The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-10-13

ment plan), while the balance of his
clothing would make a crazy quilt turn
green with envy. owing % rs variety
- colors and assortment Of patches,
making ii = hard problem IL solre
~ 70 which Is tn orie4ns. garment
epo which 'Lhe paIch. 70 stockings
are worn by eiIheg sex, and only about
one-thlrd Wear sandals, which are made
from a piece of soleleather and tied
TO the foot with straps. These san
dals cost from II to 20 cents pair.
The average cost of the necessities
of life for a peon family of five is %
cents per day. and clothing for the
same costs about $50 per year.
DAYS WORK IN MEXICO.
''The days work in Mexico runs from
ten to fourteen hours The bakers
work twenty hours. and workmen
Who take work to their homes work as
many hours as they please. The Mex
lean lalborers work easy, compared with
the American laborer. except the ore
carrier, who bears enormous burdens
on his back all day without manifest
ing fatigue
'SThe question of shorter hours in
Mexico lisa long way off, for country
IN which labor is so cheap and plenti-
full that it IS offered as an inducement
to bring foreign capital in and it's
toflers VIII be compelled to work as
many hours as they are physically
able, and thanks to organized labor
or the American workingrnan would be
in the same condition today as his Mex
lean brother.
THE HACIENDA
1.-THE haciendas Tor pIanta tions) are
owned by the very rich. and cover an
area of from ten to one hundred square
miles. Farming and agricultural i'm
PIGMENTS are very primitive. The plow
is a crooked stick or beam, and scratch
es the ground to a depth of three or
four inches. This 'plow' is drawn
by two oxen, and the harness is a broad
strap or rope passing over the fore
head instead of the shoulders of the
oxen. Planting is done by poking a
hole into the ground with a stick, drop
ping the corn into it, and the seed is
covered by the peon in stepping from
hole to hole. On these immense tracts
of lands, the natives or poems have
lived for centuries. and are forced to
buy all their necessities of life at the
haciendos' Qand, owners) truck store.
On the hacienda, the peon gets from
IS TO 80 cents per day for his work,
and hut TO live in, if he builds it
himself. The peOn gets no money eX-
cept on feast days and for religious
offerings. BY this system ne is always
in debt to the hacienda. This form
of slavery has been forbidden by law
for a number of years, but two-thirds
of the poems do not know it, as they
can neither read nor write, and their
masters take good care not to teach
them this fact.
NO ORGANIZED LABOR.
'Orga nized labor is unknown here,
which is considered a great blessing.
But that country today that has the
best system of trade organizations and
the greatest number of union men per
capita of its population is the fore
mostin wealth. progression and the hap
pinesS of its people.
''Ivhe cry is raised that there are no
in Mexico, but that is no
indication of the absence of poverty. as
your commission can fully testify with
out fear of contradiction, as the voice
OF The mendicant supplicating aims
rang in our ears all through the coun-
try.
In the cities of Zacattecas and Qua
with populations of 10000 and
10000 respectively, We failed to get but
ter and potatoes on the tables of the
best hotels. On inquiry we We're in
formed that if we paid 81 a pound for
butter it would be purchased and kept
for our exclusive use.
Your commission would caution
American workingmen against going to
Mexico without sufficient funds to bring
them back, or to have employment Sc
cured before going there, or they will
be obliged to subsist ON cactus and the
sap OF the tequila plant while doing the
ION asking an American who was
conducting a prosperous business IN /
one of the cities which your commits !
sion visited. why It was that the for
eigners all seemed TO be making money. |
no matter what business they were en- |
gagged in, he. with characteristic Yankee |
frankness, said: The laborer here Is |
different from the iaborer in the United |
States. Here labor is cheap and We |
nave no brains TO contend with
PRINCE AND PAUPER.
'FTle mission intrusted 10 your COM |
mIttee is a peculiar one. We We're sent |
10 study the social and financial condi- |
plain toiSers Injured TO the hard knocks |
of the factory and workshop. and none |
are better qualified TO INVESTIGATES or !
feel and sympathize with the workers |
Of another another country than men |
from our ranks We did not go lCaded |
with Credentials 10 he entertained BY |
the people OF the better class. nor vet =!
as scholars to describe the monuments !
- historic interest. or - have our Do |
etic fancies inspired by the laniscape |
and azure skies or build up wasted en-
argies in the healthful arr OF that south
sTn cline. but u go among the common |
people. who are OF our own class. and |
study conditions from that standpoint.
Hence This SpisI'e does not abound in !
high sounding plaGtudes on the sublime
and beautiful of that country, but on |
iSCts ttsat StiH exist and are ready 70 /
5pealS Tor themselves u those Who VIII |
- and seek as We have done: and !
should they Do - they WI feel a. we
10, that the Arnerican wo-kin g-uan :
| prince compared with tie working
nan OF Mexico; thar in this country all
stand equal in commercial and political |
ife, and in that political righ. tray
should exercise with care the faithful 1
Ifsc1arge OF their duties. unprejadicsi |
md unbiased. by supporting such prin-
@ples Is viii do The GREATEST good to
he greatest number. Irrespective %
,aTty politics or the machinery CT eth
= party. Who may manipulate condf-
Ions and measures foy personal gain.
o the detrinisnt osflle whole people.
p. J. MARS
PATRICK ENRIGHT.
Committee"
Cincinnati. Oct. 19.-The Times Stars
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