The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-02-13

iCouIHS SHOW UudU UnC CrdQe OF MEXICO
is with the United States, Great Brit
ain. France, Germany, Spain, in the
order named, and in lesser degree
With several other countries. Thu
principal articles of export are silver,
hennequin, coffee, pearls, tobacco, van
lila, hides, gold and copper. All Of
these articles, except tobacco, can find
an abundant market in the United
States, while in return Mexico imports
machinery, manufactures or cotton
ana wool, house furnishings, carpets,
curtains, window shades, wall paper,
fancy articles and furniture of all
kinds. An official report says that
"England furnishes 300 per cent more
than the United States Of carpets,
rugs. window shades and curtains, and
the United States supplies more furni-
ture than any other country trading
with Mexico" Now, there is no reason
in the world why the city of Philadel-
phia alone could not enter the field
and claim the entire trade which is
here given to Great Britain. The an
nual exports from Mexico to other
countries increased from $40. 642,7l7 in
1856 to about 100000 the year now
closing. In 1889, when the imports
were $50, 1853, 243 they were divided as
follows:
United States. ......... 90, 669, 42l
England. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 6,337 $3.50
rance 4,9oO, 900
Germany 2,S42, 932
Spain. 1920, 943
And the balance divided up in small
sumo to other countries. This shows
that for the year named Mexico bought
considerably more than One-third of
her goods from the United States
alone. These imports for the same
year were made up Of the following
principal items and amounts, which
shows what a fine field there is for
trade in MeXico
Cottons NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 81. 534 ,0S9
Manufactures of linen and
nemp .......... 6i4.O29
WoOlenS. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 1913, 1856
Food products .............. 1910, 1870
Copper and its alloys. ........ 593, l67
Small wares. Observation-Disclosures. toe, S04
Machinery and apparatus. $50, 592
Carriages and wagons . 213 100
Wood and manufactures Of. 473,6S4
Paper and cardboard ........ 49,, 143
Drugs, medicines, chemicals. ,697 $50
The simple reading OF the above ar
ticleS and figures should aStOniSh even
the most sanguine with the possible
trade relations with Mexico. The
United States should furnish every
dollar in this entire list, and as the
wants of the Mexican people have not
been whetted yet. what the future has
in store for the United States is hard
to estimate. | shall take occasion to
revert to this subject again in its
bearing upon the good effects of trade
congresses and reciprocity laws.
Important as are the views held by
President Raoul, of the National, wide
as is the field for trade in Mexico in
teresting as it is to the business men
of the United States, the opinions of
Col. George S. FOote, general manager
of the Mexican railroad, running from
Nera Cruz to the City of Mexico, are
an English hobby; the cry of ''sound"
money heard in the United States is
but an echo from the dusty banking
rooms Of London, and when these peo
pie are forced to admit that anything
good can come out of a silver country,
there is something ahead President
Raoul is an American with American
sympathieS for the common people,
and there is bare possibility that,
excellent gentleman that he is, his
heart might get away with his tinan-
cial conscience. But an English CAPT
talist can be open to no such suspi-
ciOn. He is necessarily sound on
the money question, as the Cleveland
organs would say, and could be open
to no faint of Populism.
AN ENGLISH OPINION.
The Mexican railroad was begun in
1853 by British capitalists, and was,
therefore, the first, and for long time,
the only railroad in the republic. The
men behind it were just such men as
President Cleveland considers ''safe
and conservative" and "consecrated"
to the preservation Of "parity" and
other modern devises for increasing
the purchasing power of dollar, max
ing one dollar debt payable in s.
worth of labor or effects. Col. Foote,
the present general manager, as fine
and typical an English gentleman as
is to be found on the continent, is the
representative of these people. His
road has to pay them dividends in
gold and, therefore, his views should
be considered Sound"
"The freight receipts Of the Mexi-
can road" said he ''show a marked
falling off in imports, and an increase
in exports. The MeXicans are selling
all they can and buying what they
want at home. My road, beginning at
Vera Cruz, of course depends largely
upon IMPORTS, and from our freight re-
ceipts we can always tell the condi-
tion of the trade of the country. OF
course, the falling off in the price of
silver accounts for it. People do not
want to pay 81 where they only paid 81
before"
"What has been the effect upon the
internal trade of Mexico?"
ooh, it is building up the country"
he replied. when the people have to
keep their money at home they must
invest it so as to bring them some re-
turns. Oh, dear, no, the refusal of
Europe and the United States to take
silver is the building up Of Mexico. l
see it on every side!'
"Will that improvement be perma-
nent, or do you look for COLLAPSED"
"My. my, why should there be col
lapse? 1t is those who are fighting sill,
YER who are making the mistake. For
every dollar we are spending we get its
full return in labor or in material,a and
that is fixed to stay. For every such
dollar that the labOrer gets he can
purchase all he wants at the same old
prices. Silver is sound money, and it