Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1896-07-25
Free Silver in Mexico.

writer, when he wants especially to
emphasize the Course of free silver, y
makes the deplorable condition OF
Mexico,a silver standard country, the
subject for his remarks. The follow
ing from Mr.. Joseph NJ. Brown,
traffic manager of the Western and
Atlantic railroad, who has recently
returned from Mexico, shows how
false have been the statements which
have been made regarding that
country and the results of the free
coinage of silver there. He says of
Mexico and the silver standard:
eff free silver, as judged by its re-
suits in Mexico is not good thing,
failed to discover any evidence OF IT.
| am lust back from a three weeks
trip to that country. | Travelled for
thousands OF miles all over the coun-
try, and in all that time l failed to
find q single man, native or from the
States, who was not an enthusiastic
free silver man."
Il went to Mexico, said Mr.. Brown
undecided as to the financial ques-
ton. / have returned convinced Of
one thing, and that is that If free
silver for the United States will do
for this country what it has done for
Mexico, then free silver is what we
need. / found that country enjoying
the greatest commercial prosperity
Everybody is satisfied with the finan.
cial status, business is prosperous,
the mills are all running on full time,
and the mark of good times is mani
fest on all sides. 1t seems to me that
what is good for them would be good
for us. There is an old saying that
what is sauce for the goose is sauce
for the gander, and if free silver IN
Mexico means universal business
prosperity, can't see why it would
not mean the same thing for the
United States.
Il was forcibly impressed with
some facts connected with the situa-
ton III financial affairs of Mexico.
Little things show which way the
wind is blowing, and | want to show
by practical illustration how matters
stand. These practical facts count
for more than theories. Now just be-
fore leaving Atlanta | bought a pair
of shoes for Sc in American money.
When we got to Mexico my brother,
who accompanied me On the trip,
wanted Il pair of shoes. We went into
store, and we got q pair OF shoes
Just as good in every way as the ones
bought in Atlanta. He paid for
them So in Mexican money. They
say that the Mexican silver dollar is
worth only little over so cents. That
is the way financial writer's put it.
Yet the Mexican dollar in Mexico
buys Just the same as the American
dollar buys in the United States.
Theoretically, the latter may be
worth two of the former; yet what is
the difference when both have the
same purchasing power? Money is a
medium of exchange, and if a MeXi-
can silver dollar will buy dollars
worth what difference does it make
about the theory Of the thing?
Here is another instance: You go
into a hotel in Mexico and get din
ner in eight courses. In Atlanta,
You pay 81 at the Kimball or the
Aragon for such dinner. In Mexico
YOU pay Mexican dollar for the
same dinner. You get inst as good a
dinner in Mexico as you do in Atlanta
for your dollar. Yet we are told that
the American dollar is worth twice as
much as the Mexican dollar because
it has gold behind it. These are
small matters. but they are practical
facts, and ii is these small practical
| facts that are Of interest TO the great
mass Of the people.
Il have seen interviews in the pa
pers, continued Mr. Brown, stating
that under free silver Mexico is in a
bad fix; that business is shaky, and
| industries languishing. | want to
say that if such is the case failed to
discover any evidence whatever of
such a state of affairs. and | went all
over the country. This talk about
Mexico not thriving under free sill
yer regime is, to use a slang phrase
sail rot" In the Valley of Mexico
alone l found thirty-three cotton
mills, all running on full time and
making money. If there was any
business depression, l failed to see
any signs Of it. AS came back on
the Mexican National Railroad l
passed an immense establishment,
which l was told was wooden mill.
1t employed 1880 hands, and was
running day and night. That would
seem to indicate prosperity"
Everything that Mexico raises she
raises on the silver standard, and she
sells it to other countries on gold
basis Then she takes gold to the
money changers and sells it for silver
and uses the silver in all matters of
trade at home. To that extent the
| situation seems to favor the silver
standard, for the reason that it clrcu,
lates very much more freely than
gold, and that money matters are
easier with silver than they are with
the gold countries
But some will say, how about
wages? continued Mr.. Brown. Under
this condition does not the laborer
get less money for his work? The
laborer on the farm in the United
States is found, as we say in Geor
gia, and gets from % to 80 cents a
day, in some places less IN Mexico
he is found" and gets 81 cents a
day, or he finds himself and gets
80 cents day. With this 30 cents he
can buy as much as he can in the
States. If anything, the difference
is in his own favor, to say nothing OF
the fact that everything is prosper.
GUS and everything running on full
time.
The best evidence that financial
system is a success is the way i'll
which the people like it. In all my
travels in Mexico l failed to find a
man who was not an enthusiastic
advocate of free coinage. They all
say, with one accord, that if the
United States and the rest of the
world want the gold standard, they
can have it. As for them, they have
tried free silver, and they want
nothing else. 1t has brought them
prosperity, and SO long as that is the
case. the world may outlaw their
silver as much as it pleases. 1t has
No ctract ON them Thair Silvar dollar