Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-08-06
SILVER IN MEXICO.
HOW TIE cARrwHEEL DOLLARS
nc "a Srrh1ELT AWAY.
kowhercnr Bexgars More Nmperou~.
81 ork.Sa nalor and vrstchedness More
In Evldenoe--,A Ragged and Poorly
Housed People. fses

Housed People.
The advocates OF the free and nnlimit-
ed coinage of silver. and Mr. Townc in
particular are of late given to holding
up the monetary system of Mexico and
The conditions there as illustrations of the
blessings of free silver. IL is doubtful
If there IN n nation on the face of the
globe. who're more. poverty Is seen in all
It's parts 81 the nation than can be found
IN Mexico. J.. Is more than Ia'olr,ble,
liomeyer, that neither Sfr. ATowneS Ien' his
friends have taken the time To famliarizc
themselves with the conditions of the
people of that free silver republic. When
they say the Mexican wage Garner is in
asinorc prosperous condition than those
of this country they do not fail to exhibit
their utter ignorance OF the question. I
Anyone who knows anything ut all on
the subject knows there Is nor a syllable
OF truth in such statements. MIR. Townc
il reported 10 have said a few days
since. ut st. Louis, that Mexico was
u much more prosperous country than the
United States, and cited as the cause for
y this the fact that Mexico was on n
free silver basis. IL is not understood
here. that MIR. Towne has ever spent
much tinle in that country-if he has
, eyer been here. at all The testimony
ttloseeirho thave spent months and
years in that country il entitled to AT
least even weight with those who have
never beea across the Southwestern
frontier.
The Ecy. Francis Il. Clark. president
OF the Society ofsChrstian sEidoavpr. n
gentleman of observation ami the. highest
integrity, Who has lately completed a
journey of 600 miles in Mexico. writes
as follows concerning conditions as he
found them:
Free silver, after all, does not make Il
terrestrial paradise In every respect. The
The Mexican cartwheel dollar mets away
Ia surprising fashion when II come 10
buying what an American considers the
uccessnrioa of life For instance. when
the coiorod porter OF the Pullman buffet
car brings you the BILL of fare IL almost
rkcs yoar breath to see the prices
stance. tNSo boiled eggs cost 80 cents. while
three may be obtained for the moderate
sum Of 40 cents Bread and butter Is 20
cents. Il cup OF ten or coffee costs the
same price, while q sandwich may be had
Tor no less. or course the eye Of Bos-
tonian would seek the price 81 the snccli-
lent and. nutritious baked bean. ant he Is
surprised 20 lind that II requires 40 ceata-
Nos ic'n.D to pay for the dish for which
his Municipality Is famed. small bottle
Of appolinars wuter costs 30 cents, and
other things arc in proportion,
Desiring u light lunch on, one occasion
in the city of Mexico, ! bought Il small
package Of sweet biscuit. about half II
pound ~ all which might have cost ID
that MY hi amounted 70 81 cents.
1t should be remarked, however. that III
one Is content to live In Mexican style
prices are not exorbtant. A good room
siu the best Mexican hotels for one or two
4 pcopic Gam be had for from 81 TO 81 day
,sNieycsa. and board df you can stand
the cA,tribe cooking or the country Is
from 81 20 81 more.
The siiyer OF prosperous Mexico has
not as yet found its way to any great ex-
tent into the pockets of the poor people,
Wages are evidently on the highest sort
Of gold basis A number of my friends
told ne that they pay their cooks about
Of such labor in the Stetes. In the conn
try DISTRICTS an able-bodied man earns SO
SMeNicanl Il month U.s. American, and his
board. while fair days wages In city Or
country for iaborng man is 30 cents
(Meyc3,r)
Nowhere are beggars more numerous. or
SIltai"r and Indebtedness more in evil
dencc tGan In prosperous Mexico. The
} railway stations are thronged with al
< n9sI naked children. holding out Grimy
WaI Vail @t Cent s p atenta v reminds
one of The "l5acksheesh. "Racksheesh."
of Egypt aud Syria. Indeed. the condition
of the common people seems not one whit
! ip:teg. tliin that, Of the fel,ahiu of Egypt
j or the, ~ riahs Of India
In many respects the condition Of these
widely separated ones Is strikngly SINH
lar They live in the same kind of mud
HOUSES. they are cad In similar f,utter-
fng. picturesque rags except the rags OF
Mexico seem little more ragged than
those az the East. Their feet are shod
with the same kind OF sandal Il fiat piece
of rough leather bound or with Il leather
thong. There is one difference, however.
the red fez of Egypt and the white turban
OF India. IN MeXica gives way to the great
sombrero on which every Mexican who has
a spark OF self-rcspect prides himself.
In the matter OF headgsar, this Oriental
country OF the Oy'ident has the advan-
tage of the sister nations OF the East. Its
tile Is truly magnificent one. IT some
times costs 800; very frequently from SD
to $50. OFTEN mounted Mexican may be
seen galloping across the dry plains whose
oycrsbaGowlng sombrero Is worth more
than all the rest OF the outtit-coat and
SHIRT and trousers and horse aud saddle
Hnn6ieds OF thousands OF Mexicans live
in houses which could DO built for so In
American money. and their whole ward
robe lrinns the sombrero. would come
high at two bits" ! an speaking. Of
course. Of the poems. the peasant class.
s'Therp is another class of Mexicans. of
whom ] cannot write in this pancr. who
live IN beautiful houses, surrounding love
liz patois, or inner courtyard gardens
built very ranch as were the houses Of an
clelit Pompci These MeXicans are po-
lite. generous. hospitabc. full OF eager
hopes FOR their country, and patriotic Ia
the last degree. 1t is race with large
possibilities and a hopeful future. Is free
Silver the good genius of the rcpublicI
win leave II to fnanciers 10 say | simply
record tho impressions of q traveller