The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1896-08-29
SILVER IN MEXICO.
Joseph IA. Brown studies the Subject on
she Spot and Now Has Convictions

SeAV'A" n"VAi''' IL iol Il gOOd tning, j
failed to discover any evidence of it, "
said Mr.. Joseph NJ. Brown, traffic man.
ager Of the Western and Atlantic rail
road, to an Atlanta Constitution report
er. II am just back from a three weeks
trip to that country. I travelled for
thousands of miles all over the country.
and in all that time / failed to find a
single man, native or from the states.
who was not an enthusiastic free silver
man."
MIR. Brown had just returned from
Mexico. He travelled all over the coun-
try, talked with all classes of citizens
CT the country, and made a study Of the
business conditions.
Il went to Mexico, " said Mr.. Brown.
undecided as to the financial question.
l have returned convinced of one thing,
and that is that if free silver for the
United States will do for this country
what it has done for Mexico, then free
silver is what we need. / found that
country enjoying the greatest commer-
cial prosperity. Everybody is satisfied
with the financial status. business il
prosperous, the mills are all running on
full time, and the mark of good times
is manifest OH all sides. 1t seems to me
that what is good for them would be
good for us. There is an old saying that
what is sauce for the goose is sauce for
the gander, and il free silver in Mexico
means universal business prosperity, I
can't see why it would not mean the
same thing for the United States.
II was forcibly impressed with some
facts connected with the situation in
financial affairs Of Mexico. Little things
show which way. the wind is blowing,
and I want to show by practical illus
tration how matters stand. These prac-
tical facts count for more than theories.
Now, just before leaving Atlanta !
bought a pair of shoes for Sc in Ameri-
can money. When we got to Mexico,
my brother, who accompanied me on
the trip, wanted a pair of shoes. We
went into a store, and we got a pair Of
shoes just as good in every way as the
ones I bought in Atlanta. He paid for
them SO in Mexican money. They say
that the Mexican silver dollar is worth
only q little over so cents. That is the
way financial writers put it. Yet the
Mexican dollar in Mexico buys just the
same as the American dollar buys in
the United States. Theoretically the
latter may be worth two of the former.
Yet what is the difference when both
have the same purchasing power? Money
is a medium of exchange, and if a Mex
lean silver dollar will buy a dollars
worth what difference does it make
about the theory of the thing?
Here is another instance: You go
into a hotel in Mexico and get a dinner
in eight courses. In Atlanta you pay 81
at the Kimball Or the Aragon for such
a dinner. In Mexico you pay a Mexican
dollar for the same dinner. You get just
as good a dinner in Mexico as you do in
Atlanta for your dollar. Yet we are
told that the American dollar is worth
twice as much as the Mexican dollar be-
cause it has gold behind it. These are
small matters, but they are practical
facts, and it is these small practical
facts that are of interest to the great
mass of the people.
II have seen interviews in the pa
pers," continued Mr.. Brown, Stating
hat under free silver Mexico is in a bad
fix; that business is shaky and indus
tries languishing. I want to say that if
such is the case l failed to discover any
evidence whatever of such a state Of
affairs, and l went all over the u
try. This talk about Mexico not thriv-
ing under a free silver regime is, to use
a slang phrase, all rot. In the valley
Of Mexico alone l found 33 cotton mills,
all running Oh full time and making
money. If there was any business de-
preston, / failed to see any signs Of it.
AS I came back on the Mexican National
railroad I passed an immense establish
ment, which l was told was IA wooden
mill. It employed 4, 800 hands and was
running day and night. That would
seem to indicate prosperity.
"The best evidence that a financial
system is a success is the way in which
the people like it. In all my travels in
Mexico I failed to find a'man who was
not an enthusiastic advocate of free
coinage. They all say with one accord
that if the United States and the rest Of
the world want the gold standard they
can have it. AS for them, they have
tried free silver, and they want nothing
else. 1t has brought them prosperity,
and so long as that is the case the
world may outlaw their silver as much
as it pleases. 1t has no effect on them.
Their silver dollar buys adollar's Vi orth
just the same as an American dollar
buys a dollars worth in Atlanta. So
long as this is a practical fact, what
difference does it make how often theo-
rists prove the contrary on paper? Facts
speak for themselves, and the Mexicans
prefer their facts to other peoples
theories.
"Now," continued MI. Brown, 81
can't see how it can hurt us to get Ia
cents worth of silver for a pound of cot
ton instead Of 7 cents worth Of gold if
the ii cents in silver has the same pur-
chasing power as the Z cents in gold.
And then, in addition to this, if things
work like they do in Mexico, we have
universal prosperity, a satisfied people.
mills running Oh full time, or day and
night, and money easy. | cannot see
why what is good for Mexico would not
be good for rs, and I want to say again
that all this talk about free silver hurt
ing business in Mexico is absurd"
Rather Mixed.
Ga,akou Ttlt,~on - ~ T,.a, r-s%fx