on the 31st of August, Lerdo, with the undoubted design of forcing his reëlection through congress, changed his cabinet. Manuel Romero Rubio was appointed minister of relations; General Escobedo took the place of Mejía as minister of war; Juan José Baz became minister of government; the portfolio of the fomento department was given to Antonino Tagle; that of the treasury to Francisco Mejía; and that of justice to José Diaz Covarrubias. This change had the desired result. An electoral commission was appointed, composed of a majority in Lerdo's favor; and on the 26th of October congress, by virtue of a dictámen, pronounced him reëlected.[1]
Meantime, Inglesias, in anticipation of the fraudulent elections being maintained, had secretly left the capital and entered into communications with various prominent men, advancing the view that at the termination of Lerdo's term, November 30th, he was the legitimate provisional executive pending the holding of legal elections. Proceeding to Salamanca in Guanajuato, he found the governor, Antillon, and the legislature of that state, ready to support him. Generals Rocha and Berriozábal also declared themselves in favor of his design to assume the presidency. When Lerdo's reëlection was published, Iglesias proceeded to act. He immediately addressed from Salamanca a manifesto to the nation, formally protesting against the illegality of the reëlection, declaring it his intention to oppose it, and calling upon the nation to support him.[2] This step precipitated matters. It was in fact a new
- ↑ Consult Iglesias, Recuerdos Polít., MS., 3-23; Diario Debates, 8 Constit. Legis., ii. 234, iii. 315-331, 433; Diario Ofic., Sept. 15, 1876. Extraordinary powers were also again granted the president Oct. 14th. Id., Oct. 15, 1876; Diario Debates, 8 Constit. Legis., iii. 91-3, 140-55, 170-337, 280.
- ↑ Full copy of the protest is found in Diario Ofic., Oct. 31, 1876.
quently, the total number of votes required by the law for the election of the president was half the above number; and one more for each district, that is, 9,205. In the ensuing elections, only 7,899 electors voted; and it was consequently claimed that no legal election had been held. In the states of Coahuila, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Morelos, Oajaca, Tabasco, and Zacatecas no elections were held on this occasion, and in certain districts of many other states there were no quorums. Gallardo, Cuad. Estuil., 1876; Id., 1877, p. 3.
