Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1895-06-13
The average wages for laboring men

1VOA NOAA0SO A00 A0NuNOOS Va bV 1O00V
kept the laboring classes of Mexico.
At the same TINA Ii costs more to live
in Mexico than .tO live, in the United
States. That is precisely what free
silver would do for the laboring classes
of the United States-reduce their
wages and increase the cost of living
Cavalier Co. Republican.
In contradistinction with the views
of the Republicans editor, we have the
statement of Senator Henry M. !. Teller,
Of Colorado, a; republican of high stand
ing, a close student Of all economic
questions, and acknowledged as an au-
thority on monetary; science, both at
home and abroad. Senator Teller has
spent several months in Mexico inves-
tigating the monetary system Of that
country and gave espeeia alsattention to
the relative value of silver to labor,
and his statement of the true condition
of affairs entirely ;refutes the state
ment made by the Republican. Sena-
tor Teller says:
"Nlexico has been torn up by in
ternal dissensions and political fac
tons from 1920 to within the last
twenty years. This has kept the
country poor and has retarded that
progress that the natural wealth Of
the country would justify one in
expecting.
"Now we must consider what
Mexico was, and what it is, and
what it promises to be under the pre-
sent financial system of that country
before we make comparisons of that
country with ours. Mexico is on a
silver basis. The country has never
had sufliciency of money to develop
its natural resources, but has great
er amount now than ever before.
While the mint reports show a large
mintage each year, the greater part
of the dollars so minted are export
ed to Asia, and there is not sufi-
cheney of silver now, and the de-
mand for money is met by the issue
of bank notes.
The best money is that money
that neither appreciates or depre-
| ciates, and that because it neither
appreciates nor depreciates facilita-
tes the exchange of commodities at
practically staple prices; that does
not by it's appreciation or deprecia-
ton put on either debtor or credi-
tor burden that they have not
voluntarily assumed. l have been
told by Mexican officials high in the
confidence of that government that
such had been the office of the silver
money of Mexico that there had
been no preceptlble changes in the
prices for years in that country, ex-
cept such as could be readily &C
counted for by natural or we'll known
causes and not to bs attributed to
the price of silver.
sIn November 1898, I went to
Mexico, and my opportunities of OBJ
servation, we're, I think, equal to
that of most persons who have visit
ed that country. I went for the ex-
press purpose of learning the truth
of the report I have mentioned. I
found that prices had been steadily
maintained in Mexico during the last
twenty years and that the purchas-
ing power of silver had not been pre-
ceptibly lessened nor increased. I
W i'll not say that in some articles
tn ere had not been change of price
but in all places where such change
had occurred the cause for such
change could be readily ascertained
For instance, the gold price Of
coffee is higher now in Mexico than
it was formerly, Notwithstanding the
great increase of its production in
that country. We all understand
why that is so. But the fact re-
mains that the greatmajority of ar
ticles produced in that country, as
well as real estate prices, have not
for twenty years materially
changed and Mexico has been saved
the evils that inflict all countries
that pass through an era of falling
prices, and from which this country
is previously suffering at this time.
in somo instances articles Of foreign
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