The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-09-05
II England would give the Sultan of
Turkey dose Of the medicine admin
istered the Sultan of Zanzibar, no OBJ
jections would be filed on this side Of
the Atlantic,
Free Silver In Operation.

In this campaign it is we'll to deal as
largely as possible with facts. We pre-
sent herewith, for the consideration Of
workingmen, few facts as to how free
silver works in Mexico. They are told
in the language of Congressman Lacy,
of Iowa, and may be depended upon as
true in every particular:
Last summer went to Mexico and made
a study of the free silver question. 1t was
a thorough investigation. / took an inter-
prefer with me and went right in among
the workin gmen. l investigated the rate
of wages paid and how the workingmen
lived. Let me give you an instance: In
Guanajuato / found about 200 MeXicans
employed in making a reservoir. 1t was
the hardest kind of work. They carried
the sand and earth out of the excavation
on their backs in sacks and baskets. Their
hours were from O'Clock in the morning
to o'clock at night, with two intermis-
sions of half an hour each, making eleven
hours labor For this they received y
cents a day in Mexican silver, or about 13
cents in American money. ] was there
when the bell rang for the half hour for
dinner. The men sat down in groups, and
! saw what they had to eat. The meal
consisted of cold corn cakes, which some
warmed on a charcoal fire. and cold baked
beans, or tortillas. On their cakes they
spread what is called Mexican butter. This
is Il pear-shaped fruit called aguacata.
With a few red peppers in their beans,
these articles composed their meal. l did
not see one eating piece OF meat.
Naturally, l was interested to know how
men could live, even so poorly. on 90 cents
Mexican money Der day. Inquiry showed
that their food rag all produced by home
labor paid a the same low rates as them
selves. None OF that class of products is
being exported, and they simply consumed
the products of other cheap labor. Now,
If they used coffee an export article, they
had to pay from SO to 60 cents per pound in
Mexican money, the price being fixed hy
the export price in gold Consequently
it follows that the laboring people can
only use articles that are not exported. l
found that there had been practically no
advance in wages during the last twenty
five years. while there had been a great
advance in the prices of all articles of eX-
port. Mexican labor is the poorest paid
that have ever seen.
1t was Of especiatl interest to note, too,
the effects of free silver on the railroad In
terests and labor in Mexico. All the rail-
road mortgages are held abroad and pay
able, principal and interest, in gold, the
same as ours. Gold, when l was there,
was at a premium of So per cent. When
the dollar paid its interest on the bonds
and mortsa ges, it had to pay Si.SS for every
dollar in interest. This almost doubles the
fixed charges on the road. Fare and
fraghts were raised with tire premium on
gold, but, with the fixed charges almost
doubled, wages We're not raised. They re-
mained the same-about 80 cents day. 1t
is true that the wages of the American en-
gineers and conductors were raised as the
premium on gold increased. These were
paid American prices in Mexican money.
But he superintendent said they must do
this, as 1t was necessary to have American
workngmen for some branches Of their
work He said: "If an engine breaks
down, a Mexican engineer folds his hands
and goes to praying. But an American
engineer swears little. perhaps, and then
fixes his engine" The bulk of the labor
employed is Mexican, however, and is paid
in Mexican rates in Mexican money.
The" American .workingman who
wants to see the wage conditions Of
Mexican labor paralleled in the United
States should vote and work for Bryan
and free silver. But If he wants his
dollar to remain equal to the best, both
in purchasing and in debt-paying power,
he will vote and work for Mckinley.
Hobart. Protection and sound money.
The choice is clear and he need not be
under any mistake as to which will be
for his best interests.