people themsolves. Tho United States-might States-might intervene, but intervention would probably make a bad matter worse. We cannot forco good government govern-ment upon a. pcoplo unwilling to receive it or incapable of onjoying it. Tho remedy lies in their own hands, and if tho present difficulty is to be composed com-posed thoy alono must do it. It is. probably tho idea of President Wilson and his immediate advisers that sooner or Intor tho Mexicans will tiro of tbo murderous work now going on and put a stop to it. The Mcxicnn Congress has shown by its action in declaring tho elections void, thereby giving Huerta a longer lease of power, that there is no hopo of an immediate solution of the problem after tho manner man-ner desired by tho adminiHtration nt Washington. Under the mos.t favorable circumstances it will roquiro some time for tho army of Cnrranza to march to Moxlco City. Then, allowing a full measure of success suc-cess to the constitutionalists, what would bo tho outcome? Would a Car-ranza Car-ranza government be as short-lived as that of tho ill-starred Madcro, or would tho various factions compose their difficulties, dif-ficulties, settle down, go to work, and bring order out of chaos I Wc doubt if thoy would riso to tho occasion. There does not appear to be much hope for Mexico in tho immediate future, even if nuerta is eliminated. Tho federals in Mexico appoar to be meeting with great aucceas-lessnes;. Hurrfa : being described by forc'gn newspapers as a man of iron. President Presi-dent Wilson has found him a hot iron. The constitutionalists nro almost as much afraid to annex Chihuahua as wo are to annex Mexico. In preparing his country for war Representative Mann has disqualified himsolf for tho Nobol peace prize. Again tho crv is raised in Now York that Boss Murphy must go. Evidently Murphy has como back. |