The revolution in Jalisco
On 22 June 1915, in reply to an enquiry of 13 April. J. O. González, the interim Sub-Secretary, in Guadalajara, wrote to Tequila that the notes of forced circulation were those of Obregón in Guadalajara and Diéguez, Carvajal bonds, Gobierno Provisional from México and Veracruz, and Ejército Constitucionalista, but not those of Riveros or of the Estado de Durango (though the latter with Jefatura de Hacienda resellos would be exchanged in time)AHTeq, Sección Presidencia, Serié Correspondencia, Año 1915, caja 1, exp. 2. When José Manuel Medina handed over the municipal funds to Rogelio Palomera Meza on 31 July, there was $35 in Obregón. $11 in Riveros, $4 in Estado de Durango and only $2.09 in note of forced circulationAHTeq, Sección Presidencia, Serié Correspondencia, Año 1915, caja 1, exp. 4.
By 23 July 1915 the Carrancistas were in charge of Lagos de Moreno and its Presidente Municipal, Genaro E. Kimball, published Carranza’s decree on the planned withdrawal of various issuesAHLagos, Presidencia Municipal, COR, 1916, caja 150, exp. 4430.
On 6 August the Presidente Municipal of Unión de San Antonio wrote that the people who sold corn were only accepting Constitutionalist and Gobierno Provisional de México notes, though only very small numbers circulated, and, for the benefit of the poor, low-value (25c to $1) sábanas, which is all they possessed, were used. In reply, on 9 August Lagos de Moreno told them that only Constitutionalist, Gobierno Provisional de México, Obregón and Dieguez were of compulsory circulation and, in addition, from the next week they would have local 5, 10 and 20 centavos notesThese were probably Gobierno Provisional de México cartones, though why should they be called local? On 19 October 1915 the Dirección General de Rentas sent Lagos de Moreno $5,000 in fractional currency to facilitate change (AHLagos, Presidencia Municipal, Secretaria General del Gobierno, exp. 187)., thus solving the problemAHLagos, Presidencia Municipal, Secretaria General del Gobierno, exp. 184. Agosto 1915. However, on 29 September the Receptoría de Rentas in Unión de San Antonio was refusing Constitutionalist notes and the Presidente Municipal of San Diego de Alejandria asked if they were still of forced circulation. In response the Presidente Municipal of Lagos de Moreno sent a copy of his latest announcementAHLagos, Presidencia Municipal, Secretaria General del Gobierno, exp. 187.
On 28 September 1915 Gabriel Vargas, the Jefe de Hacienda, informed the public that low number Gobierno Provisional de México notes that had not yet been exchanged should be deposited in his officesBoletín Militar, Tomo III, Núm. 279, 29 September 1915. On 12 November Vargas’ offices received the instructions from the Tesorería General de la Nación to pay out on the deposited notes. Since many of the holders of receipts were from the poor, Vargas arranged that receipts from one to five hundred pesos would be dealt with on Mondays and Tuesday, from $501 to $5,000 on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and from $5,000 upwards on Fridays and Saturdays.El Demócrata, Guadalajara, Tomo I, Núm, 13, 13 November 1915.
On 15 December Vargas, following a multitude of complaints that people were refusing to accept the Ejército Constitucionalista if they were not restamped, reminded the public that circular núm. 48 made them of forced circulation, even if they lacked the requisite reselloEl Demócrata, Guadalajara, Tomo I, Núm. 46, 16 December 1915: Boletin Militar, 17 December 1915. The next week, following disquiet about the last circular on Chihuahua notes, he had to repeat the messageBoletin Militar, 31 December 1915. The Jefatura de Hacienda in Guadalajara accepted the Chihuahua notes that Carranza had authorised (los del Estado de Chihuahua de la emisión que autorizó el C. Primer Jefe del Ejército Constitucionalista don Venustiano Carranza) for later reimbursement until 31 December 1915Boletin Militar, 31 December 1915. On 30 December Vargas had to confirm that the Ejército Constitucionalista were valid and of forced circulationEl Demócrata, Guadalajara, Tomo I, Núm. 61, 31 December 1915).
Thus at the end of 1915 Carranza was still in theory acknowledging his government’s obligation on certain Chihuahua notes. Such notes when handed in may have been stamped in acknowledgement and this may explain some ‘Jefatura de Hacienda’ and ‘Administración de Timbre’ resellos.
Carranza later proroged the period for depositing notes and on 16 February 1916 the Jefatura de Hacienda in Guadalajara advised people that the office would stay open until new instructions were receivedBoletin Militar, 16 February 1916.