The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-01
UNDER a SILVER sTANDlRD.
Ruie or Low Wages OF Labor snd
High Rrfoee Of Conmodltiee

High Prioes OF Conmodlties.
IF Bryan had visited some stlver-standard
countries before he went to Chicago. he would
have jnbbed himself with q good many thorns
before he talked so roolishly about tho bless
ings of free silver" said q mining engineer tn
q Sun reporter. II have spent O good many
years in South America. and my e~xperien go
teaches me that the silver standard produces
nothing but disaster for the workinIman. be
he professional or laborer. Commodities.
with o few rare exceptions. are always high,
and labor Of any kind is Always low priced. A
few hon,ely examples will best illustrate tho
truth of this.
Some years AFRO I went TO the republic Of
Colombia to examine some mines, and took
with me household furniture. canned goods,
tools, and machinery. At Panama 1 exchanged
American gold for sucres, soils. and posos, coine
equal in weight and fneness TO the five-frano
piece. received 45 Der cent. premium. At
Buenaventura, next to Panama. Colombia's
most important port on the Pacific, I was told
that it was unnecessary to use such fine money,
so | sold II, getting S165 in plata feblt for S145
in sucres or pesos. Plata fehH, or weak silver.
consists of old 10. 90, 40. and 80 cent pieces,
much worn and mutilated. At Buenaventura
business is done with paper. but in the min
ing districts silver alone is current.
My supplies of all kinds weighed about nine
tons, ana u take them from Buenarcntura to
the mines required the work OF sixteen men.
The time taken WAS rwei.ty-three days, as fol-
lows: Three days down the river to Buena-
ventura. three days stay in Buenaventura.
twelve days no the river to the mines. and
ii g days back 70 their homes. For this work.
and IL Ia terribly exhaustinR. each man re-
celved $ll.S0. as follows: Three days ,oard
money in Buenavcneura, 60 cents: ration
the trip. In other words. an average OF only
6l cents a day in silver which cost me but 81
cents; ~. u,o,n,u 49,.
rates of wages prevailed: Miners, men, go TO
SO cents; women, 90 TO 80 cents: boys: 20 to
BOARD caresnters and biaSismiths received
Juan received in salary and fees less than 5000
a year in naper. or about the equivalent OF $500
in American gold. The principal lawyer Of
district In the national legislature. lie In
formed me That his professional inaome was
less than $500 a year. not from lack Uf litiga-
tion, but because the people were too poor,
Now for prices; | paid for a house that
sold for 10 cents a pound. and little rolls or
bread about the size OF u breakfast roll. six
TO the pound nd, sold "a cs for . q cents nn,, each n. Pork PORK
around. Eggs. 20 cents a dozen. and chick
ems 2orents q pound. Corn, the prineipat bread,
twenty-five pounds. Plantains., the chief
vegetable OF the people. were sold In punches
so cents. according to their scarcity. Candle.
brought 90 cents a FOUND; and kerosene 60
pound. yet the San Juan River Valley is q
in the world. Common unblenched muslin
and the poorest OF print ~cal.cocs cost 20 cents @
bayeta, almost as coarse as sackIng. go cents a
ward: very coarse Shoes. which would not
sell at all in the United States. 50 a pair;
cane sugar rum, or ,aEuardiente. 40 cents q
Sa S3yl.n : nn,.n.s nv examination a. tn.
mines l determined TO sell my household
goods and tools, | quote from my note book
s snS tpl EGSiFs; eE' ; e e.f fSur cost Ssn n w Ss1 s Yart
ST. 80 each. ono steamer chair, cost Sl.25.
sold for So, one cot, mattress. pillow. and two
iinsG bail. '" cost 81? 81. sold 'G for 81: 300 bounds OF Of
rails. cost in New York S5.32, sold for S34;
pound i'r Of Cooper tSS' wire Sre,. cost 81 cents S"'I brought SIs
so cents. !. hundred different articles could
he cnumerated but the above are s%ufacisnt
tween wages and prices in a silver country.
ITO return to Buenaventura, which does a
ceiyed from SEQ to $40 a month in paper. and
q free II O'Clock breakfast At the Custom
, monss tho oc SisrGj reee eNS,n. from rs Say v TO $50 so g
n month. ,Brakemsn. $40. and conductors $50.
At the railroad shops the best.paid native ma
renters t from sl.s5 70 Sl.SoS; eirarmas ser,
from 20 to 40 cents a day. The chief doctor Of
InS town WAS kTuuuutcu uTbU NJ BOkOIA anu
afterward at Paris. He was an able physi-
clan, was in charge Of tho provincial hospital,
WAS employed by the railroad company to
yet he assured me that he received less than
S3,00ua year in paper from his practice. The
prices Of commodities are not so high at Buen-
aventura as in. the country. i quote from
my note book the following prices paid by me
Mt the largest WHOLESALE and retail house In
time 1t took two paper dollars to buy n gold
dollar: Canned pas. beans, and tomatoes.
80 cents u can: sardines, so cents; vermicelli.
40 cents u pound: rock salt, 10 cents 9 pound;
lon; California claret of horrible quality, 81
a bottle, and beer 80 cents. A roft felt hat
cost 81. and u pair OF French shoes that might
cost 81 in Now York. cost So. Rents are
high, being about Is per cent. Oh the cost of
the house, Money brings two per cent. q
month and IL hard to get"
Senator Butler VIII Not 60 Home to Vote.
WASHINGTON. Oct. 3l.-Tho furry in the
fusion camp In North Carolina, arising from
causes which are as carefully guarded from
publicity as Mr.. Watson's letter of acceptance.
and which SO disturbed Democratic and Popu-
list headquarters on Thursday evening In the
absence OF Senator Butler. Chairman OF tho
National Populist Committee. was not consld-
cred by Mr.. Butler on his return to this city of
aunicient Importance to warrant q trip to
Raleigh To compose II.
Il have investigated the matter" he said.
and sent a telegram TO Raleigh In respect
thereto. The reply satisfied me that matters
were all right and that | would not have to go
there, l do not care 10 state what the report
was but y should not have caused the comno-
The senator said he did not expect To go to
north. Carolina until after election. MY vote
the State or nation. Now. II had a vote out in
Iowa." no continued iacetiously. II might be
tempted to make the trip"