BarbarousMexico JOHN KENNETH TURNER

322 BARBAROUS MEXICO
he considers illiteracy a condition of the greatest po s sible
happiness for a people? Can he believe that a state
of chronic starvation contributes to the welfare of a
nation? He is an old man—ei ghty years old. Why
does he not make some provision against political chaos
after his death? Is it possible that he believes it to be
best for his people never to attempt to govern themselves,
and for this reason is wrecking his nation so as
to prepare it for easy possession by foreigners?
It is impossible to believe these things of Diaz. It is
eminently more reasonable to judge that whatever desire
for the welfare of his country lie possesses is overshadowed,
wiped off the slate, by a personal ambition to
maintain his rule for life.
This, in my judgment, is a key to the character and
the public acts of Porfirio Diaz—to stay there—to stay
there!
How will this move affect the security of my position?
I believe this question has been the one test for
the acts of Porfirio Diaz in all those thirty-four years.
This question has always been before him. With it lie
has eaten, drank, slept. With it before him he was
married. With it he built a machine, enriched his friends
and disposed of his enemies, buying sonic and killing
others; with it he has flattered and gifted the foreigner,
favored the church, kept temperance in his body and
learned a martial carriage; with it lie set one friend
against another, fostered prejudice between his people
and other peoples, pai(l the printer, cried in the sight
of the multitude when there was no sorrow in his soul
and—wrecked his country!
Upon what thread hangs the good fame of Porfirio
Diaz with Americans? Upon that one fact, that he has
wrecked his country—and prepared it for easy posses-