Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-04-27
Mexico and tae New Railways.

the railroad system of the United
States by line running north to
El Paso. Then again the Atchison
and Topeka Company are said to
Intend making Guaymas one of
their Pacific Coast termini. We
are not In the secrets of the gentle
men who have the management of
the interests Of these companies,
but we doubt not that they have
studied well the resources of the
countries which their roads are to
traverse and can foresee immense
volumes of business. the freights
on which will pay high rates of in
tsrest on the cost of construction.
But in limited way we have had
some opportunity of becoming ac-
quainted with tho resources OF
Mexico and we have arrived at the
conclusion that the parties who
will be benefited by the construc-
tion Of the proposed routes will not
be the stockholders, bat the con.
tractors engaged in the work and
the States through which they will
run; and that too, even though
their charters impose no limits as to
freights and fares. One reason for
this belief is found in the fact that
the Mexican people as whole are
as abstemious as any on the globe.
This remark applies equally to
those who occupy the low, hot and
unhealthy country bordering the
Pacific ocean and the Gulf of Mex.
leo and to those who live on the
table lands at en- elevation of 5000
f,et above tide water. The wants
OF the common people are few rs
compared with those OF the inhabi-
tants Of the United States. Nor
have the products of the field or of
the mines within the last century
justified employers in paying high
prices for labor. The rates which
rule In Arizona and Nevada would
close every mine In Mexico. OF
course times change and men
change with them, and it may be
that higher rates rule in Mexico
than was the case when last we
were there, but we rememb Der max
log a visit to the mines of Real del
Monte in 1868, which were then
under the superintendency of Mr..
Aud, an English gentleman, and
we then learned that the miners
were paid at the rate of IS cents
per day, and did satisfactory work.
There were then $4,000 people de-.
pendent upon that mine. We be-
lieve they are still operated. Again
the highlands os Mexico, which
are the only parts thereof inhabita-
BILE by Europeans and people of
northern climates, have been culti-
waited for centuries prior to the
conquest by Cortez and since. A.
. result they are not 10 be COM
pared in fertility with lands north
Of the Missouri and Ohio rivers,
MT to mention the bluegrass region
OF Kentucky. Furthermore, the
people of Mexico are well up in the
art of making for themselves
such articles as they need and are
accustomed to use. There are, be-
sides, q number of factories scatter.
ed throughout the country, which
manufacture goods enough for the
poor at low rates. All these things
have combined to make the Mexi-
can Independent Of foreign pro-
ducts.
To this 1t may be answered that
the railroads will open up the
country to emigration, and that to
this the builders look for their
trade in the near future. Here
again we take issue. The Euro.
psan and his descendants are prone
to keep upon the degree of latitude
upon which they were born and
reared. This is proved by the fill.
Ing up of the large States north of
the Ohio and Missouri rivers, and
by the comparatively insignificant
number OF people who have gone
into the Southern States since the
abolition of slavery.
But whilst we do not believe |
that the road from Ell Paso to Mex.
leo will ever benefit the stockhold-
ers, we are yet glad that there are
to be found Americans sufficiently |
reliant upon their national energy |
to take hold of and to construct it.
The great drawback of Mexico has
always been her distance from
and her want of communi-
cations. When the latter are se-
cured to her, good, stable govern
ment will probably follow, and, as
} result, she will in the course of
lime catch up aud fall into line
With the other nations OF the
world.
1t can hardly be possible that
my political ideas are entertained
q connection with Mexican rail. {
way building, for those moving in
he matter must we'll know that
he thought Of adding on to our +
ovsrnment such an appendage as 8
1exico is repug nant to most of the
sading minds of the United States,