The San Francisco call., 1896-09-27
Great Concentration of Wealth.
the Small Producer Merely
Existing.
a CONDITION TO BEWARE OF.
The Difference Between Gold and
Silver Values Constantly
Widening.

Judge Charles T. Manning, formerly
business man OF Washington, now at the
head OF big coffee-growing syndicate of
Nicaragua, Is stopping at the Palace.
Judge Manning has been on a SIX months
visit to the "States." He spent month
touring through Indiana, telling the
people of that State some OF the beauties
OF free silver as he saw them in operation
during four years past that he has spent
IN the Central American States.
Central America" said Judge Man
ming, sis an agricultural country. What
the planter needs other than that which
he gets directly through the cultivation of
the soil is imported from the United
States, England or Europe. The mer-
chant, in purchasing his stocks of cloth
ing, tools, implements and provisions,
pays for bis goods in the money of the
country from which his shipments are
made. In 1888 he paid for an account of
500 United States or European money
Sis of the money circulating in Central
America. In 1892, to settle bill for $1O0
United States or European money he was
obliged to pay $152 in Central Anne rican
money, and on the 1st of August of this
year to pay debt OF S100 in the United
States or England or Europe the merchan t
of Central America was obliged to pay
1892 of the money paid to him for his
goods by his customers.
''The silver coins of Peru. Chile, Colom-
bia, Bolivia, Central American States and
prosperous ~ Mexico circulate in Central
America, 81 of any of these countries be-
ing worth as much as any one of them,
because the stamps of the governments do
,of alA foia 10 hair
are worth their bullion value less the cost
OF transportation.
'Ihese countries few years ago had a
circulating system consisting of gold and
silver, but to-day if you find a piece OF
gold bearing the stamp OF any Central
American Government it will be in the
curiosity-seeker's collection.
Nor Is there now any gold in circula-
ton in any country in the world where
the mints OF such country are open to
the free and unlimited coinage of silver
no matter what the ratio.
''In 1888. at the time when the difference
between the money of Central America
and the United States was only 18 per cent
the farmer sold his corn for so cents per
bushel, beans 81 per bushel, beef steers for
$14 to SIC per head, cheese for 20 cents per
pound and rice for cents per pound. To-
day, with the moneys of the United States
and Europe at 182 per cent premium over
the money of his country, the Central
American farmer does not receive l cent
more per pound or bushel for any of his
products than he did when there was
practically no difference between the TWO
moneys.
'The laboring mans wages in Central
and South America have always been a
mere pittsnce; 80 to so cents per day in
silver ruled es wages in 1880, and there
has been no increase since that time
While the price OF the laboring mans
clothes fOols hava in.
creased threefold his earning power has
remained stationary. His money is GER
tainly the cheapest in the world, but yet
he does not receive any more OF 1t than he
did when its purchasing power. or its in
trinsic value was nearly two and a half
times what it is to-day. Neither is 1t any
easier to get His clothing that cost him
in 1888 81, costs him to-day for the same
goods and IN the same money 50 so TO SO.
The acceptance by his Government of the
conditions of the silver standard does not
seem to have added any great amount to
his prosperity, does it?
go into any country in the world
where silver constitutes the chief money
and you will find the greatest concentra-
ton of wealth, the most arrogant of gov
ernments, the small farmer and producer
struggling to exc out mere existence the
lsborer poorly paid, scantily clothed and
badly fed.
How long could any of our people live
as do the thousands of the people of those
countries whose food, morning, noon and
night, consists of ground cooked corn
mixed with water without even salt? And
yet you hear so much OF prosperous Mex
leo, where these circumstances exist. The
prosperous people of these countries are
the large planters, the capitalist who
raises product by the aid of the poorly
paid, badly clothed ana fed laborer for
export to countries that have a sound
financial system, and whose people can
afford to pay him in the best dollars in
the world for his product, and for which
dollar he can get more than 81 of his
country's money with which to pay his
labor. Let this great country of ours be-
ware how 1t invites these grinding and
humiliating conditions"