Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-08-05
SILVER IN MEXICO.
HOW THE CARTWHEEL DOLLARS
MELT AWAY.
Nowhere Are Beggars More Numerous,
or Squalor and Wretchedness More
in Evidence-A Ragged and Poorly
Housed People.

The advocates of the free and unlimit-
ed coinage of silver, and Mr.. Towne in
particular, are of late given to holding
up the monetary system of Mexico and
the conditions there as Illustrations Of the
blessings of free silver. 1t is doubtful
if there is a nation on the face Of the
globe where more poverty is seen in all
its parts of the nation than can be found
in Mexico. 1t is more than probable,
however, that neither Mr.. Towne nor his
friends have taken the time to familiariZe
themselves with the conditions of the
people of that free silver republic. When
they say the Mexican wage Garner is in
a more prosperous condition than those
of this country they do not fail to exhibit
their utter ignorance of the question.
Anyone who knows anything at all on
the subject knows there is not a syllable
of truth in such statements. Mr.. Towne
is reported to have said a few days
since, at st. Louis, that Mexico was
a much more prosperous country than the
United States, and cited as the cause for
this the fact that Mexico was on a
free silver basis. 1t is not understood
here that Mr.. Towne has ever spent
much time in that cOuntry-if he has
ever been there at all. The testimony
of those who have spent months and
years in that country is entitled to at
never been across the Southwestern
frontier.
The Rev. Francis E. Clark, president
of the Society of Christian EndeavOr, a
gentleman of observation and the highest
integrity, VINO has lately completed Il
journey of $500 miles in Mexico, writes
as follows concerning conditions as he
found them:
Free silver. after all, does not make a
terrestrial paradise in every respect. The
NIC IL,
The Mexican cartwheel dollar melts away
in a surprising fashion when it come to
buying what an American considers the
necessaries of life. For instance when
the coIored porter of the Pullman buffet
car brings you the bill of fare it almost
takes your breath to see the prices
charged for various comestibles. For in
stance, two boiled eggs cost 30 cents, while
three may be obtained for the moderate
sum Of 40 cents. Bread and butter is 20
cents, a cup Of tea or coffee costs the
same price, while a sandwich may be had
for no lessi OF course the eye Of BOs-
tonian would seek the price of the succu-
lent and nutritious baked bean. and he is
surprised to find that it requires 40 centa-
vos cents to pay for the dish for which
his municipality is famed small bottle
of appollinaris water costs 80 cents, and
other things are in proportion.
Desiring a light lunch one occasion
in the City of Mexico, I bought i small
package of sweet biscuit, about half Il
pound in all, which might have cost Is
d.
that my bill amounted to 81 cents.
1t should be remarked, however that If
one is content to live in Mexican style
prices are not eXorbitant. A good room
in the best Mexican hotels for one or two
people can be had for from 81 to 81 a day
(Mexican), and board If you can stand
the execrable cooking of the country is
from 81 to 81 more.
The silver of prosperous" Mexico has
not as yet found its way to any great ex-
tent into the pockets of the poor people.
Wages are evidently on the highest sort
of a gold basis. A number of my friends
told me that they pay their cooks about
50 4 month, about One-Quarter the price
of such labor in the States. In the coun-
try districts an abe-bodied man earns St
(MeXican) a month ($3 American) and hi
board, while fair days wages in city or
country for laboring man is 80 cents
Nowhere are beggars more numerous, or
squalor and wretchedness more in evil
dence than in prosperous Mexico. The
most naked children. holding out grimy
hands, while their pitifuI and monotonous
wall, ''Centayos,' "CentavoS," reminds
of Egypt and Syria Indeed. the condition
of the common people seems not one whit
better than that of the fellalin of Egypt
or the pariahs of India.
In many respects the condition Of these
widely separated ones is strikingly SINH
lar. They live in the same kind OF mud
houses. They are clad in similar futter.
Mexico seem little more ragged than
those of the East. Their feet are shod
with the same kind of sandal fiat piece
of rough leather, bound on with a leather
thong. TEere is one difference, however,
the red fez of Egypt and the white turban
of india in MeXica gives way to the great
sombrerO on which every Mexican who has
a spark of self-respect prides himself.
In the matter of headgear, this Oriental
country of the Occident has the adYan-
tage of the sister nations of the East. Its
''tile'' is truly Il magnificent one. 1t some
times costs 500; very frequently from $40
to $50. Often a mounted Mexican may be
seen galiOping across the dry plains. whose
overShadOwing SOmbrerO is worth more
than all the rest of the Outht-cOat and
shirt and trousers and horse and saddle.
Hundreds of thousands of MeXicanS live
in houses which could be built for $40 in
American money. and their whole ward
robe, minus the sombrerO, would come
high at ''two bits l am speaking. of
course. of the poems, the peasant class.
There is another class Of Mexicans of
live in beautiful houses, surrounding love
built very much as were the houses of an
Gent Pompeii. These Mexicans are 20
lite, generous. hospitable, full of eager
the last degree. 1t is a race with large
possibilities and hopeful future. Is free
silver the good genius of the republic?
will leave it to fnanciers to say I simply
record the impressions of a traveller.
A Straw.