The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-27
FREE SILVER HURTS MEXICO.
Clerks Get So a Week and Laborers
Are Paid so Cents a Day.

From the Philadelphia Press.
Washington. June 2S.-The recent maya
zine article written by the Mexican minis
ter, Senior Romero, to prove the prosperity
of his country under free silver has crea-
ted considerable comment here. 1t is con-
sidered very natural for the minister to
stand by his own government and its hnan-
cial policy. but reports from those who
have lived for some time in Mexico are not
very favorable to the free coinage of sill
yer or the silver standard
James S. Stanton, a South American
mining expert. passed through Washing
ton recently, and discussing the free silver
craze which he found in his travels
through parts Of the south and west. ex-
pressed the opinion that it would be we'll
for free coinage advocates TO investigate
the experience of countries that have been
on a silver basis for years.
Il have watched" said Mr.. Stanton,
with considerable interest the arguments
and prophecies Of the free silver advo-
Gates. l have wondered why some Of them
don't produce the evidence of some one
who has been an actual resident of a
free silver country. Free silver countries
are numerous to the south of us, and sure
ly there must be a number of good people
close by who have had more or less ex-
perience as residents In those countries.
They are qualified to tell. not how 1t might
could, would, or should work, but exactly
how IL does work. From long continued
daily intercourse with merchants. clerks
and laborers, and people In all the voca-
lions Of life in such countries, / know
what are the conditions Of people in free
silver countries
why elaborate on theories when the
actual results and cold facts are easily
accessible and almost stare us in the face?
In the free silver ATTITUDES l have been
honored with the personal acquaintance of
nice looking dry goods clerks who had
reached the salary limit a So per week
lin our money!. Dignifed, bare-footed po-
liceman, thrive on name" and ''yuca" at
Sl2 per month lin our money!. The mer-
chant has to depend on cable quotations
from foreign countries to keep informed
what his own native money is worth. The
large mercantile houses pay for regular
cable advices so many times week He
never knows when he closes at night
what his money will be worth the next
morning.
Il have seen scores of pay rolls paid
out on which all section laborers (railroad)
received 30 cents per day in silver. These
countries had magnificent cities before
this government was formed, and yet
every nineteenth century improvement has
had to be proposed, carried there, intro
duced and operated by enterprising citi-
zens from gold countries. The free silver
natives often ask why their dollar is worth
two-thirds less than ours. l have some>
times thought of telling them to carry
their troubles to the free silver editors OF
some of your papers"
A gentleman connected with the United
States diplomatic service in Mexico has
been making enquiries into the operations
of the free silver system Of that country
and in a recent letter suggested that the
free coinage men Of the United States
might find an object lesson there. He
shows that the claim of the silver men
that wages will be advanced IL free coinage
is adopted is without foundation, and cam
not be made good In Mexico he says the
wages on plantations and in cities range
from 1914 to % cents a day. These wages
have not advanced for years and are paid
in deprecated money worth only half as
much as the same amount in the United
States.
This correspondent also writes while
wages remain low the cost of living Is very
high. All products that come in compe-
tition with the markets of the world have
advanced in price so as to be beyond the
means of the laboring people. Coffee is a
luxury seldom obtained, and often the only
beef within the reach of the laborer is cut
from the carcasses of animals killed in
bull fights. Butter is a luxury for even
the rich, and ordinary vegetables, like let
tuce and radishes, are equally so.
The poor mans champagne, lager beer,
retais for Is cents a glass. The expert
ence of this gentleman. who had been in
Mexico for several months, goes TO prove
that cheapening money by the free coin
age of silver reduces wages and increases
the cost of living.