Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1896-09-02
Labor in Mexico.
THE WAGES NOT LOW
FOR A TROPICAL
CLIMATE.
THE LABORER is INDIE
PENDENT OF HIS EN-
PLOYER-
To the Rocky Mountain News

Quoted TO prevent the destruction of
the bankers rule and the substitution
of that of the people is seen in the
constant iteration regarding the terri
BILE condition of the poor working man
of Mexico and other republics of Latin
America. 1t must excite a smile among
intelligent workingmen in this coun-
try to be assured that their employers
are pouring out money like water to
prevent the establishment of finan-
cial reform under which they would be
able To hire all the help needed at Mex
lean wages. We are told to look at
the condition OF the worl1ingmen in
Mexico who receive their wages in sill
YER We are asked if we want to be
reduced to the level of the Mexican
with his so cents day. Why not ask
also if we want to have black hair and
olive compilations? 1t happens that
in most of the countries of Latin Amer
lea the inha abitants are darl1-skinned.
1t also happens that they use silver as
money. Until the defenders of the
gold basis can explain in what way
the people of Mexico for instance, can
be benefited by working overtime to
create a hoard of gold that shall be
there when they don't want it and dis
appear when they do, they will do we'll
to avoid reference to the condition of
the workingmen of that country.
What are the actual facts regarding
the relative conditions of the working
men in Mexico and other sister repub-
lies and those of this countryP 1 will
quote an authority that should not be
disputed in gold camp The follow
ing is from n recent report of the Brit
ish foreign Office upon the development
of the coffee industry in Mexico:
"The wages paid vary in different
districts. but the average rate for the
whole country was officially estimated
in 1892 at 81 cents, Mexican currency
Tor 81 !d.) per diem. Since that date
prices have certainly risen, and the
daily wage is now generally placed at
about 80 cents Us. Id Both employ
ers and employed frequently prefer
pieceworll to a daily wage, particular
ly for such work as clearing land be-
fore planting the coffee.
THE Mexican laborer requires care
full handling if the most is to be made
of him. n rich soil and tropical eli
mate supply nearly all his requirements
with little effort on his part, and he
viii not easily submit to harsh or un-
fair treatment from his employer"
Perhaps some organ of monopoly,
some defender of sound currency"
will call attention to any community
in the United states of whose laborers
il can be said that they will not easily
submit to harsh or unfair treatment
from their employers. What employ
er, for instance, in Mexico would in
struct his worllmen by a circular as to
their political duties? There is a mark
ed difference between the workingmen
of Mexico and this country. 1t is as
marked as when primitive man in both
sections obeyed the law of their COM
mon nature. In the colder climates
the primitive man sought first for food
and shelter, laboring constantly, and
as we believe, becoming thereby the
more rapidly developed. But in the
tropics nature had in some respects
been more kind "A rich soil and a
tropical climate supply nearly all his
requirements with little effort on his
part" For this reason he is more in
dependent of his employer and will
never know the blessed luxury of a
trades union until he shall have been
educated, which delegates the most
important functions of government to
bankers and other privileged persons
and then applauds them when they
build free hospitals and asylums for
the poor.
And there is another factor in the
case which must not be overlooked.
In Mexico the population has not yet
begun to press upon the available land.
1t will be noted in the report of the
British foreign Office that the working
men of Mexico possess both rich soil
and tropical climate. The soil is
practically no more monopolized than
the air. Both are as yet open to the
labor of man. Because of this no citi-
zen need fear of offending his employer
by refusing to work for less than he
can secure by the application of his Ia
Dor to natural opportunities open to
him. There have been no lockouts on
the Mexican coffee plantations. But
it cannot be said that this favorable
condition is due entirely to the use of
silver as money. There can be no ques-
tion that it would require extra labor
ON the part of the Mexican to secure
gold enough to form respectable pile
in his national treasury as a basis
corresponding to that of this country.
Since labor must produce all, it is quite
clear that he would have less for the
purchase of bananas and machets if re
ouired to pay for coin reserve thai