28 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



circulation (twenty-five hundred reported) is the Church paper, " El 

 Tiempo," which is bitter alike against the Americans and all their im- 

 provements, not excepting even their railroads. Of all the other pa- 

 pers, it is doubtful whether their average circulation ever reaches as 

 large a figure as eight hundred. 



The press of Mexico, furthermore, can hardly be said to be free ; 

 inasmuch as, when it says anything which the Government assumes to 

 be calculated to excite sedition, the authorities summarily arrest the 

 editor and send him to prison ; taking care, however, in all such pro- 

 ceedings, to scrupulously observe what has been enacted to be law. 

 Thus, during the past year (1885), the editor-in-chief of "El Monitor 

 Republicano " has served out a sentence of seven months in the com- 

 mon penitentiary, for his criticisms upon the Government. 



Public opinion in Mexico means simply the opinions of the large 

 landed proprietors, the professions, the teachers, the students, and the 

 army officers ; comprising in all not more than from twenty-five to 

 thirty thousand of the whole population. And it is understood that 

 less than this number of votes were cast at the last presidential elec- 

 tion, although the Constitution of Mexico gives to every adult male 

 citizen of the republic the right to vote at elections and to hold office. 

 Popular election in Mexico is, therefore, little more than a farce ; and 

 the situation affords another striking illustration of a fact which is 

 recognized everywhere by the student of politics, that an uneducated 

 people will not avail themselves of the right to vote as a matter of 

 course, or recognize any sense of duty or responsibility as incumbent 

 upon them as citizens. Such a condition of affairs obviously constitutes 

 in itself a perpetual menace of domestic tranquillity : for, with no cen- 

 sus or registration of voters, no scrutiny of the ballot-box except by the 

 party in power ; no public meetings or public political discussions ; and 

 no circulation of newspapers among the masses, no peacefully organized 

 political opposition has a chance to exist. Such opposition as does 

 manifest itself is, therefore, personal and never a matter of principles. 

 The central Government for the time being nominates and counts in 

 what candidates it pleases ; and, if any one feels dissatisfied or op- 

 pressed, there is absolutely no redress to be obtained except through 

 rebellion. Such has been the political experience of the Republic of 

 Mexico heretofore ; and although the recent construction of railways, 

 by facilitating the transportation of troops, has strengthened the central 

 Government, there is no reason to suppose that what has happened in 

 the past will not continue to happen until the first essential of a free 

 government namely, free and intelligent suffrage on the part of the 

 masses is established in the country ; and the day for the consumma- 

 tion of such a result is very far distant. 



The present President of Mexico, Porfirio Diaz, is undoubtedly 

 one of the ablest men who has ever filled the office of its chief execu- 

 tive. He is believed to have the interest of his country supremely at 



