The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1896-08-29
THE QUESTION OF WAGES.

The fact that higher wages are paid
in the United States than in any of the
free silver countries is held up as an
argument by the gold standard press
for maintaining that standard in this
country. Especial stress is laid to the
low wages paid in Mexico, they being
held up as an example Of what the
American laborer would be brought to
in case free silver coinage should be
adopted by this country. But some of
the writer's on this question are de-
cidedly indiscrete and overdue their
argument. Especially is this true of a
correspondent to the Evening Post,
an American capitalist who has in
vestments in Mexico, whose express
sions are quoted as authority by the
Oregonian. in an editorial under the
head "Conditions in Mexico" This
correspondent, in the following words,
convinces the unprejudiced mind that
it is not the money standard, but the
standard of the laborer, that reduces
him to low wages in that country.
He says:
1.-THE Mexican workman, as long as
he is punctually paid, does not grumble
or kick. He asks himse1fno questions
as to what his employer makes. Strikes.
and labor combinations are unknown.
The Mexican government would soon
put an end to what we see almost daily
occurring in this country. He never
saves anything, so the secretion of
wealth does not trouble him, and he
knows nothing about spring beds,
porterhouse steaks or pianos. His
wants are few-A cotton suit, serape,
straw hat and sandals for wardrobe:
maize cakes and beans for food, and an
occasional spree on mescal or pulque,
with plenty OF tobacco which he gets
dirt cheap-that is all. He lives con-
tentedly and unconcerned for the NOR
row as bird, never looking forward
and never looking backward, till the
day comes when he is coffinless.
wrapped in his cotton suit and serape
and laid to rest"
This is proof of the position taken
by the advocates of bimetalism, that
the standard of money does not gov
ern the standard of wages paid. And
while wages are much higher in. the
United States than in Mexico, they
are higher in that country now than
they were under a gold standard, and
Ire steadily advancing as the native
abor becomes more skilled. Besides
wages in free silver Mexico are
much higher than they are in gold
standard Italy, Turkey and Egypt,
wen though the Turk and the Italian
re more grasping and have greater
lesire to accumulate wealth than
he Mexican, who, according to the
quoted above, never
aves anything, and is satisfied with
maize cakes and beans for food and a
uit of cotton for clothing. A class of
'eople who are satisfied with sufficient
With which to supply immediate wants
nd who have no idea of accommodating
competency for the future are not
uch people as will command or earn
Ugh wages. This is the condition of
be Mexican laborers. They are only
emi-civilized, they are indolent, i'm
people. and ages will be re-
uired to bring them up to an equal
tandard with American laborers as
rage earners. More than this, skilled
aborers from the United States, such
8 railroad engineers, brakemen, sec
on former, who are working in Mex
20 are getting as high if not higher
ages than the sane- class of laborers
re in this country, hence it is difficult
, be convinced that the standard of
loney has anything to do with the
rice of similar kinds of labor by Ia
orers Of equal skill, whether. the
loney be gold or silver.