The advocate., 1896-09-16
THE MEXICO ARGUMENT.


why Republicans insist on comparing
the United States and our people with
Mexico and the people Of that country
1t is not clear what they wish or expect
to prove by the comparison. 1t must be
that they think some votes will be gained
or retained by an assumption that to re-
store our coinage laws of twenty-five
years ago would have the effect of blot
ting out our civilization, changing our
race origin and our traditions, substitut-
ing different people with different
habits, different history, different race
connections and centuries behind the
civilization Of Western Europe.
The Kansas City Journal, some days
ago, published a long and interesting in
terView with Major Gum, an old and
well-known resident of Kansas City, in
which the Major tells what he saw on
recent visit to Mexico. He shows that
the social condition of the Mexican peo-
pie is not far advanced, that compare
lively little work is done by machinery,
that men and women, with their hands,
backs, shoulders, heads and feet do
much that is performed in the United
States by machines. He says that only
about 1000 miles Of railway have been
constructed in twenty-five years. We
quote part of the interview, for it is in
structive:
"San Luis Potosi, our first objective point Is
city Of about 10000 inhabitants. They have
no WaterwOrks, and hundreds OF citizens,
laborers, are constantly engaged in carrying
water from public wells to supply the inhabi-
tants The water Is packed or 'toted' on the
backs and heads Of men and WON On, and upon
little discOnsolate looking burros. Lumber,
iron, stone, brick, Abodes, furniture, and every
thing else is packed in the same way. There
are very few vehicles Of any kind. The streets
are swept by>men with handful Of tWigs for
a broom, and the debris Is gathered into tin
cans and carried away. Men are mere pack
horses, and carry 15O pounds as q standard
load. Anything men cannot carry is packed
upon their burros"
senator Vest says that these laborers live
on corn bread and goats milk, and sleep out of
doors or live in the open air. Is that true?"
practically so at the mines, except that
saw no goats milk and but few goats He says
that they work for so cents a day, but few
laborers get more than 25 cents per day. That
is the going price for common labor in the
cities and at the mines which visited was
at great dam under process Of construction,
where 600 men were employed. All OF the rock
for the dam was broken into pieces small
enough for q man to carry on his back. The
200 mssons received so cents day, and the 400
sand and water carriers received 25 cents day.
Not wheelbarrow, derrick or other modern
appliance was used. Everything was done by
main strength. To work 600 men cost about
5000 per day for their wages"
Are they lazy and shiItless, as some persons
have reported?"
Lazy? l should say not l never saw men
work harder in my life. No American laborer
would pack such loads and move as rapidly as
the Mexican laborers do. They work ten hours
and have to work hard, for to be stricken from
the rolls would be q calamity to them"
ADO they actually sleep out Of doors?"
ain the cities they live in dirty, dilspidsted
huts, and many have no floors. At the dam and
mines they build rough stone walls and cover
them with brush or palm leaves. They sleep
on the ground and have no furniture what
ever. At mountain mine l saw 200 people
who live in caves or excavations In the side OF
q steep ravine. They burrowed in the hillside
like groundhogs.'
And that is the country with which
the people and institutions of the United
| States ara To ha nnnnnnrori@ Aro r,.o 70