BarbarousMexico JOHN KENNETH TURNER

308 r\RP,\Rous MEXICO
able pursuits, he used it to facilitate his plotting until,
in January, 1876, he started his third revolution, issuing
his "Plan de Tuxtepec," in which he again demanded
a change prohibiting the re-election of the president.
For nearly a year Diaz prosecuted his third revolution,
during that time issuing another manifesto, the
"Plan de Palo Blanco," which gave his operations the
aspect of still another and a fourth revolution. It was
under this plan that the rebel leader finally gained a decisive
victory over government troops and soon afterwards
led his army into the capital and declared himself
provisional president. A few days later he held a farcical
election, in which he placed soldiers in possession of
the polls and permitted neither rival candidates to appear
nor opposition votes to be cast.
Thus in 1876, more than a generation ago, Porfirio
Diaz came to the head of the Mexican state a rebel in
arms. He broke the peace of Mexico to begin with, and
he has continued to break the peace by periodical and
wholesale butcheries of his people. General Porfirlo
Diaz, the "greatest living peace-maker," "prince of
peace! " It is a sacrilege!
That the Mexican dictator has not fallen a victim to
the ph ysical debaucheries that sometimes over-tempt men
suddenl y risen to great power is undoubtedl y true. But
what of it? Certainl y no one will argue that, since a
man keeps clean physically, he has a right to misgovern
a country and assassinate a people. Personal cleanliness,
physical temperance and marital virtue do not in
the least determine the standing a man deserves as a
statesman.
Thus it will be seen that the allegations upon which
the good fame of General Diaz is based have no foundation
in fact. Moreover, none of his flatterers have so