The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-08-23

l OJ II ~ .3 11o-i -
81 IL " 40 II
products and few coarser and limited
manufactures, that the goods are boubh.
in European and American maTkets AZ
gold standard prices. and are maIhtu uP
to be sold IN Mexican money altti az
loving for all charges and prOht 10 De
msde1 az nearly double their cost in
gold. standard countries. That is 10 say,
that an article costing one SILVER uotltL
in the United States VIII be maiked ~
in Mexican money to cover the dlHereu.e
in values, exclusive OF the matter Oh COST
carriage and profits.
A correspordent OF the Southern news
paper. Dixie, writes 10 from Mexico a
letter copied In the Railway age LOT July
81. 1896, as follows;
II was amused az the way one OF the
conductors with whom / talked, Teieritu
10 his salary. 1 asked him what ms POSI-
ton was worth Well. he said, that's
n pretty hard question TO answer When
the month IL up the paymaster hands me
out 100 Mexican dollars, and N depends
upon what the market price OF these COL
lars happens TO be on that particular Gay
as TO what amount / have earned during
the month. Sometimes the dollars are
worth - cents each. sometimes " cents
each. sometimes more or less Dut the
truth Of II IS 1 never know what j have
earned until l Investigate and learn the
market quotations on Mexican dollars.
WELL" / said. 'hOw do your expenses
in Mexico compare with expenses mat
you would have IN the United states
MY expenses I'm Mexico are greater"
he said. "For a while l was on the up-
per end OF the read and ooarded ~ san
Antonio, Texas. There ] paid SIS per
month board Now ! am boarding In
Torreon and pay $40 per month board ln
Mexican money But what goes hardest
with me Is that have TO pay 50 much
for wearing apparel II ! could wear
It very cbesply, hut have TO buy Ameri-
| can shirts American shoes and hats,
and indeed. practically everything wear
comes from the United Stau,s. They
don't manufacture articles Of a chIac-
ter here In Mexico suitable FOR our use,
so when | buy n pair Of shoes ] have 10
pay Double value and the duty auued.
That makes this pair Of she's that ! am
wearing worth s. 80 I'm Mexican money,
and / coule buy the same shoes In Texas
for g 81 or So. The same is true about
everything Il at ! wear. and I'll tell you
the truth, friend. when I've PAID IN!
bOard and settled for the things that
I've been con PEELED to buy Turing the
month | wouldn't be a welcome guest ~
a poker game.
HOW IT HAS DEBAsED MEXICAN
LABOR.
The debascd state to which his sort OF
! thing has rCOuCeG Mexican labor is pref
| ~ well suggested by the extracts we
have quoted. But l shall furnish other
| proof upon the point &. H. GrOedel
writes the New York journal Of Com
| merce under date o. August !, ie5O, pub
lished IN that paper August 1890 as ioI-
lows
Il have travelled through the principal
States Of Mexico by rail-, stage, sail,
horse and mule back, and came ia COM
tact with all classes, merchants, farmers,
rangers, miners. and labOrcrs. The con-
dition of the latter is simply deplora-
BILE throughout Mexico, and the peon cum
and mining districts is hardly any better
Ia.I In ar
of to-day than the negro was in the
South during slavery times IL Is piece
Of Inconsistency Of the silver enthusiasts
to compare American labor with McNlcdn
| labor and American labOrers with MeA-
can labOrers. The laborer IN the United
States is intelligent, while the native
labOrer in Mexico is half civilized ana
ignorant, working only when forced by
starvation and tho supply OF beans aul
corn gives cut. Trade ln Mexico reminded
mo Il good deal OF similar conditions on
those parts IN Europe where labor is low
and people are not blessed Nlth prosper-
Is, and 1 have often watched dealings
i'm general merchandise stores, especially
those IN smaller cities and villages. j
remember one day. While lolnsnS ia one
OF the principal stores in Masialenhr So
nora, FOR fully five hours, tho customers
purC hasing in quantities so tfliihG ana
| pdtit that an American grocer would
hardly care Tor that kin4 or trade. j
saw people purchase three cents worth
three cents worth u salt, eight cents
worth OF beans continually, and paid in
COppCrs. II seemed 10 me az the lnt
that there was really more or - copper
than a silver standard among inc depend
ing classes in the rural Ol@tlctS. li lL
was not for minc-OWucrs ia the border
States OF Mexico, about tlrce-loultnS OF
whom are Americans ana Ohe-louIlh or
European uatlOnalties. the stores could
hardly exc out more tnau a scdnt9 ca
IstenCe. Waccs I'm Mexico ara on an
average considerably lower than wages
here. and still the silver crier5 select
Mexico as a model for silver theories.
Instead of using Mexico as model Tor
siit.cr visions in should be used as an
example of a debased currency pollcy.
Prosperity IN Mexico, outside or cluts' ia
rare and found only among the large
landhOlders and mining corporations ln
rural districts. Part OF the population Us
poor; they do not live, but only exist
Thev have no desire above beans, corn
| cake, dried beef, and cigarette Jhey 40
not possess any ambition, they save TOT
the large landowners Tor mere PIT
lance. and improvement In their condl-
ton would be an unknown luxury 10
them. For such representatives or laDOF
a silver standard is good enough.
1t is very true that Mexican farmers are
reaping a temporary benefit from the de-
probation OF the money. Mr Romero
i'm the article l have quoted from, makes
this statement.
THESE sOntlIlOl5 nave intnfH a tANt-N
development In the expectation or some
OF our agricultural products, hence they
Weld very large profits Tor instance
coffee which costs TO produce IL, All eA-
penses included, not over 10 cents
bound is sold at about 20 cents in gold TN
foreign markets. The expectation or
other agricultural products which did not
ray when gold and silver were at par,
that is. at the ratio of i TO is. Is row re-
muneratiye. hence there Is returned 20
us in exchange more than we lose IN the
gold price OF the article. Sucn IS the
case for instance. with beans, which az
s cents would not pay when silver and
gold were at par. but now cents IN gold
make nearly Is cents In silver
The New York Evening Post for Aug
ust a. 1896, prints the Following letter
from II. Z. Campbell, Mayor OF IL Paso,
Tex. lie says.
II have made careful and thorough in
ouiries into the wholesale price Of some
common articles of merchandise IN the
city OF lei PasO. Tex, and the city OF
Jaurez. Mex, just across tine RIO Grande,
and al this date-August I, log6-the
prices Of the following articles n the two
cities are us follows those on this side
of The river being reckOned in United
| States money. and those on the other
| side in Mexican silver:
Breakfast bacon per pound II Il -
Ham, per pound. ........... ii l. 81
Matches. per grOss.......-.. % ~ -
| Pickles. in five-gallon kegs So % 6 80
Vinegar. in five-gallon kegs 60 j ~
Baking soda, per Dozen. 90 40
| Salt. In twO-pOund sacks. 40 So