BarbarousMexico JOHN KENNETH TURNER

I
EIGHTH UNANIMOUS ELECTION OF DIAZ 179
order that prevailed at its meetings, despite the temperance
of its press, despite the fact that the laws were
studiously observed, instead of supporting and advising,
as he had promised to do, General Diaz moved to destroy
it.
Diaz's first open move against the Democratic Party
was to nip the propaganda for Reyes that was beginning
in the army. This he did by banishing to remote parts
of the country a dozen army officers who had subscribed
themselves as favorable to the candidacy of Reyes.
This action of Diaz has been defended on the ground
that lie had a perfect right to prohibit members of the
army from exercising political functions. But inasmuch
as the president of the Re-electionist Club was an officer
in the army, inasmuch as numerous army officers engaged
openly and actively in the Corral campaign, it would
seem that these men were proceeded against rather because
they were for Reyes than because they were
members of the army.
Captain Reuben Morales, one of the punished officers,
had accepted the vice-presidency of a Reyist club. He
was ordered to resign from the club or to resign from
the army. He resigned from the army, or attempted
to do so, but his resignation was not accepted and lie
was sent away to the territory of Quintana Roo. Eight
of the offending officers were sent to Sonora to be placed
in the field against the Yaqui Indians.
The banishment of the army officers took place at
the end of May. Following close upon the incident
came action against some Democratic leaders who occupied
positions in the government. Congressmen Urueta
and Lerdo de Tejada, Jr., and Senator Jose Lopez Portillo
were among the first to be deposed from their
positions.