People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1896-10-08
The TRUTH
ABOUT MEXICO.
Facts and Figures by Men
Who Know.
SILVER COINAGE A BENEFIT,
So Say President Diaz and Con-
sui General Chittenden.
SILVER COINAGE A BENEFIT,
REPUBLICAN FALSEHOODS NAILED

Commerce and Industry Have Been Slim
ulated and Natural Resources Developed.
Normal Values Have Been Maintained
and Prices of Commodities Remained
stable-WGges and the Cost of Living.
The New York Journal, through its spe-
eial commissioner, has received from Pres
ident Diaz of the republic of Mexico the
following statement of the effect of the free
coinage of silver in that country:
l do not care to discuss the effect of the
silver coinage on the material interests of
Mexico with a view to influencing the re-
suit Of the coming election in the United
States. Such course on my part would be
wholly improper, considering the friendly
and peaceful relations existing between the
United States and Mexico. The present
political issue IN the former country is the
question of the money standard, and do
not wish to be regarded as in any wise at
tempting to affect the outcome
can give the facts relative to existing
Industries and the establishment of new
ones in Mexico under our financial system,
and each may draw his own conclusions as
to the causes which have produced such
awakening in commercial and industrial
affairs. Ocular demonstrations of the vast
Development may be found by visiting the
cotton and wooden mills in our various
cities. Some are old, others recently OPEN
ed Our paper mills and their output also
furnish evidence of our material prosperity.
Until comparatively recent period all the
pulp used in the manufacture of paper in
this country was imported and the paper
only was made in Mexico. Now the pulp
and everything that enters into the COM
position of thep paper is made here The de-
partments Of the government will furnish
the exact data and statistics showing the
growth Of domestic manufactures and COM
merce.
While our material interests have in
creased steadily and BEAUTIFULLY for the last
20 years, since the close Of the Indian minis
and the repeal of the Sherman law, so call
ed, in the United States, the growth of
MexicOs commercial and industrial inter
ests hes been particularly marked. The
consequent appreciation in the price of
gold and the increase'in exchange between
Mexico and the gold standard countries at
once operated to reduce importations and
stimulate home manufactures.
The added price Of exchange was in ef-
feet an addition to the tariff. The import
er added to the original cost the duty and
cost ca exchange. Our cotton and wooden
mills already in operation were obliged to
enlarge their capacity, and new ones were
established The number of operatives
necessarily had to be greatly increased.
To show the falling off in the consump-
ton Of foreign merchandise, it may be said
that the year prior to the increase Of for
eign exchange on silver our customs col
lections at the ports Of entry amounted to
t22, 900, 900. The next year they were s14,-
100000. In the fiscal year ending in 1890
our impOrtations exceeded $50, 900, 900. In
the fiscal year ending in 1895 they were
slightly in excess of $34, 1000. On the
other hand, our expectations increased. In
1901 they amounted to $1,000, 900 and
IN 1S94-5 to SOC, 900, 900. There was moth
ing in the nature of a commercial panic
consequent upon the sharp advance in sill
yer exchange
Our merchants are conservative and
careful, and bank and business failures are
happily rare in Mexico under any circum-
stances. As to wages and the condition Of
laboring men, considering the nature Of
work and classes Of industry, they COM
pare favorably with those In other Coun-
tries
The demand for skilled labor has grown
with the great increase in the number of
mills and manufactures This demand in
all branches Of labor is strong. The added
exchange has not impaired the value of our
dollar as applied to the purchase of articles
Of home manufacture. Its buying power is
unchanged in this respect, and prices for
domestic merchandise and produce vary
only according to the supply and the de-
mand
Heavy investments of foreign capital in
Mexican enterprises have been made since
the appreciation OF gold elsewhere.
There is another point Of view. The
foreign debt Of the country is payable in
gsld The duties ON imported merchandise
are collected in silver, or on that basis
The high rates Of exchange, together with
. the decrease in our customs collections be-
fore alluded to, have caused a considerable
shrinkage In this source Of rsvenue
The Journal has also received the follow
ing letter from Consul General Chitten-
den:
MEXICO CRY, Sept 4, 1885,
". r. Hearst, The journal:
Your request for information as to the
condition of commercial, industrial and
social affairs In Mexico Is similar to many
other inquiries from citizens Of the United
States which 1 receive In my capacity Of
consul general 1t Is impossible to insti-
tute comparison between the people Of
the United States and those of this coun-
try. Any such attempt would be futile.
They are wholly different in habits Of
thought and in mode of life Their ambi-
lions are diverse, and their education and
tendencies ere dissimilar. There Is no
common plane Of comparison. Mexico
must be measured by Mexican standards.
Erroneous conclusions would be reached
were we to apply the English, French,
German or American systems Of COMPARE
son. Viewed from any standpoint, the
country has made marvellous strides In the
last ten years. Its growth in commercial,
Industrial and educational directions can
not be realized BY one unacquainted with
the former conditions. From being a ma
ton that depended largely on outside
sources for supplies 1t has risen to point
Where Its exports are in the neighborhood
" threA times tic in.norAa The balance IF