The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-10-04
rrue Condition Of Mexican Labor.

II is very evident from tue Punn
results OF Investigations by coIreSpO"u
epts and special colHnissione.S
ors sent TO Mexico to look into the laDor
Droblem that allowances must De hauc 4"
aacb Instance for partisan predlectlon.
Where men representing opposlee $3.50
on the silver question are sent 10 NieAISo
10 ascertain the effects OF tree coinage
mon the Iaborlng classes il is not strange
N each discloses in his reports d emu
ency TO discredit the Observations Vi tHe
other. 10 do so is not necessAlh. -
representation. 1t merely eAeHnptS
the genius OF drgumentAuon "HeH
diderent opinions can take the same iAvts
and conditions and divert them 10 W.
support of their own pecular cohteHei0
While gold and silver partlSaHs az
sending from Mexico letters that puipo-'
10 be faithful pictures or hlousuI"i 0o"
ditions that prevail In INC a n % ,r rom
Nontezumas. II is gratifying 10 turn llon
their more or less colored impressions 70
sa,eh a letter as Mr.. William IL. Sloan. d
missionary. writes to the the
BAPTIST publication IN New VOTE; M.
sloan's observations are aDSoiuueiy iiee
from political bias, and as they are wiz
ten In the interest of no party Dut LOT lhe
a. formafaon of the great religious de-
nomination which he represents tney aio
entitled to great weight,
AIR sloan introduces his letter with a
graphic description OF the wohueIlul
MIIl It-Du4AtS dih
flies IF the country. The land possesses
inaxhspsrible mineral wealth, and Is rlch
Ga an agriculture that neither recos nlzes
tha change OF the seasons nor requires
the stimulating aid Of fertilizers or other
scionti0c appliances 10 enable II to bring
forth bountiful crops. says MT sloan,
Here are mountains Of mineral pracur
caTv untouched. and millions or acres or
fertile land untitled. still, II Is no pace
FOR "a lshoring man, nor for a young man
on a salary unless II be assured 70 n.nI
before he con. as). but IL is the place ioI
the man who has capital, ana Is seehtns
for investments hoping 10 increase MS
capital by taking advantage OF the chedp
labor OF the country, for the day laDoleI
must toll for a pittance thdt alrnos'
merits the a~ppelation or staTN@uoh "aoSS'
Nr Sloan then shows that the b-oo
peritv Of Mexico during the last twenty
years is not due TO a silver stdnddIu cur
rency but 10 the great influx OF Engish
and American capital when mas 'ahSn
advantage Of the cheap .dDor 10 Du'Iu
railroads. cultivate sugar cotton, tonac-
co. vanilla. hennepin. and other p~toducls,
and TO develop the mines. me vast
production Of silver says MT. sloan,
seems ln 10 way 10 ald me layo.ln|
man. for his wages remain sups'an.
italy the same, Notwithstanding INC '"49o
influx OF new capital
WE Mexican dollar IS worth about 81
cents in American money, although IL
has more silver In II than the American
dollar has. The cheaDness in SILVER,
SAYS Mr.. Sloan. is due to us enormous
PRODUCTION. Immense quantities are
hrouehf out OF the Mexican mines 10 De
coined. the owner paying about 4 cents
COR the coinage OF each dollar. and or
course proGtlne by the added value SUD-
posed TO be placed on it by the govern
TIE daily wages Of a skilled mechanic.
saws Mr.. Sloan. is about 81. OF 81 cents IN
American money. Under favorable cir
cumstaaces he may get N.23. and there
are a few IN government shops "np J.
the railway service who get Sl.5O or about
r. cents In gold. The large majority OF
Mexican blacksmithS carpenters, and
other artisans receive only 70 cents per
day. or 80 cents each in American money.
A policeman gets 81 cents per DAY IN
American money, q common laboTer from
Is 20 50 cents. Postal carriers get from
s. 10 s15 per month. Clerks receive from
g. 10 SD per month. House rent for the
poorest laborsr IL $3.50 10 So a month IN
gold. but he must live on beans ana corn
cakes. often without a taole 10 ear from
with no bed for himself or family except
a mat or the floor. and with no furniture
except o box that serves as a trunk.
THE statements that are being published
as 10 the Mexican ianorer building him.
self n home" a Mr.. sloan. you ma
set down az unmitigated bosh.'
ANI. - ~ NL'E AAE' go
or as a partisan. lie Will not be in this
country 70 vote IN November. He Is N
fnced In missionary work In Mexico and
for yeJrs has seen the people IN tneir
nomp- has eaten with them and TAXED
with them. Tie knows their apnesr FOR
better wages. and has observed the desu-
frto conditions Of their sQualid homes.
The prices Of the necessities or Ire nave
steadily Increased, rents have become
dearor silver Is chtapened day by dav.
but wages are never raised.
IL is Interesting rs note the fact mat
Mr.. Sloan's picture OF Industrial condi-
tons ina Mexico does not differ In any &c
sentiai particular from the very excel
lent reports published by the special cor
respondent OF the New York NAL ana
Express. who Ia now in Mexico. The dis
tresSng condition OF labor I'm this silver
standard country ought 70 furnish all the
argument that is necessary 10 impel
American labor 10 stand for the mainte-
name OF our present standard at the polls
IN November Chicago Tmes-Herald.