THE PYGMY IN THE UNITED STATES. 47 



and taxpayers, is the one most interested in the promotion and 

 maintenance of good government. A tax policy, however, which 

 would compel the landowners to cut up and sell their immense 

 holdings, especially if they are unwilling to develop them, would 

 be the first step toward the creation of such a middle class. But 

 it is not unlikely that Mexico would have to go through one 

 more revolution, worse than any she has yet experienced, before 

 any such result could be accomplished. At present, furthermore, 

 there is no evidence that the mass of the Mexican people, who 

 would be most benefited by any wise scheme for the partition of 

 the great estates and for tax reform, feel any interest whatever in 

 the matter or would vigorously support any leader of the upper 

 class who might desire to take the initiative in promoting such 

 changes ; and herein is the greatest discouragement to every one 

 who wishes well for the country.* 



THE PYGMY IN THE UNITED STATES. 



By JAMES WEIE, Je., M. D. 



IT is highly probable that at one time or another most of the 

 civilized nations of the world knew of certain small, under- 

 sized men, and that they constructed and built up legends and 

 myths about them. The ancient Talmudic writers, however, 

 were probably unacquainted with these little people, for no- 

 where in the Old Testament nor in any of the ancient Hebrew 

 writings are they mentioned. The giant plays a prominent part 

 in more than one biblical drama, but his direct opposite, the 

 pygmy, never appears in any role. But long before the Israel- 

 itish captivity and exodus, and thousands of years before the 

 five Nasamonians of Herodotus made their memorable journey 

 of exploration into the deserts of Libya, the earliest of known 

 historiographers, the Egyptians, had made his acquaintance, and 

 had made note of his peculiarities of form. Marriette Bey has 

 seen the figure of a pygmy on a monument of the old empire, and 



* During the year 1892 the present enlightened President of the Mexican Republic, 

 fully recognizing the great obstruction to trade and commerce which the complicated tax 

 system as above described entails upon the country, created a commission of eminently 

 qualified persons to consider the subject with a view of instituting a better fiscal system. 

 And as one result of its investigations the present Congress of Mexico has adopted an amend- 

 ment to its Federal Constitution, by which the alcabalas shall be definitely abolished in the 

 course of the present year, 1896. Every State in Mexico is accordingly now engaged in 

 modifying its old system of taxation and replacing it with something better. So far as 

 the city of Mexico is concerned, direct taxes have already been substituted for the alcabalas 

 on a number of important revenue-producing articles, as, for example, on brandy, alcohol, 

 and pulque. 



