Ostensibly exploring the practice of law before the internet. Heck, before good highways for that matter.
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Thursday, May 21, 2020
The Mexican Revolution. . . where we're at in terms of century delayed time.
Lex Anteinternet: Venustiano Carranza assassinated . . .: .
Venustiano Carranza assassinated . . .
And it goes on from there.
So, where are we at on this story that we've been following for years and for which there are now 306 entries on this blog.
The story starts with the revolution against Porifirio Diaz in 1911
Well, not really. Diaz, who had been a lieutenant of Mexican revolutionary and then president Benito Juarez, served as President of Mexico three times with his last period of dictatorial service running form 1884 until May 21, 1911. An odd statement to an American reporter about being willing to hold elections in 1908 lead to one and ultimately he proved unwilling not to run, as he'd promised, with his running meaning an assured reelection.. That lead to the rebellion in 1910 we now call The Mexican Revolution, lead at first by the improbable Francisco Modero.
On this date in 1920, Diaz had been dead five years. He'd died of natural causes at age 85 in France.
In 1911 he took to his exile and was succeeded by Francisco León de la Barra y Quijano, whom Mexican conservatives called the "white president" due to his purity. He only served until November.
So, so far we've seen the assassination of two of the real revolutionary presidents of Mexico, the odd but admirable Modero and the determined and not so admirable Carranza. And we've seen the exile of three of the right wing pretenders, two of whom had died by natural causes.
Not dying by natural causes up to this point were thousands of Mexican soldiers who had fought on both sides of the Mexican Revolution, and in some cases literally on both sides. Included in that number was Emiliano Zapata, the greatest of the Mexican revolutionaries, who was its best post Modero hope.
And the revolution was getting increasingly extreme. Having gone from a hope for democracy with Modero it was coming to increasingly reflect the extreme left wing politics of revolutions of its age, something that would have ill consequences for Mexico in coming years.
Indeed, a real oddity of Mexico's post Maximillian politics in general, up to this point, is how radical it was even when seemingly combined with conservative elements. If Diaz sometimes dressed like Napoleon, his politics, he in some ways was like him. He was a political liberal but one who did not trust the democratic process. Ultimately he governed as a moderate liberal with a focus on stability. Even today he is credited with having laid the foundations for modern Mexico. His real fault was in not trusting democracy and running for reelection in 1910, when he promised not to.
Had Diaz held to his initial promise, Modero would have been elected in 1910. Whether Diaz stepping away from politics voluntarily would have necessarily resulted in a Mexican army that would have accepted the election is another question, and one we will never know the answer to. Had that occured, Mexico would have stepped into being a true democracy in 1910, something that would take another century to occur. Diaz's failure to trust his own people lead to a revolution in which propelled radicals to the top. One of those radicals was Carranza, who ended up sharing that lack of trust with Diaz. He sought to dictate the results of the upcoming 1920 Mexican election, which in turn lead to his bloody end in May, 1920. That put Obregon in the position of being the assured ultimate next president of the country, with extreme radicals rising up right behind him.
Sunday, February 16, 2020
Churches of the West: Changes in Downtown Casper. First Presbyterian becomes City Park Church, the former First Baptist Church
Changes in Downtown Casper. First Presbyterian becomes City Park Church, the former First Baptist Church.
First Presbyterian Church, Casper Wyoming
The corner stone of the church gives the dates 1913 1926. I'm not sure why there are two dates, but the church must have been completed in 1926.
Grace Reformed at City Park, formerly First Presbyterian Church, Casper Wyoming
Churches of the West: First Presbyterian Church, Casper Wyoming: This Presbyterian Church is located one block away from St. Mark's Episcopal Church and St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, all of whi...
Friday, May 31, 2019
1959 El Camino
Today's installment on recently viewed cars of the past features a 1959 Chevrolet El Camino.
Saturday, January 12, 2019
Monday, August 14, 2017
Sharp Headgear and the Unversity Student.
Thursday, May 11, 2017
The British Pattern 13 Enfield
The British Patter 13 Enfield.
It never served, but it darned near did.
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Sunday Morning Scene: Churches of the West: St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Sidney Nebraska
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Monday, March 15, 1909. Walking.
Edward Payson Weston, age 71, let the New York Post Office bound for San Francisco on foot, seeking to become the first person to do so.
He would in fact succeed, taking 105 days to accomplish the task.
Weston was a major figure in the rise of pedestrianism, something that was very much in vogue at the time. After his last major walk in 1913, he warned that automobiles were making people lazy and sedentary, something he was really correct about. He urged people to talk up waking for exercise and competition.
Not without some irony, he was rendered unable to walk after being hit by a car in 1927, and he passed away in 1929 at age 90.
Congress was called into a special session to consider the Payne Tariff act.
Last prior:
Saturday, March 13, 1909. Sulphur Springs Florida and Augusta Georgia.
Related threads: