The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-10-21
FREE SILVER COINAGE
NICARAGUA AS AN OBJECT
LESSON.
A "Sound Money" Man Visits that
Country and Returns With
Damaged Views.

Not so many months ago Mr.. James
Collins, a prominent and successful
business man OF Atlanta, visited Hon
duras. On his return, he said that
his experience in that country had
damaged his views on the money ques-
ton. He found Honduras enjoying
the results Of the free coinage Of sill
yer and those results were such that
even the wayfaring man could see and
appreciate. He found business active
and all the people prosperous. The
Constitution printed what Mr.. Collins
said at the time and called attention
to the facts he gave us, emphasizing
the position the Constitution holds on
the money question.
In further confirmation of the argu-
ment that plenty Of hard money
means business activity and prosper
1ty for all classes. The Cincinnati
Enquirer prints statement from Mr..
Frank Field, who is now doing busi-
ness in Nicaragua and who is visiting
his old home.
Mr.. Fields testimony is even
stronger than that of Mr.. Collins, the
reason being that he is engaged in
business in Nicaragua, while Mr.. Col
Inns simply made d brief visit to Hon
duras. Mr.. Collins told what he saw
while Mr.. Field tells the result of his
business experience.
The coinage Of silver is so absolute
ly free in Nicaragua that the miners
take the pure silver, melt it into bars,
and place the government stamp on
certain specified quantities with a
hammer. This being the case, those
who lend an ear to the hum bug argu-
ments in favor Of sO-called sound"
money would naturally expect to find
the purchasing power Of the silver
dollar reduced to the lowest mini
mum, accompanied by low wages.
But the experience OF Mr.. Field is
all the other way. Wages are higher
in Nicaragua and the hours of labor
shorter than they are in this country
Where labor is 81 day here, it is 81
men employed there and he pays
$3.50 day loading ships with
bananas, and skilled labor commands
even higher prices, In the mines the
workmen get 500 a month and every
thing found.
If the arguments Of the gold men
were not pure INVENTIONS, the pur-
chasing power of the Nicaraguan dol
lar. on the basis OF the good wages
paid, would be about one-half that Of
the United States dollar. Mr.. Field
EN- phatically declares that this is not
so. A dollar buys just as much, and,
Mr.. Field insists, a great deal more
than the dollar here. He wore an
English linen suit which would cost
s. or So in this country. 1t costs him
So in Nicaragua. His English cloth
suit, worth $50 here. cost SIS in Mica
ragua.
There are no poor houses and no
beggars there, for the reason that
everybody has an opportunity to earn
money. The United States dollar
commands no premium there, but cir
culates at par with the Nlcaraguan
and the Mexican dollar. And there
is no premium on gold except at the
foreign exchange Offices. A gold dol
lar circulateS among the people at par
with the silver dollars.
We commend these statements to
the consideration of those who main
tain that 124-cent cotton and dollar
wheat would bankrupt the farmers,
who claim that more money and
plenty of it would hurt the country,
and who declare that the growth and
expansion Of all 70 ms Of business and
industry would depreciate wages
Atlanta Constitution,