The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-06-01
FREE sILvEis ~ MEXICO.

Guy Of MtzicO Correspondence N ChtcdgO Ttmti.
Herald
From tho moment the American
travelling into Mexico gets in exchange
for one American dollar two Mexican
dollars until, when on returning, he
gives Mexican dollars to got ono Amor
lean dollar back. his lilo is full OF sur.
priscs. Tho order OF horso racing hero
is fair sample OF how entirely aud
completely tho civilization OF tho United
States is reversed in Mexico. There arc
no better races than those given by tho
great jockey club hero, yot it is hard to
cot accustomed to seeing thoroughbreds
race from loft to right instead Of from
right to left.
Mexico Ia absolutel Y upon the basis OF
tho free and unlimited coinage OF silver.
came from the United States 20 Mexico
believing largely in many OF the fallacles
oil the free silver men. II was not nn
out and out FREQ coinage advocate was.
to put 1t mildly, OF the McCreary school
OF bimetaIIism. My stay and study hero
have convinced mo OF one thing only;
that whenever the United States goes
upon Il silver basis its laborinr element
will be the one to suffer. and more than
any class or set will have the "hot end
OF the stick to hold"
The rabid gold monometallist would.
without special study. attribute tho
condition of tho lnbOrer hero to the
financial system Of the country, and,
while no would be partly right. yet the
earlier condition and laws OF this people
arc propOrtionateIy responsible for it.
There was time when the peon, or
laborlng class. was in practical slavery I;
when il was the law that as lon. as a
peon was in debt to his employer the
laborer could not leave his service until
the debt had been wiped ont. This in
most cases meant lifetime bondage,
and the peon must necessarily submit
to any hardship and accept any savory
which might be allowed. The same law
is practically IN force now up to SO OF
Indebtedness. As long as n pcon or
peasant owes his employer SO he can
be forced 10 work Il certain portion OF it
out every week. When tho amount is
over that sum the only resort the cred
i,or has Is through the civil courts, tho
system being similar to that in the
United States.
Therefore the han! conditions Of the
poor until practically 4 late date in the
history Of this country was largely at
trihutablo 10 the laws under which they
lived. But those conditions no longer
exist. and the Law for the laborcr here
ls as advanced ami progressive as in any
country IN the world. Yet, while the
Odious peon laws have been abolished
years ago. the condition OF the peon aud
tho peasant. the artisan and the clerk,
have practically remained tho sama.
The fact OF the matter is begging pays
here. 1t pays because OF wages. Il is
pretty Door be:gar who can't earn in
his profession rs much NJ the average
laborcr gets for mis- work. Seeing 50
much pennry. ne well as 80 much pros.
pcrity, naturally forces one to turn to
the financial status OF the country, and
to discover, ii possible, the causes
which have led 10 the great develop.
men. OF the natural resources OF the
country, yct from which the laborcr
seems TO rot no profit nor 10 increase
his creature comforts in the same nrn.
portion as the hills give W their ores
and the earth yields lis products.
ARE wArCuIXG UNCLE SANS STRUGGLE
The fight on the financial question
now on IN the United States is being
watched with the same cagerness anl
interest bv mine owners here as Charac.
tcrizc4 the vigilance OF Senators Stow
art, IIcIlsr and DUBOIS. aud other west
ern silver men. Whenever the United
States throws open her mlnts to the
free and Unlimited coinage OF silver tho
mining property OF Mexico will be eli.
HANGED in value in proportion as that
in Colorado. While the value OF prop
crty will be enhanced. experience has
shown chat the salary Of the laborer
will be the same, Il, lens; "a far MS Next
co is concerned. The dividend OF the
stakeholder will alone DO increased.
THE average wages in Mexico range
from - cents to % conts day in tho
cities and haciondas or plantations, aud
in tho remote mining districts there is
slight increase. All laborers have To
feed or find themselves in Mexico.
On all plantations there arc storcI
owned by the landlord. What il usu.
ally earned by labor IN land is always
spent with the owner Of it.
On all sides one hears the answer
that the silver baSia in Mexico il not
responsible for the low wages paid
there. Acknowledge so much, though
it mot entirely true, still wages have
not incrcagGi or made anv advance
under tho irrc coinage OF silver. rhis
seems to DO the chioi argument OF the
silver mon in the s,ntes-thnt wngol
will advance and that tho volume Of
currency will DO largely Inflated. This
iina has been so full y absorbed that ia
Kentucky n few dayI ago the silver
rnun in ono Oi tho cnuntie, me: uud de-.
cidGd that when tho government shoull
adopt free coinage laws Row. Mr.. So aud
So, bOing the most honest man in that
district, should no delegated 10 dis.
tribute tho silver in that district.
FREE SILVER PROMISES Sor FULFILLED.
Nothing which haI been promised By
the silver mon hns come TO pass hero.
Wages arc lover and IvJn. higher.
SinCn silver has dccroa4oh in value to
about onc.hali everything produced in
,his country which cumprIca with tho
markets OF tho world hat increased pro.
portlonatcly. Tho only products WATCH
hNvN remained Mt uomlnnllv tho aid
figure arc those which AFRO not grown
iur export aud which do not come in
contact with similar products grown in
conn,rics which have sound currency.
Even coffee. which il ono Of the staple
prndnCrs. has rlsnn to HIch poIn, IA t.
nrnr,irulLv Ln htvnnl Ihn rnurh nj Nh q,