Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1896-09-03
HOW 1T WORKS.
The Very Best Authority In
the World
SUMS UP FREE SILVER IN MEXICO.

A Statement From the Mexican Minister
of Finance on the Effects OF Free and
Unlimited Coinage of Silver In That
Country-It Aims at Bimetallism, but
In Reality Means Silver Alone-Gold
at a Premium OF Nearly 200.
Mr.. Jose Llmantour, the Mexican
minister Of finance, has been inter.
viewed on the effects of free and un-
limited coinage of silver in that coun-
try, and his statement is one of the most
important contributions to the present
financial discussion which have yet ap-
peared. The Cincinnati Commercial
Tribune in commenting thereon says:
Minister Limantour is an authority.
He is in charge of the finances Of a
country which is now and has always
been on free-silver basis. Those facts
alone would give great value to his ut
terance upon question of such vital
Importance to the American people but
in addition he declared, previous to his
statement, that what he said was from
an absolutely nonpartisan standpoint >
That, then, absolves the distinguished
gentleman from any attempt to make
pOlluiSol SuPludl loi ouy 6ahCAAShh phiV,.
"In almost his first sentence he deals
sledgehammer blow at the bimetai-
lism fallacy of Bryan by saying, The.
oretically. of course, our standard is BIZ
metallic but, Of course, it is really a
single silver standard. He then goes
on to say:
"'It is not possible to have a double
standard under free coinage. Any
gold we have is Immediately exported,
and I have never seen any gold in ci-
culation in Mexico. Gold is at a pre-
MUM of nesrly 200.'
NEARLY every word of the distin-
guished Mexican fnancier, it will be
observed, is direct contradiction of the
statements so glibly made by Mr..
Bryan. Furthermore, Mr.. Limantour's S
words are based upon national and a
| personal experience, while Mr.. Bryan's
/ utterances are based upon airy assump-
tions, spontaneous speculations and
fairylike fallacies.
"The minister was asked by our cor
respondent he question:
is Mexico prosperous on silver
standard?'
''To which he answered:
"'Our prosperity is increasing rapid.
ly, but it is due to q number of causes,
and not especially to the silver stand
ard
HE was also asked:
/ "'What is the effect upon wages of
the depreciating silver staniard?'
'And his reply was
| "'They have not increased percepti-
bly,. The same is true of Japan, where
wages are very low. For this reason
Japan and Mexico will in few year
be able to compete successfully with
England and the United States because
Of the silver standard and low wages.
'''What is the ruling rate of wages
for agricultural laborers in Mexico?'
I "'Twentv-five cents day.
| There, til en-, is a word picture of tho
| effects Of free silver in Mexico. tn
, country that is held up to us by the ad-
vocates of silver standard as a shining
! example of all the benefits of such a
financial policy.
! "It is word picture painted by the
one man of all others most capable OF
doing justice to the subject, and study
| of Minister Limantour's verbal free sill
| yer landscape on the part of Mr.. Bryan
and his followers is most respectfully
/ commended.
! "Unintentionally, Minister Liman.
tour has performed service of inesti
/ mable value to this nation. He has re,
vealed the real results of the poll
whose adoption is urged by the advo
Gates of dishonest money, and has made
! the Endorsement of free silver stan.
dard by the,voters of +. the United States
an impossibility." - ~
~ Speal,iagin the house OF representa-,
tives Aug i6, iS9S, William J. Bryan
defending the rightsof tho mine owners
and operators to profit by the free and
/ unlimited coinage of silver at 16 to /
said that the mine owner would prof
''just as the horse seller would profit by
war which required the purchase of 8
large number of horses for cavalry serv
ice, or just as the undertaken would
profit by the decent burial of paupel
! at pnblic expense"
This is a remarkable way of saying
that the demand for free and unlimited
coinage of silver is war upon the ma
ton, and that the nations welfare il
the pauper for whose burial the silver
miner win serve as undertaken.
The poet soeaks of one who
could not ope
/ His mouth. but out there few trope.