the peon

“and i have said, and i say it ever,

as the years go on and the world goes over,

’twere better to be content and clever

in tending of cattle and tossing of clover,

in the grazing of cattle and growing of grain,

than a strong man striving for fame or gain;

...

for these have the sun, and moon, and air,

and never a bit of the burthen of care;

and with all our caring what more have we?”

the distinction between the american and mexican indian is not one of colour alone. there is also a difference in nature. the american indian has never been fully subdued, but the aztecs were conquered by one overwhelming blow and their spirit crushed. the conquest wrought vast changes in the lives of these people who once roamed over large estates which they could call their own. the lands then tilled by their slaves, they themselves now cultivate for others. yet they are a satisfied people, and no one ever hears them[184] complain. though poverty is their lot they are content, believing that some people are born rich and others poor, and that this contrast is in the very nature of things.

centuries of neglect have not improved either the moral or physical condition of the peon, but it has not made a misanthrope of him. neither has the fact that he bears no part in the government made him an anarchist or filled his pockets with bombs. so long as a beneficent providence provides present needs he is supremely content. the mania for the almighty dollar has not yet entered into his life so that envy of others does not exist. it is this envy that makes poverty a menace and element of danger in our own land. the peon neither feels shame for his own lowly condition nor desires pity from others in more prosperous circumstances.

a peon and his wife

fully one-third of the population of mexico are full-blooded indians and another one-half are mestizos, those of mixed blood. many of the latter and a number of pure-blooded indians have reached high positions. a number of the presidents also, including guerrero and the noble juarez, were pure indians, and more of them are representatives of the mestizos. this is proof that there is no prejudice against the[185] indians as a race such as the anti-negro sentiment in the southern states. these illustrious examples are, however, the striking exceptions. most of them are in about the same category as the southern negroes,—a race without ambition. content to be the servants of another race they neither court nor welcome change.

these people make up the great peon class of mexico who constitute the bulk of the population. they are the descendants of those who were enslaved by the early conquerors. the aztecs were an industrious people as the great structures erected by them, the irrigating works still in use, and the evidences of judicious and careful cultivation of every foot of tillable soil bear mute witness. poverty was almost unknown among them and rigid laws existed against begging. among some of the early tribes of mexico one-third of the land was divided equally among the able-bodied men in proportion to the families they had to sustain. provision was made by the state for the sick and other classes of unfortunates. no doubt the enslaving of these people had a weakening effect upon their character.

a natural laziness, ignorance and a lack of interest will probably always keep down the[186] peon’s efficiency as a worker. the few and simple wants of his nature and his general contentment eliminate to a great extent the desire to improve his condition and accumulate property. then, too, the evenness of the climate and the fact that at all times some crop is being harvested, thus making it unnecessary to lay up for an unproductive season, has had its influence. the labourer is usually given a certain task for his day’s work. nothing can induce him to do more than that task except the assurance that the excess, or over-time, will be credited to some future day so that he will get a longer holiday. these labourers are cheap and it requires many of them to accomplish much but there are millions to be had. they are happy-go-lucky and are unconcerned for the future. yet the very fact that they do not possess self-control and are always willing to follow a leader who understands how to make an appeal to their prejudices or fanaticism, renders this class a serious obstacle to a progressive government and one that must be intelligently studied.

the little brown man in the tall, broad-brimmed hat which seems to give an unusual height to his sturdy frame is a picturesque figure and the landscape is not complete without[187] him. in the presence of strangers his face is solemn, but among others of his own kind he is gay and light-hearted, his face easily bursting into smiles. he will wrap his tattered shawl about him with as much dignity as the spanish cavalier his richly-embroidered manta. the act of lighting a cigarette is a matter of studied ceremony. he will light a match, and first offer it to a friend with punctilious politeness. the recipient of the favour never fails to return muchas gracias (many thanks), se?or. in fact, this elaborate politeness between these untidy, ill-clad indians becomes a farce-comedy at times. he is polite and never fails to say con permiso (with your permission) if he is obliged to pass by another person, whether that person be in silks or rags. his own inferiority is admitted by calling a white man a gente de razon or “one who reasons,” as distinguished from himself,—a peon.

the peon is indispensable in mexico for he is not only the labourer, but the body servant as well. in the latter capacity, if he becomes attached to his employer, he will not think of his own wants until the master is provided for, and will be faithful unto death, if necessary. his wages are always small, but he is satisfied with the little he gets. gambling is a natural[188] trait and he loses or gains with a stoicism worthy of greater things. his money is likewise spent freely at the pulque shop so that his finances are never embarrassed by a surplus. a little money will make him very full of liquor, and a little liquor will sometimes make him a bad man to handle.

the tenacity with which these people cling to an environment is a most notable trait. the peon is a lover of locality. seldom can these indians be induced to go away from their accustomed habitations. it is this trait that has made peonage an easy system to maintain in mexico. they do not apply much intelligence to their work. scratching the surface of the soil with a crooked stick is the perfection of ploughing in their estimation. the peon does not know and does not care to learn any different way of doing his work than the one taught him by his fathers. the possibility of earning more money by the use of labour-saving devices does not possess the same attraction as for the american labouring man.

peonage, which is a mild form of slavery, is in force in mexico. earning from eighteen to fifty cents (silver) wages per day and improvident by nature, it is only natural for the peon to want at some time a little more money[189] than that earned. an unscrupulous employer can easily involve the poor, ignorant indian in a net of debt. after a while a debt of $50 to $100 has accumulated and the worker is in bondage until this amount is paid. it is an impossible sum for him to save out of his small wages, for live he must and support a family, which is usually large. the price of freedom is the total amount of the debt. until that is paid the law compels him to work for his creditor, but he is free to get some one else to advance this money and change masters. he cannot be separated from his family, nor compelled to leave the plantation on which the debt was incurred without his consent. the owner may, however, sell the plantation and transfer the debt to his successor, and the peon must serve the new master under the same conditions.

on the immense haciendas of the uplands the peons are almost as much of a fixture as the buildings themselves. it is a strange adaptation of the old feudal relation and the idea of changing their abode never occurs to them. they were born in debt, always remain in that condition, and transmit the same burden to their posterity. this condition is usually entered into voluntarily by the indians, so that[190] in the beginning he has only himself to blame. an indian who desires work will apply to the manager of a plantation or ranch for a retainer which seldom exceeds thirty dollars. he then signs a contract which binds himself, his family and his posterity to work until this advance is liquidated. only a small part of the weekly wages may be applied on the debt, and it is tacitly understood that the debt may be increased after a time. the employer is obliged to furnish medical assistance free in case of sickness, and to advance the necessary fees for marriage, baptisms, confirmations and burials. furthermore, whenever overtaken by old age and no longer able to work, the peon must be taken care of and furnished the necessities of life.

holidays, feast-days and saint-days are many, and the peon insists on celebrating them all. whether he understands much of the ritual and doctrines of the catholic church or not, he understands full well the meaning of a feast-day or “fiesta” for on that day he rests from his labours. it would not be patriotic to work on a national holiday (and they are numerous) so he abstains from labour on these occasions. sundays are rest days and it generally requires monday to recuperate from the[191] effects of the pulque or tequila imbibed on that day. then as each person has a patron saint, he insists on celebrating the saint-days of the master, mistress and each one of their family, of his own family, his father, mother, his wife’s father and mother, and, last, but not least, his own saint-day. then each marriage, birth or death in the family gives occasion for another off-day. after this list is gone through with there remains only about two hundred working days for the average labourer. the peon is a philosopher. knowing that it was a curse that man should earn his bread by the sweat of his brow, he tries to avoid as much of the curse as possible.

the system of peonage or contract labour in the tropics is revolting and often inhuman. the peon of the hot country is more independent, is fond of social life and is not so industrious as his brother in the uplands. hence it becomes necessary to transport hundreds of labourers for work on tropical plantations. these are secured through contract agents who make this work a business. these agents pick them up over the country and deliver them in hundred lots to the plantation managers. the contractor advances from thirty to fifty dollars in silver to each labourer,[192] and this amount together with his own fee, is then charged up against the peon who has contracted to work six months at perhaps fifty cents per day in the same white metal. the plantation manager binds himself to furnish rations, which usually consist of little more than tortillas (unleavened corn cakes), beans and rice and a little meat for sunday, and a big palm hut will furnish accommodation for fifty or more men. but little space is allowed each worker, and here he spends all his time when not at work, for these contract men are, on many plantations, kept under guard night and day by armed overseers. many of these poor fellows come from cities on the plateaus and soon fall a victim to tropical fevers. many are men who have been convicted of petty offences and sign a labour contract in return for the payment of their fines by the contractor’s agent and consequent release from confinement. all, however, are treated alike on the plantations and are worked under the lash if necessary. at the end of the six months, there are not many dollars due the poor peon after deducting the price of the drinks and cigarettes which he has purchased at the company’s store. after drawing his money he is likely to make for the first town and drink or gamble[193] it away. then, not having funds enough to get home, he is again at the mercy of the contract agent or plantation owner.

the little brown man with back bent under a load has a countenance which is as full of rest and patient philosophy as a modern financier’s face is of care and wrinkles of anxiety. it is almost unfair to the simple-minded, patient and docile peon of mexico to speak of him as an indian for he is at once confused with the bloodthirsty redskin of the north. he is a peaceful, if improvident, character, and is a child in nature. he represents cheap labour and is one of the great attractions that brings wealth to mexico. after a day’s work he is content to share his little adobe hut with the pigs and chickens, and can even find room for the chance wayfarer. a family of three or four generations, and numbering twenty people, will live in a hut that would not be considered a fit habitation for a donkey in the north. one american writer who was obliged to seek shelter in one of these huts gives an amusing account of his experience which shows the harmony and good-fellowship that exists in these households between the human and brute members. “i took an account of the stock before i turned in, and found there were three[194] dogs, eleven cats, seven children, five men (not including five of us), three women and a dozen chickens, all sleeping, or trying to sleep, in the same room, under the one roof. and when i gave up sleeping, or trying to sleep, and wandered out into the night, i stepped on the pigs and startled three or four calves that had been sleeping under the porch.” so it is not surprising that a village of fifty huts may contain a thousand souls.

a cigarette given in proper spirit every day will more effectually keep his friendship than a present of a new suit of clothes. the latter will not be remembered long while the former keeps the memory ever fresh. they have been called the best and the poorest servants in the world. a trusted servant is, however, usually an honest one. these wholly satisfied people with whom our essentials are non-essentials rather disprove the theory that modern civilization is necessary to true happiness. will the peon in the future wearing shoes, eating prepared breakfast foods and sleeping in a bed, be any happier than he is now barefooted and sleeping on a rush mat spread on an earthen floor?

a constantly increasing number of the peon class are moving to the industrial centres.[195] slowly but surely the leaven is working, and the opportunity for better wages is withdrawing the labourers from the plantations. the railroads, the mines and the factories are paying much higher wages than formerly prevailed, and find it difficult to secure sufficient labourers. only the selected men can fill these positions for the average peon has not sufficient intelligence. he has a great imitative faculty and can learn a task, but is not a success in an employment that needs the exercise of reason and judgment. in many lines of work more is accomplished at less expense by peons with the rudest methods than by the use of the latest labour-saving machinery operated by peon labourers. education will no doubt work great changes in the lives and habits of these people, but this will be a slow process in this land of “to-morrow.” the present conditions are interesting to one who desires to see how the rest of the world lives, and it will be a long time before the peon class will change very materially.

there is one class of the indian worker that deserves more extended mention. this is that time-honoured institution called the cargador. as you meet him at every place throughout spanish north america it may be interesting[196] to the reader to learn something of his history and his accomplishments. it is not necessary to institute a search for the cargador. at the station you will be besieged by a small army of them and the hotel entrance may be blocked by them. when travelling across the country there is a never-ending succession of these picturesque characters singly and in groups. sometimes the entire family is along. in such cases the boys, even down to little tots, carry a small package on their backs and the wife and girls balance a basket on their heads. perhaps all their earthly belongings are contained in these various bundles.

the cargador of mexico and central america claims an ancient and honourable lineage. his occupation may be a humble one, but he can trace his ancestry back to the followers of that haughty aztec emperor, montezuma, or even to the still older race of the toltecs. not many years ago almost everything in these countries was carried on the backs of cargadors. even now in the city of mexico the cargador is an indispensable factor in the carrying trade, though there are many express and transfer companies engaged in that business. in the smaller places of mexico, in the mountain districts, and in central america he holds[197] his old-time prestige and, with the cargo mule, monopolizes the carrying business.

the strength of these little, brown-skinned cargadors is wonderful. short in stature and with thin legs and arms they look very insignificant. they cannot lift a very heavy weight, but they can make their fairer-skinned brother cry out in astonishment at the load they will carry when it is once adjusted on their back. the average load for a cargo mule is one hundred and fifty pounds. a cargador will start on a journey of two hundred or more miles with such a load and will cover more miles in a day over a rough mountain trail than a mule. at the station you will see the little cargador pick up a heavy trunk that you can scarcely move and start off with it at a faster pace than you care to walk. they always move in a peculiar jog-trot, and can usually keep it up for a long time. up and down hill they go at an even pace, and will average about six miles per hour. for short distances some cargadors will carry as great a load as five hundred pounds, a seemingly impossible burden for so slender a body.

the strength in the back is a matter of training extending over many centuries. the aztecs had no beasts of burden and the baggage[198] of their armies was always carried by cargadors. the spanish conquerors were obliged to adopt the same methods. now, although there are mules and burros in great numbers, the cargador is still the great burden bearer and takes the place of the fast freight in the commerce of those sections away from the railway lines. a traveller can take his mule and send his baggage by a cargador, and the latter will reach the same stopping place each night and sometimes ahead of the man on the mule. many cargadors carry their loads in a frame, supported by a broad leather band across the forehead. when thus loaded they cannot turn their heads and they do not seem to hear well, so that i have feared many times they would be run over by the careless drivers. if there are several together they trot along in the middle of the road in indian file. if going on a long journey they carry along enough tortillas for the entire trip, and must always be given enough time to make these preparations. several times a day they will stop and make a fire, prepare their coffee, and eat their tortillas and fruit if it can be obtained. at night they will sleep out in the open air under a porch, if possible; if this shelter cannot be had, then they[199] will lay themselves down to rest under the brilliant starlit canopy of this tropical clime.

a cargador

many of the indians are very swift runners. an instance is told in guatemala of a runner who carried a dispatch one hundred and five miles into the interior and returned with an answer in thirty-six hours, making the trip over mountains and a rough trail at an average speed of six miles an hour, including stops and delays. it is said that fish caught at vera cruz in the evening were served at the dinner table of montezuma the following day at his capital near the site of the present city of mexico, a distance of nearly three hundred miles by road. this was done by a system of relay runners stationed about a mile apart, and they made almost as fast time as the railway train to-day. whether this is true or not it is well known that the aztecs had a wonderful system of communication. the spaniards were frequently astonished at the rapidity with which the news of their movements was spread. these runners were trained to great speed and endurance from their youth. hundreds of them were in constant use, and the aztec emperors were kept in communication with all parts of their empire. the aztecs also used these runners as spies and they thus took the[200] place of scouting parties in present-day campaigns.

so it is that these cargadors come and go. each generation is like the last. they are happy in that they want but little and that little is easily supplied. they are contented because they live for to-day and worry not for the morrow. they are satisfied to go through life as the bearers of other people’s burdens.