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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



tion of the inhabitants are uneducated, 

 many speaking only remnants of ancient 

 dialects, for the votes of such will natu- 

 rally be dictated by the local "cure" or 

 the "jefe politico." 



Among the reforms demanded by in- 

 telligent Mexicans are greater liberality 

 in matters of franchise, the abolition of 

 punishment for purely political offences, 

 and modifications in the treatment of un- 

 tried prisoners. 



Education is made compulsory, a mil- 

 lion scholars being reported as attending 

 preparatory schools ; for, although in re- 

 mote sections this education has more 

 form than substance, there has been 

 marked progress in this important ac- 

 quirement for a self-governing people ; 

 and, as education advances, drastic meas- 

 ures unfamiliar to those residing north 

 of the Rio Grande may be found un- 

 necessary. Advanced studies are prose- 

 cuted in colleges by probably 10,000 

 students, and Mexicans are enrolled in 

 many foreign universities. 



The divorcement of church and state, 

 carried out under Juarez, confiscated 

 churches, monasteries, and nunneries, 

 and prohibited religious processions and 

 the wearing of distinctive ecclesiastical 

 robes upon the streets or roads ; but in 

 remote sections there is evident laxity in 

 the enforcement of these provisions. The 

 method of worship, too, is not in accord 

 with our appreciation of that of the 

 Church of Rome, for the superstition 

 and idolatry of the ancient Mexicans 

 seems to maintain ; fireworks, tinsel, 

 gaudy dolls, and pictures being substi- 

 tuted for the crude forms carved from 

 stone. 



The church and state are independent, 

 and Congress cannot pass laws prohibit- 

 ing or establishing any religion. Hence, 

 although the Catholic religion is accepted 

 as that of the people, there is toleration 

 of other creeds, and in many portions of 

 the Republic flourishing Protestant mis- 

 sions exist, while in the capital a Young 

 Men's Christian Association building 

 costing over $100,000 was dedicated as 

 a feature of the centennial celebration in 

 September, 1910. 



THE MEXICAN PEOPLE 



Of the 16 million inhabitants, two-fifths 

 claim direct descent from ancient tribes 

 or families which are accepted as the 

 basis of Mexican history, two-fifths are: 

 of mixed native and foreign blood, the 

 remainder being classed under the com- 

 mon appellation of "foreign." 



Throughout much of the country, and 

 often within short distances of railroads, 

 are remnants of some of the ancient na- 

 tive tribes or races, adhering to customs, 

 methods, and speech of their ancestors. 



Thus in Oaxaca are the Zapotecas and 

 Mixtecas, the estimate for the two races 

 being a half million, and a government 

 publication mentions a dozen other fami- 

 lies in the same State. 



In Hidalgo and adjacent States, the 

 Otomis ; in Puebla and Oaxaca, the 

 Mexicanos ; the predominating Mayas in 

 Yucatan ; in Michoacan and Jalisco, the 

 Tarascans, and the Tlaxcalans, in their 

 native State, and other groups elsewhere, 

 still maintain the tribal individualities. 



Although Spanish is the language of 

 the country, and much English is spoken 

 in the regions most visited, a large num- 

 ber of the natives use only the vernacular. 



Prescott refers to the Aztecs, Tlaxca- 

 lans, and others as producers of delicate 

 fabrics, colored by vegetable dyes ; intri- 

 cate designs in the precious metals, and 

 beautiful decorations made of feathers; 

 numerous ruins also indicate marvelous 

 skill of ancient peoples in stone-work, 

 especially as the tools used were obsidian 

 or copper. 



Evidences that this deftness in handi- 

 work has been retained appears in the 

 feather-work, wood-carving, stone-cut- 

 ting, etc., of the present day. The 

 beautiful pottery and unique weaves of 

 serapes, made with the crudest appli- 

 ances, and excellent fabrications in cast 

 or wrought iron, filagree silver, etc., also 

 bear testimony to the skill of the Mexi- 

 can Indian.* 



*In the National Geographic Magazine for 

 March, illustrations of some miniature dolls 

 exhibit this deftness; and to these may be 

 added the toy baskets and pottery, microscopic 

 reproductions of the larger but excellent pro- 

 ductions of the natives. 



