BarbarousMexico JOHN KENNETH TURNER

THE JMAZ-AMERICAN PRESS CONSPIRCY
249
Americans who think well of Diaz, and sometimes speak
well of him—as distinct from what I have called the
"active flatterers"—they have simply been fooled, deceived
by the consistent press campaign which the others
have kept tip for, lo, these many years.
Such American planters as those whom I have quoted
as defending the Diaz system of slavery may have been
moved by nothing more reprehensible than a desire to
prevent my exposures from "hurting the country," or
"hurting business," meaning their business. In fact,
I was much surprised that so many actual residents of
Mexico came forward in support of my statements as
did, inasmuch as nearly every American in Mexico has
some land which he has obtained for a very low price—
or for nothing at all—and which he wishes to sell at
a profit. Or he has a stock-selling scheme, in a rubber
plantation, for example, with which lie is trying to secure
the good mone y of widows and orphans, poor
school teachers, small business men and working people.
Just as the average American real estate boomer
"boosts his town," decries exposures of political corruption
as "hurting business." even suppresses news of
plague, earthquake fatalities and such things, so the
American in Mexico, knowing that exposures of slavery
and political instability will frighten away investments
and perhaps lose him some profitable deals, seldom liesitates
to argue that political and industrial conditions in
the country are ideal. The more property a man owns
in Mexico the less likely is he to tell the truth about
the country.
As to the American publishers, the "business reasons"
are usually found either in the interest of the publisher
himself in some property or "concession" in Mexico,