Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1894-12-09

 ican Monte Carlo and came away broke.
 It is perfectly clear that the masses of Mexico-the laboring people-suf- fer most from their depreciated cur rency. They are never paid off in anything else They never buy fith | anything else They pay premiums. They never get them. The exporters of Mexico who send abroad coffee, tea, hemp. hides, heneqnin and tobacco, get paid in foreign money, and make profits accordingly. The laborers who cultivate these products are paid in Mexican silver. And these laborers get miserable pittanee by comparison with the wages paid thelaborers of the United States. The question of wages in Mexico was very ably discussed by Mr. Matias Romeo, MeXicos eXcel- lent Minister to the United States, ill the North American Review of Janu- ary, 1892. According to Mir. Romeo the minimum wages per day pai1 to laborers in the state of Hidalgo was twelve and a half cents; the maxi mum, thirty-seyen and Il half cents; tie average, twenty-five cents. The state of Mexico, which adioins the district in which the City of Mexico is located, duplicated the wages of Hidalgo. The minimum for the state of San Luis Potosi, one of the best known in the republic, was eighteen and three-fourths cents; the maximum 9 cents; the average 22A cents. The state of Sonora, where wages are considerably higher than in any other, paid q minimum of 30 day; an average of 6 cents. The general average of the States, accord ing to Mir. Romeo's table, shows a minimum of 23b cents; a maximum of 90 cents; an average of 36 cents. These wages, remember, are paid in Mexican money, which is worth only half as much as United States money.
 
 This condition does not suggest any reason why the laboring people should demand free coinage of silver
 All friends of silver regret it's de preciation in value. But in consider ing the policy which the United States should pursue in regard to if we must face "a condition and not q l theory" The leading countries of the world have quit coining silver. We cannot undertake to coin their , silver for them.
 , The greatest reason for the redue- s tion in the price of the metal is the a increase in it's production. Tn 1873 < the world production of silver was ! estimated at $Sl 5000 In 1892 it
 was estimated at $l96,605 ,000. This lshows an increase in annual supply in twenty years of over 40 per cent. An increase in production of 140 per cent. is a very fair reason for il de- : crease in market value of 100 per cent The growth in population, to be sure, has tended to increase the demand for silver, but this has been offset by , modern facilities for doing business by means of checks, railroads and
 telegraph wires.
 All earnest bimetallists are anxious for the day when silver can be rircu- lated around the world, at reason : able ratio, on a parity with gold,
 | is fortunate that the United States
 now recognizes bimetallism by circu- lating over $500, ,000 GOO in silver and : notes representing 1t. Not dollar
 of this $600 ,000,0 is demonetized. Every dollar of it, by the friendliness : of the Government, circulates at par
 just as well as if it contained dol. :, lars worth of silver instead of fifty : cents worth. But the United States cannot carry this kind of dollar ir
 u'@~lited number.
 - - hen the balance of the world will = joln with Us in recognizing silver cur. , rency ,,s equal to gold, when Il ratio : can be so adjusted that we can keeu :, silver in unlimited quantity on a 7, parity. or when any safeguards oi . legislation shall insure this parity :. that moment our hints should be :, opened to the free and unlimited
 coinage of silver. It now appears
 that the shortest road to this much : desired consumnation is by the co- : operation of the leading nations oi .. tie world-a cooperation that will 2 result from reduced restrictions upon = trade and consequent increase of In- :. ternational commerce. The longest
 and most difficult road would be bv : following the plan of Hon. Thomas E. Reed in seeking to couple the evil of free coinage under the present con- ! ditions with the greater evil of pro- lection. CLAUDE N. BENNETT. l Special Assessment.
 The tax book for the collection of rthe special assessment upon tie real property in District No for the pnr-