Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-09-28

value OF all kinds c. products was re-
ferred to. and n proceeded to argue
that the price had gone down In all
cases from other causes than the
money.
TO illustrate. he took wheat. He said
wheat had gone down because india and
the Argentine republic, which he said
were not exporters previous 10 '73, had
since that time become exporters and
sent their agricultural products into
the markets of Europe n competition
with us. He said improved machinery
had further assisted In cheapening the
wheat. Mr.. Graham is again unfair
and misleads in not telling why India
and the Argentine republic have gotten
10 be exporters of wheat only since
1873. 1t might be a new idea TO Mr..
Graham that we had no competition
from these places until silver bullion
began TO decline. Silver bullion was
admitted to free coinage in India at a
ratio OF 10 10 until January 1898. That
meant $1.37 an ounce. Silver prices in
India have not changed in twenty
years. The same number of rupees
would buy a bushel of wheat at any time
during the past twenty years, regard
less of the commercial value of the sill
Yer that went into the rupee. SO, as Sill
yer bullion went down It became more
and more profitable for European coun-
tries to buy the bullion or exchanges
and convert il into rupees, and in that
way get the wheat at less price than
il could be obtained in this country.
The same process is carried on with the
Argentine republic The decline OF sll-
yer, then, has furnished us that compe-
Itition In 1890, when silver bullion
wen. up as the result of the Sherman
Law. it was not profitable 10 exchange
bullion. and wheat shipments from those
countries stopped and the price went
up. As to improved facilities for farm
ing. we would ask M. Graham Che was
raised in farming community, If II
is not true that in 1873 the farmers OF
the country had everything but the
salf-b.nder, and it came in many years
ago? But is ii no; the general under
standing that improved machinery en-
larges profits? When Mr.. Graham puts
a new piece Of machinery in his mill,
does he moi 90 it that ne may proht
by it?
The prosperity of the mill in 90 and
wages in the past were referred to. The
mill was prosperous In '92. ne says. IN
der this system. We say it was not, so
far as the people understood it, under
the present money system. Fosters or
der in the fall OF 81 was the hardest JOLT
our money system has had in years. 1t
reyolutionized our money system. Then
we say in truth that his prosperity OF
'S5 10 90 was no; under the present sys-
tenn by any means. In 1892 our eXpoT-
tat!ons were increased by three hundred
millions. principally Of farm products
That was a vast sum of money 70 90 in
TO the pockets of the farmers They
were consequently enabled 70 buy lib
orally Of manufactured goods because
they had the cash to spare There Is
where Mr.. Graham will find the cause
for a large part of his prosperity in 1892.
As to wages being as ,arge to-day as
they were at any time since 1873 We
shall constitute the employees OF the
Aetna-Standard mill IS jury and refer
the matter TO them. He admitted skill
ed workmen had been reduced. They
must be all skilled workmen. Common
labor was paid $3.50 in 1889. VIVA;
now?
Of course he had something to say
about Mexican wages as compared with
ours Why did he not compare wages
with Germany or Italy. They have beer
in the gold standard business long
enough 10 develop its benefits. Besides
that We are not greasers up here-we are
different in every respect. We have
different habits and a higher Civilization
all around. What would be great pres
perity to them would be poverty and
restitution 10 us. We affirm most en-
phatically that as far as prosperity goes
in Mexico. they are prosperous and have
good progress. all things considered, I'M
der their silver standard of money. But
this has no bearing on bimetallism in
our country. When we establish BIZ
motal,ism the Mexican 80 cent dollar
will disappear like puff and it will be-
come a hundred cent dollar. From gov
eminent statistics We take the following
scale of wages paid in Mexico and Ger
many: