Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-09-21
BECOMES A CONVERT.
J. N. Hawthorne, Of st. Paul, Visits
Mexico
To Find Out the Truth in Regard to
Free Silver - He Comes Back
Converted to Fee Coinage and
Gives Reasons for His F. it'll.

The St>Paul Globe, Gold Bug Demo-
cratic paper of September 10, prints the
following:
J. NJ. Hawthorne, OF this city, who was
sent as q special delegate to Mexico by
jhe silver convention which met in ST.
Louis last July, returned home yester-
day. He was sent there for the purpose
OF securing campaign thunder, and as
he had it all his own way he had no trOu-
be in performing his work
He comes back a free silver advocate
of the most pronounced type, and de-
clares that unless this country adopts
the policy of Mexico the Industries of
the United States will be ruined by man
ufacturers Of Mexico and Japan. Ten
years is the limit of the time which Mr.
Hawthorne gives the United States to
become bankrupt unless the free silver
policy is adopted.
To reporter for the Globe, Mr. Haw-
thGrne said he found Mexico prosperous
far beyond his expectations, with sur
plus in her treasury and every industry
being pushed day and night to nee, the
demands OF trade. All this has come
about since the minis OF India were Cos
ed and the Sherman act was passed in
the United States, according TO the ST.
Paul travellers review.
All classes of business are prosper
ing" said Mr.. Hawthorne. Farmers
are making money, wages OF all classes
have increased from % 10 so
per cent, the finances Of the
government are in better shape
than ever before, and the banks
are prosperous. And this prosperity is
directly due TO free silver. Its results
are apparent on every hand. The coun-
try is paradise for The farmer. Wheat
is worth $3.50 per bushel, cotton from
Is to 20 cents per pound, butter SO to 60
cents pound, corn $3.50 per hundred
pounds, and so on. And it should be re-
membered that in the purchase of these
articles Mexican dollar goes as far in
Mexico in the purchase Of the necessi-
ties of life as the American dollar does
| in this country. For, instance, | got
meal that included two kinds of meat,
coffee, TWO side dishes and dessert for
| 10 cents.
Following are some Of the wages
paid, taken from railroads and other
pay rolls Of Mexico:
Conductors on passenger trains $40
| to $3.50; conductors on freight trains,
s125 to 5000 per month; s;enOgraphers
and typewrlters 500 TO $500 per month;
locomotive engineers, $3.50 to 1928 per
month; clerks in stores, 81 to $3.50 per
day: clerks who speak English, So TO So
per day; p,asterers and masCns (Ameri-
cans) IS to $3.50 per day; shop machin-
lists. 50 to s. per day. The wages for I'M
| skilled labor are low and meet an almost
parallel in the wages paid in the States
of South Caroline, Alabama and Mis-
siss.ppi by the sugar planters to negroes.
81 found further in Mexico that as the
business was booming new enterprises
were constantly being inauguraJed and
there was an ever increasing demand for
labor. hence | was not at ali surprised at
the statement of Francisco del Ne!asco,
OF Puebla, Cle owner OF the Patrlousmo
cotton mills of that city, when ne stat
ed that he had been Obliged to advance
the wages Of his employees 20 per cent.
during the past year.
Il visited a great many mills and tac-
tories and have found them all running
and apparently prosperous. The cotton
mills. some ninety in number in the re-
public. have run day and night with
some few exceptions ever since gold
went to its highest premium in 1898, at
the time of the closing Of the India
minis and the repeal OF the Sherman act
in this country. For instance, visited
the mills Of Orizaba. which are known as
the Rio Blanco mills. They commenced
operations in 1898. There are in those
mills 5000 throttle spindles, equal TO
20 O00 mule spindles, and there are loo
looms for weaving cotton. Now, mark
Won those spindles and looms have been
running day and night for the past three
vears except Sundays. And what s true
NJ the mills or Orizaba is true OF all the
other cotton and wooden mills in the re-
public. M
IN the valley Of Mexico and these are
crowded with orders and have to run
double time. The mills are clearing all
the way. over all expenses, from ten to
forty per cent. pr annum. Among the
iron fourdri5s found none more pros
nervous than those of Monterey, Of which
]. A. Robertson is the president. Mr..
Robertson has in his employ W. NJ. and
p DushnaU formerly of this city.