Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Jf APRIL 7,1915. f V * -t THE PRESS AND STANDARD MOM HD BY NMS TO ESTABLISH ■HM OF PAGE THREE (Th# better •Icmcnt In Mexico is behind Csrranzs because of his honesty •nid integrity and the fact that he stands for a government of principle and Tije T*e» of the ordinary American ctttseo In regard to Mexico is that It has become just one Provisional President after another. Changes have been so kaleidoscopic and the daily news has been so conflicting that It has become almost Impossible for “the naan on the street" to under stand the tree situation In the Repub lic to the south of us His exasperation has reached that point where he now dismisses the whole affair with a comment that “a lot of bandits seem to be fighting among themselves in Mexico as to who shall be allowed the privilege of looting the country and I reckon Uncle Sam will have to step In one of these days and straighten things out." The one significant fact that has served to make Americans believe that poesibty behind the present turmoil in Mexico there may be after all some thing big and serious, has heen the broad humanitarian view (hat Presi dent Wilson has consistently taken in regard to the Mexican revolution. A brief history bf the present revo lutionary movement in Mexico tends to clear up many of the thinjes that have remained incomprehensible to Americans and sheds a light on the entire situation that gives a true un derstanding of the conditions in tliat country as they exist today. The present revolution actually had Its Inception with Francisco Madero In 1910. Most Americans are familiar with the rapid and unexpected tri umph of Madero over Diaz, but it is not generally known that Madero’s regime failed to be a success snd live up to the high hopes and expectations that had been bom with it. because he hud been too r>uerous in compro mising with the resetionaries and that they on accoun*. of their dominance of ♦he two hold-over, houses of Congress were able to defeat ail his plans for the bettexneat, of his people. Assassination of Madero. The shameful assassination at the instigation of Huerta excited such a feeling of indignation in the United States as to make President Wilson’s stand in refusing to recognize the Government set up by Huerta on the dead body of Madero. as being emi nently just and in keeping with the best traditions of lbi.f country Madera's, death put the old cienti- fleos. reactionaries and cleric* back again in power. This necessitated that the struggle Madero had success fully waged must again be taken up, and accordingly there came into ex istence with the new movement a new shibboleth that has rung from one end of Mexico to the other: ‘ Justice and Reform and no compromise." The first man to refuse to accept the authority of the dictate^iju«-rta and to fling into his face a rnttfr de fiance (jpas Venustiar.o Carranza, then Governor of the State of H'oahuila. Carranza has been one of the strong est supporters of Madero and during the pirvious revolution ha<$ acted as Minister of War in the assassinated President s provisional cabinet. Carranza's iwtriotic stand drew the attention of all liberty loving Mexi cans to Coatftiila and there spon ral lied around the Governor's standard a number of high minded and patriot ic Mexicans, who banded together to. overthrow the usurp* r Huerta and re establish a constitutional government in Mexico. Accordingly it was under these cir cumstances the i i"' !» h-’STd i f. but little understood ;>i..:i of Guadalui# came into existence The in.iin planks of this plan^arr as follows: "For th«< orsanizalton of the mili tary forces necessary to make compli ance with oar purposes, we name as First Chief of the forces which shall be called ‘Const itutionallists,’ l*on Venustiano Carranra, Governor of tho State of CoahmTa. ‘‘On the occupation by the Consti tutionalist forces of the City ot Mexi co. the Executive power shall be taken * charge of by Don Venustianw (‘arran-i ranza. simply rallied to him in this present conflict, because of bis honesty, integ rity and deep sestud patriotism, and because he stands for a government of principle and not of men. revolution against Huerta swept through Mexico w.:h the Irresistible force that has ever animated every real struggle for liberty and the dash- Hng victories of Villa, Gonsales, Obre- gon, Hercra and others against the Federal troops brought the Victorious revolutionists Into Mexico City after 17 months of struggle. Huerta fled an exile to Spain. Only one small cloud specked the horizon of the revolution during Its early days. This was when Villa, be ing ordered by Carranza to send Inforcements to a brother general, re fused to accept the commands of his superior officer and carried his In subordination to such a length that when his resignation as division com mander was accepted by Carranza, he paid no attention to this action and continued to remain in charge of bis army. Carranza's position in this matter was similar to that of President Lin coln during our Civil War, when Mc Clellan. Fremont. Hooker. Rurnside and Meade scoffed at the President’s knowledge of military strategy and re fused to give any. Jieed to his direc tions as Commander in Chief -of the Union forces, in each case, Lincoln was compelled to rem^e the insubor dinate general from his command. Carranza Retires. Csrranza, setting aside all personal considerations and desirous, above anything else, of bringing the revo lution to a triumphant conclusion, agreed to allow General Gonzales to hold a conference with General Villa, Tn order that the personal differences between the two men might be ad justed snd the welfare of the constitu tionalist cause not be jeopardised. This was effected, but it was clear to the minds of all Mexicans that unless* Villa dunged his mental attitude and ceased To allow a certain clique of re actionaries, who had come close to his confidences, to inflate his vknlty beyond control, that they would use him as s tool to undermine the'rnow all but attained success of the revolu tion. Events afterwards proved these apprehensions to be well grounded. , From the moment that Villa first be gan to dream dreams of an empire and the traitorous kitchen cabinet that surrounded him began to see the prob ability of their nefarious work ripen ing into success, there began a well organized and systematic campaign of publicity in this country with the purpose of minting Carranza as ‘Anti- American," ‘‘ambitious,”' "hostife,” “dictatorial." ‘‘stubborn," etc. He was dubbed an “old man in his tottering senility," and other such libelous de- srriptions of him were sent broadcast as tr. create in this country an impres sion that Carranza was totally unfit to act as the Chief Executive of Mex ico. Carranza is not a diplomat, in fact his blunt Ipmesty is at times discon certing in its sincerity; straight cuts rather than w inding paths, are tile fa vorite ways of his mental trains. He is essentially Anglo-Saxon in his men tal workings and utterlv lacks the usu al Latin habits of circumlocution and procrastination. Vera Cruz Note. This was strikingly evidenced In his so-called Vera Cruz note to this coun try. Carranza felt tyat the ocupa- tion of Vera Cruz by our troops was a violation of the sovereigntv of Mex ico Northerns in the Civil War would have entertained tho sam<j,Jeoling of resentment against England had she an account of some differences with the Confederacy occupied Mobile. All lirenca would have been United in hoAil" array against the Mritish A somewhat similar sentiment animated Mexico when the United States army by force took possession of Vera Cruz. Forttinatelv, after a storm of aggra vation had swept tills country over what was term d ‘ t arranzas insolent srand.'’ the : dviin. tratinn came to Siiproriat' - Ca'-'anra's position and nothi.tc that marred the friendly feel ing between tho White House and tilt? Con-{itutionalist c: me of this unfor * turate incident In due tiine the grtaier part of tho American people also arrived at the understanding of the patriotism that had prompted Car- zx. Firs* Chief of the force*, or who ever may be substituted in command •'*' "The president ad interim of the Re public Ahall convoke general elections as soon as peace shall have been es tablished. delivering the power to the person who shall be elected " Genesis of Revolution. This was the genesis of the revolu tion against Huerta, which had. as can be seen, as its one big hope, the re- establishment of a constitut.onal form of go7 rt 'nmerit in Mexico. Following th ■ tr im the :yce«?ary reforms critMl for wer* a. necessary con- that the country ♦‘‘ought to follow a ■-* i>J«r.ee. Th<‘ movement against Huerta was a u-aguUlcem effort on the part of the Mexicans to regain the ideals Madero’ had given them, and not to sink back again into the despotic days of Diaz The present struggle in Mexico has not justifiable grounds for its exist ence. Villa*kaa made this issue ‘ 1 am to dominate Mexico,'' and ha* en- flnavorvd, to cloak U ia a mantle of verbal patriotism and empty sounding platitudes. The element behind Car- raaaa la not supporting the personal ly of Carranza. At all times it has boon willing to sacrifice him for th* • r *ofor fgpd of th* counter it • After^ Carranza had established a. governnjienf in the nationaDeapttal he issued a call to alt the military lead ers and governors of States who had signed the plan of Guadalupe to meet in lonvontion un October 1st, in Mexi- cm 'Tty, for the purpose of drafting a program of reforms and to name a date for the calling of general elec tions Villa, ever since his first break w ith Carranza, had been throwing obstacles tn the way ot a successful pacification of the country. In order to show him that he harbored no ill feelings Car ranza named Villa to go with General Obregon on a peace mission to settle a local strife in the State of Sonora. Villa in the course of these negotia tions became so incensed at Obregon, who ho.*l an equal rank with him in the CoustPutionalist army, because the latte.- refused to accept his unau thorized dictation and withdrew Gen eral Hill trom SorTora In order that Governor Maytonena, Villi’s ally, mtgh - (i ntro! the situation kfid array that State against Carranza's author- itv. that In a frenzy of anger h^ **t- ternpted to kill Obregon. Fortunately being restrained from this by subor- dinite officers, he highhandedly placed Obregon under arrett. These events happened but a few days before the time that the Mexico City convention to assemble. When Carransa was informed of Villa’* unwarranted persecution ot Obregon, he ordered the train service north of the City of Aguascaltente*. somn distance south of where Obre gon was held by Villa, discontinued temporarily from Mexico City, until ho could determine whether or not Villa intended his treqthiont of Obregon to presage a hostile military movement against Carranza. Villa’s Intoifcncc. Tula sent a telegram to Carranza asking him to explain what he termed this hostile action against hit division of the North. Carranza sent him the following reply: “Before answering your message which I have jtfst re ceived I desire an explanation of your conduct towards General Obregon Ta Chihuahua.” Instead of Villa giving the requested explanation to hi* su perior officer he replied insolently that he would no longer recognize Carran za the First Chief of the Republic. In explanation of this traitorona con duct Villa gate the ridiculous and pet ty reason that he had broken with Car ranza snd was willing to phmgn the country Into a civil war, becaose Car ranza did not have sufficient intelli gence or ability to govern Mexico. How farcical this statement really was can be best understood when it Is ex plained that Villa can scarcely read or write snd has never read a single book In his life, whilst on the other hand Carranza is a man of education, tulture snd business experience. The convention that Carranza had n Hed to meet In Mexico City opened its sezsions on the appointed day. Car ranza tendered his resignation as First Chief to the convention and asked the delegates to accept it if they thought thereby such action would be con ducive to establishing permanent peace In Mexico. The convention unanimously rejected his resignation and passed a vote of confidence in the First Chief. Villa and his army of the North had refused to send delegates to this con vention. In a last effort to settle the difficulty between the Division of the North and the remainder of the Con- fttitutlon&llst army, c'rtain leaders among the Constitutionalists proposed that a commission be sent to treat with Villa and that the convention Itself adjourn from Mexico City to Aguascalientes. Carranza, foreseeing, as afterwards came to pass, the futil ity of this action, opposed R. but final ly allowed the delegates of their own volition to move to Aguascalientes to treat with the chiefs of the Northern Division. Primarily the purpose of the Aguas calientes meeting was simply to en- deavqy to persuade Villa to send rep resentatives to the convention. After wards It usurped sovereign powers that'it did not possess and which Carranza never sanctlofled Rut Car ranza, putting aside the considerations and rising nobly to the demands of the situation, expressed to the conven tion In writing his willingness not only to resign ns First Chief in charge of the executive power tof the nation, but to become an exile from his coun try if the delegates ask this of him. The single condition that he stated must govern this abdication was that Villa should resign his commend of the Constitutionalist army of the North and if the convention so de creed, must-disc leave Mexico. • Story of Convention. The ‘convention on November fith passed a resolution calling for the re tirement of both Uarjanza and Villa. Antonio I. Villareal, Chairman of the convention,* thus describes subsequent events: y “After the absurd selection of Gen eral Gujierre-: as Provisional Presi dent for 20 dayf, which had been done In deference to the wishes of Zapata, myself and three others were comm!-*- sioned to serve notice on the First Chief that he was to resign. Villa had already agreed, so his representa tives stated, to tender his resignation. We would have shortly secured Car- ::inza‘s retirement had not General Gutierrez, bullied into action by pres sure brought upon him by Villa, sum- •moned the latter to Aguascalientes “and placed him in command of all the military forces in the country. “This act violated the previous reso lution of the convention and was con trary to its ow n-mandates, or in other words, contrary to the desires of wh:*T was left of it. as It must be remem bered that out of the ir». r i registered delegates many had withdrawn for one reason or another until at last there were only CO members left and is out of this (10 had been recalled by their signatories. A quorum in the con vet* tlon necessitated 79 delegates. ‘‘\ brief resume of the situation i t critical time miuht be vt;it(> ( j as follows: We said to Carranza 'Retire or vc will fight you. your retirement being made w-iih Cm understanding that Villa will he forced to withdraw." We said to General Guticrre*. and tq tho convention: That Villa retire or we will light him and uphold the reso lution of the convention. Villa's re tirement being with the understanding that Carranza will he forced to retire.’ The reply we received from Gen eral Gutierrez was tliat he had given Villa the command of the forces which were to fight against Carranza: that is, he had violated the fundamental resolution of the convention, which was the basis of the whole agreement and the essential condition of our obll gation. “Tills violeiit and illegal decision re lieved us of every obligation tow -r: an assembly without patriotism or tnoral force, the tool of an amb and savage faction to which w e !* • 1 shown undeserved complacency out of love for peace, hut whose blind and unconditional figureheads we could nbt and would not be. '-■•“Thereupon we decided with full consciousness of our aft. certain thgt we were following the course of pa triotism and duty, to fight Francisco Villa with all our force until we had rrynoved from’ the horizon <he na tion this menace of reaction and bar barity." Carranza a Civilian. Carrsnza k, essentially a eivillan rather tlyan a military man. From the Jticrptton of th> revolution he sought to direct its destintes as did ITesi- t'dents Lincoln and Davis dicohtrol events in our Civil war. Accordingly when Villa commenced his military campaign against Carranza the latter had not a single soldier directly under his personal command. His only strength layjn the justice of his cause und :lie only means he used to or ganize an army was to unfurl the ban ner of patriotism and to allow such generals and their armies to gather around It as desired to combat for richt and justice. The entire Constl- tutionalist army, exclusive of the Divi sion of the North, commanded by Vil la. Mocked to the support Carranza. Carranza withdrew front Mexico City and established the national cap ital at Vera Cruz. ' Pathetic In its note of helplessneas is the story that President Gutierrez told of conditions existing In Mexico City while he occupied the presiden tial chair. He narrated this aftei he had fled from the city and endeav ored to attach himself to Carranza. The following parts of his narrative are taken up after he recites la detail the executions of Alberto Garcia Ara gon, Vice-President of the Agnascalt- entea convention and Professor David Rcrlango. another Distinguished mem ber of the convention, both of whom had been brutally murdered by the orders of Villa. He says: "The members of the Aguascalientes convention which was now meeting in Mexico City. Justly alarmed by these dally murders, in formed me that they desired to change their residence from Mexico City to the town of San Luis Potost, where they expected to convene In safety. “A large number of the members of the convention proceeded to the above city and General Villa having been In formed by his agents of what had hap pened* had the audacity to issue oe decs of arrest and execution sgaioat these persons whose Immunity was absolute and who were the source from which VIII* derived the authority with which he Is invested. Delegates Flee. "In view of these terrible orders the delegates, carrying the flag of the con vention called for protection on the Carranza Governor of *he State of Nuevo Laredo, in which State they are at present.” Indicative of what an empty honor Gutierrez helif and how the so^-alled convention party now means but one man—Villa—Is the following excerpt from the same narrative: “On ’Sunday, December 31st. Gen eral Villa came to my home, revolver -In hand, accompanied by ten or twelve armed men. besides two thou- sa,nd A . cavalry, who surrounded my house and removed the meager guard of twenty men -who were defending me.. With the courage instilled In him by such an array of force. Villa shame fully insulted me and hurled baseless, mortifying and criminal charges at me. ' “With shame and indignation I had to be a spectator of all these outrages because I did not have sufficient force tn halt the reign of murder and rob bery that Villa conducted." The flight of Gutierrex from Mexico City, accompanied by many prominent men In the so-callw^ Convention party, strikingly illustrated to the world the impossibility of this or any other kindred government ruling in Mexico that was not Subservient to the wishes of Villa a The abandonment of (iutfetresi and the other prominent men of the Con vention party has left Villa Isolated and alone and made the isstte in Mexi co now f*cfinite and certain. | t | fl; Shall Villa no allowed to become the dictator of the country, or shall the rcaple thetr.sdves rule? The outlook In Mexico at present ia really encouraging, though the con fusion attendant upon military opera* thins has served t7> make this country, consider the situation more dork than ever before All the patriotic ele ments iji Mexico are rallying to Car- ranza's standard. Villa \\iih his own division of tho army is fighting the rest of the nation and an indication bf what his movement really signifies ia the fact that hex has invited all the old Federal army officers against whom file Madero revolution and ita successor that drove Huerta from pow er was waged, to join him. N v 'World conditions are such that no government, in Mexico can exist with*, out the friendship of this country and without its moral and financial help. In a sense then. Americans are in duty bound to look upon the situation in Mexico from an intelligent and a sym pathetic angle. , Carranza Misunderstood. Carranza has be-n grossly misun derstood in this country f.\- is a man of probity, clean living and in tense patriotism. He i?* not a wealthy man. He has reared his ‘family jn comfort, having made his living from the raising of cattle. He himself has Visited tkp United Sta'e-' many times. -He has had his tani.Iy .educated in this country. Every mnn whom lie has selected to become a member of his Cabitu t he ha* fir t sent to this country tft beeptne acquainted with the American idea, svstern and "plan of conducting the office He is about to as sume Carranza is unmilitary, educated, having taken a law degree, intensely Mexican, and wholeheartedly drrir -ens of helping the downtrodden t“"»n to obtain "his chance in life.” Villa contrastlng'v Is uneducated, ignorant, brutal, unrestrained In his passions, totally unnppreriafjve of the needs of his country and is simply riding hla vanity to what he* hopes will he the dictatorship of Mexico. ^ ^ - Illustrative of the character of the •vo men is the fact that Carranza, not '••en to gain valuable political ends. 1 stultify himself to the extent of '•iTrv’-'g fivor with the Washington •id"ipiis*riMnn as long as our troops ' •• •> ,!> V* v:i Cruz His feelings of * , 'j-ii'iviip he. kept locked in his heart "•t'i' t ^t'no he deemed proper to v*. -e • , he-n. Villa, on. the other hntvp i.-ts been one thing to this countrv and another to Mexico He has taken every occasion to slobber Ingly express his regard and (rJend- ship for this country and the admin istration while In Mexico he has at tempt^i to tain recruits for his army by dt&tacozlrrilly declaring that the United States Intends to annex Mexico and that he in the role of his country’s savior call* upon the ex Federals to Join him in resisting the invasion that he announces soon is to come. Villa Is forced to make this explanation to his own troops because ntherwlne they would keenly resent the presence of these Huertistas In their ranks Carranza and the Constitutionalist cause has been assailed in this coun try as bcj.n;. not onlj^. Anti-Catholic. (Countitfued on page seven ) , Vi V ■V That’s the Way to Start Neighborhood Improvement “(Wr Neighborhood Improvement begins at home. Beautify your house and its surroundings and the in- fluence upon the neighbors will soon make a wonder* fill improvement on your street. ;h Standard PAINT is the paint to use. The Little Blue Flafx** on the can assures yon of best results. Ixxdc your house over carefully and decide w hether or not it needs painling now. Be the first to begin improvement and not the last. We have color cards showing attractive: combinations. There ia one for you free—come in and ask for it. KOGER HARDWARE CO. ^-ANNoiiraiBrr 54 To Our Friends and Patrons: X> /> . ' We beg to anaounce that we are now ready to serve you with the best in Millinery in connection with splendid linejof other goods. r ' • • , Your Patronage appreciated. Smoaks, ;S. C. )OSMHBO< 1 « 5 X \ r • \ ' Colleton and Dorchester Counties ’ f £V f ’ Have Recently been added to my territory for FORD CARS. I have about^.20 in stock.. Be glad to sell you, either in Olar or Walterboro. Jf in need of one, take it up with me ^t Olaf or Mr. Ayer at Rizer and Ayer’s Stables at Walterboro. C. F. RIZER " - OLAR. S. C. ( For Sale High Grade Meal and Hulls, the best and Cheapest Feed SEED WANTED. ' We offer three deals, Sell, Swap or Store. COTTON GINNING Saturday. WE BUY SEED COTTON. REMNANTS "x* ...» Wakeibon Oil KD DR. A. J. ANDERSOB DENTAL SURGEON. OFFICE HOUIW: 0 A. M. to 2 P. M.; X P. M. to G P. S PHONE 100X WALTERBORO, 8. C. RUB-MY-TISM • WHi cure yotir Rheumatiai Neuralgia, Headaches, Cramp Colic, Sprains. Bruises, Cuts an Bums.OW Sores, Strags of Insect Etc. # Aatis»ptic Anodyne, used ti iernally and externally.' Price 2S J • X Invigorating to tho Palo and Slckl Th. Old .standard general atrengtbesiaf teei GSOVH 8 T ARTKLK8S chill TONIC, drieea o MalSrla.rnriehea the blood,*ad hultda noth*•• tr». A f/ue tonic. For aCalti and children. S