The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-08-15
FREE SILVER IN MEXICO.
Landmark Says its COrrespOndentKnew
What he was Talking About.
StatesviIle Landmark.

WnaL ne was dfhAuS ADOuts
statesvile Landmark.
In the Raleigh NEWS AND OBSERVER
of Saturday appeared an interview with
Prof. J NJ. Tiernan, of Salisbury, on the
conditions in Mexico under free coinage
of silver. The interview was written
by Mr.. F. B. Arendell, of the NEWS AND
OBSERVER staff, and the following is an
extract from it:
81 met Mr.. Herman just after he had
read letter recently published in the
Statesville Landmark, and copied in the
Charlotte Observer, from an Iredell
county man now living in Mexico. When
asked if he knew the writer of the article,
and if the statements correspondent with
his opinion with reference to the condi-
ton of Mexican finances, Mr.. Herman
said:
eyes, I have seen the article in the
Charlotte Observer which is headed
where silver holds sway and which
contains an extract from the letter of a
North Oarolinian, native of Iredell
county, On the practical results, so far as
they appear to him, of free silver in
Mexico. We are informed by the writer
that under the conditions in which this
gentleman is placed he has exceptional
advantages for ascertaining the actual
condition of the country and the merits
or dement's of its financial system. One
would like to be informed what these ex-
ceptional advantages are, since the value
of evidence depends entirely upon the
competence of the witness offering it. d"
Have you any idea as to who is the
author of the article q
1.-THE only North Oarolinian from Ire
dell county whom / have ever encount-
cred in a rather wide knowledge of
Americans resident in Mexico Is quite an
estimable young man residing in the ca
pacity of agent for the Sonora News
Company at Torreon, the point where
the International and Central Mexican
Railroads make connection. 1t is des
olate place in the desert region of the
border State of Coahuila, and this gen
tleman's position and isolation there, as
well as his lack of general knowledge Of
the country, units rather than fits him
to be quoted as an authority on the finan
cial system Of Mexico"
Prof Herman, who, it may be said in
passing, is known chiefly to the North
Carolina public as the husband of
christian Reid" the gifted authoress,
may have an extended acquaintance
with American residents in Mexico but
he doesn't know them all At present
there are, to the Landmarks own knowl
edge, three Iredell county men
living in Mexico. Prof. Herman knows
but one. The gentleman he describes is
an Iredell county man and is none other
than Mr.. L. F. Poston, well known in
Statesville; but unfortunately for Prof.
Herman he is not the author of the
Landmarks letter. The conditions sur
rounding Mr.. Poston may be just as
Prof. Herman says they are, but he has
not written line for publication in the
Landmark since he has lived in Mexico
and has never been asked to.
After having settled the identity of
the Landmarks correspondent to his
own satisfaction, Prof. Herman goes on
to tell what great thing free silver is
for Mexico and how prosperous the
country is under the silver standard.
With all this we have nothing specially
to do and would not refer to it had not
the professor challenged the competency
of the Landmarks witness and assumed
that he knew the witness and his sur
roundings when in fact he knows moth
ing about him.
We have not, for private reasons, re-
vealed the identity of our correspondent.
Should we do so it would add weight to
his statements, for he is known in all
this section as a gentleman Of education
and Of unimpeachabIe character. He
has lived in Mexico for sixteen years
Prof. Herman admits that he has resided
there only a portion of six years.
Therefore, if length of residence
amounts to anything, our correspondent
| has more than ten years the advantage
of Prof. Herman. The professor admits
that he has large business interests in
| Mexico and is interested in mining there.
At the outset of his interview he says,
"the value of evidence depends upon the
| competence of the witness" Admitted.
But the professor will pardon us if we
challenge his testimony as incompetent
on the ground that he has large pecu-
mary interests in Mexico. He says he
is broad enough to disregard selfish in
terests, and may be he is. But we sub
NIT that man cannot always
give an unbiased opinion when his
own interests are affected, and we do
not know that Prof. Herman is better
than the average. We have no reason to
believe that he is not perfectly sincere
when he says that Mexico is prosper
GUS country, but the fact remains that it
could not be expected of him to say that
the country is going to the dogs when
he has Large interests" there. He ad-
mits, too, that wages are low in Mexico.