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The state of Chiapas needed a strong man to func­
tion as its head. The governors before the time of
Porfirio Diaz had to dedicate their main efforts just to
conserve peace among the citizens of the state; there were
continual disputes over the boundaries of the state lines;
Chiapas and Tabasco were constantly at odds, and Guatemala
claimed that Chiapas had tried to steal part of her land.
As if these external problems were not enough, the two big­
gest cities in Chiapas were invariably at odds with one
another, and general hostility still existed between the
liberal and conservative factions. It was not surprising
that in the past governors had not been able to help the
state progress materially and culturally: "Los disturbios
frecuentes en el orden politico-militar que ocurrian en el
Estado y la escasez de recursos pecuniarios en que se
hallaba el erario publico impedfan a los Gobernadores
incorporar, como era debido, a la civilizacion a los pueblos
2
que en situacion primitiva se encontraban."
The choice of Emilio for this post was logical and
well founded; he was a native of the state and while serving
in the local Congress, he had helped reform the educational
system. His integrity, honesty and hard work had brought
him recognition from all his employers.
2 ^
T. H. Orantes, Sfntesis de hechos historicos del
estado de Chiapas (Mexico City, i960), 73-8^.