The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-10-17
NOTES and COMMENTS
A Former Mexican President and Stu
dent Of Political Economy.
SAYS THE LABOR POSTER is ALL WRONG
Juggling OF American and Mexican
Prices 10 Suit the Emergency
The Wrong Man I'm the Wrong
PlRce-Struck Nest OF Them
WALL Support whaIcy.

Say, can you tell me the way TO the
gold bug meeting?" The speaker was
an intelligent looking boy. perhaps II
years old and wearing for an ornament
n slight impediment in his speech. The
time was Thursday night, the place
Brambleton, the person addressed II
representative of The Daily Nirginian.
There is" replied the latter. "a gold
meeting In progress around here at
Festival Hall: l am going there now and
will show you the way"
You See" continued young America
as though he had never been interrupt
ed Il look young, ana l am. but ] am
no fool / attend all the meetings, listen
To all the arguments and draw my own
conclusions. | can't vote, but | can
think and the way II seems to me now
| don't see how Bryan can help being
elected. But then l get little bit
scared when | think of the money the
other side has got. They are putting out
so much literature, too. though that
wouldn't make Il single bit of differ
'ence If they would confine themselves
TO facts and not spread around SO much
stun that isn't true. Now, here is this
poster they have stuck up all over the
city comparing American prices for
labor and commodities with Mexican
prices for the same things. That poster
is all wrong. ! have lived i'm Mexico
and | know all about IT, Skilled labor
~
skilled labor In this country, but it is
true that common labor doesn't. OF
course 1t doesn't. Why their common
laborerS are nothing but lazy grcasers
who are not worth a third as much as
the men i'm the same class in the United
States. If people knew anything about
the matter, and had any sense. they
wouldn't compare the two for an in
slant. They would be ashamed to do ii.
Then another thing, those posters don't
take INTO account the difference in the
Mexican dollar and the American dollar.
when they hire Il man on one of these
posters they work the Mexican money
down into American figures, and when
they sell him anything in Mexico they
work the American dollar up into MeXi-
can figures. you understand. and that
has lot to do with the way those fig
ures read on the posters. oh, 1t is a
good campaign dodge, but it is all
wrong
Then. why is it that you never find
MeNicans emigrating to this country?
l Will tell you. 1t is because they are
too we'll satisfied where they are. Did
YOU ever see IL Mexican? Wlel, l doubt
II you ever will. Those people are happy
ana contendcd; they are prospecting like
miracle, when you come TO think what
Kind of people they are and the undc-
Veloped condition of the country Still"
added this infant phenomenon reflect
lively, AFTER all, YOU can't compare the
two countries any more than YOU can
compare England and China. The only
thing you can do is to learn a lesson
from what YOU see and what YOU know.
That is what | am doing"
AT this point the newspaper man was
obliged To part with his newly found
friend. and so left him up to his elbows
in gold standard literature. which he
was gathering UP indiscrimh ateiy from
the table in the office of the Bramble-
ton Sound Money" League