ELECTIONEERING IN MEXICO.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14161, 29 September 1911, Page 3

ELECTIONEERING IN MEXICO.

RIOTS AND BLOODSHED. GENERAL REYES STONED(rnoii our owx coRKESFo;n> EST *) SAN FRANCISCO, September 6. Tho Presidential election in Mexico, cow just getting fairly started, seems likely to dovelon into civil "R-ar. The opening of the campaign of ons> of the candidates, General Bernardo Jteyes, the most formidable .adversary of Francisco Mndero, leader of tho revolution, Avas marked by- serious rioting and bloodshed in- the streets of Mexico City during which five men were killed and many huit. General Heyes is a greyliairod veteran of the wars. He was an idol of thu crowd prior to tho revo.ution. and was feaitd by Diaz as a rival. Tlie fickle Mexicans have turned against thair old favourite, ana the election of Madoro seems assured. It was iiadero's announcement that honest opposition vould bo welcomed and that equal protection would be.afforded all parties in tbo campaign, that led Geneial Revcs to attempt to deliver a speoHi in the capital, in front of tho £:;,(X)O,OQO National .heatro in, cotsrse of construction. Larly in tho raoniir.g partisans of Madero congrefiated at tho site, and there were many encounters the Hcyes supporter*, who also jyithered in force. \Vhon (ieneral Reyes appeared in his automobil". accompanitxl by his son he was je'.red and stoned. Stepping from his motor he rebuked the mob, but -his words provoked louder jeers and a rain stones, some of which struck the aged soldier. He walked several blocks to a buiklim; facing the thentre, from the second storey of which ho attempted to deliver his address. For twenty minutes ho stood there, dodging stones and nieces of marble, which wrecked the windows and disfigured the front of the building. Mounted police charged the mob with drawn sabres, and a troop of cavalrymen was called out. The political antaponists, however, continued fighting amongst themselves, and it was moro than an hour beforo a semblance of order was restored. In making their escape Reyes was robbed of £300 and his son of a £old watch. While Madero deplores the outbreak of violence, he probably is secretly i pleased with the indication of the unpopularity of his only serious rival. Madero was nominated by tho Convention of the Progressive Party, consisting of 1500 delegates from all parts or Mexico, on August 30th. There was not a dissenting voice in the Convention, and his was the only nanus i '- seated for noaiinaiiun. The revoh:tionnry leader believes he will receive 75 per cent, more votes than Reyes. His real strength, he says, lies in the country districts. In many of tht? smaller towns the peoplo scarcely know tho names of the other candidates. His main policy ia the breaking up of tha immense Inndcd estates by means of a land tax, thus forcing the owners to develop thoir holdings, sustain tho burden of" taxation without return, or di»post? of their property. At the samo time, he disclaims any intention of taking radical or hasty stops. The policy of breaking up the estates Iβ immensely popular throughout the Republic, and there can be no question as to tho wisdom and necessity of such a policy. The latest statistics with reference to Mexico show that there are oo proprietors who own moro than 50,000 acres each, and who total anions them 9,459,757 acres. This is much the larger part of the area held in private ownershipy within tho Republic. Seven of theso" holdings have an extent of over 250,000 acres, and one of thorn covers more than 1.000,000 acres. Some of tho farms are so largo that onHi has n, little city of its own,, inhabited by from 500 t0'2500 persons. The relationship of theso persons to tho landowners is in some rises practically that ot" slavery. Madero is also pledged to a plank providing thab no monopoho3 or special privileges shall be granted; but he explains thnt tins should not bd taken to mean that his administration will be an enemy to foreign capital. The money of the foreigner will bo treated as that of tho Mexican, and all foreign capital will be given aiaplo protection, he told tli" nominating Convention. Six political parties have sprung up in Mexico since Diaz wae deposed. It seems certain, however, that but tliree will have a Presidential candidate in the race. Besides Madero and Reyes, the most prominent candidates, Emiliano Yasquez Gomez is a contender for the honour. If the reigning administration, of which Madero is the head and front, keeps its promises, tho voters will b© untrammelled in easting thnir ballots. Under the Diaz regime the booths were manned by armod soldiers, and it was a dangerous thing to vote against the dictator. Tho consequence was that Diaz, despite his meat unpopularity, polled more than 90 ver cent, of the votes cast in tho election less than a year before ho was drivon from the country.