The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-21
City OF Mexico July %

City OF Mexico, July %.
To the 'Etiisor of the World: The writer
is resident and is engaged in business
in the City of Mexico. He was driven
out of the great Wes5 ofihis;own country
the United States-on account of the
depression and misery brought about by
the characterization of silver He cannot
refrain, therefore, from furnishing few
facts and digures.to show that the great
New York World has been misled about
the effect,Gfsilver recommendation in Mex
leo
No one can doulTa the sincerity of The
World, no one can question its Democracy
nor fail TO recognize its enormous power
of a newspaper with over three-Quarters
of a million of circulation, for good or
evil; none will deny the Immense service
you have done to humanity by your relent-
less war Oh trusts and mDnopolies and
your exposure of:crime, and that you are
wavering on the great question of the
day, eager TO get ut andiimpart the TRUTH
is evident to every reader, but that your
great influence viii he swung into line be
fore the close of the campaign in support
of the Democratic platform and nominees
is here predicted.
MEXICAN DOLLARS AT HOME AND
ABROAD "a
True, Mexico is to-day on free silver
basis, but instead of misery and depress-
ion she presents 10 the world a condition
of conspicuous prosperity unprecedented
in her history.
Her silver d Jllar Is worth but SO cents
in gold standard countries, but that same
silver dollar is worth 100 cents ct home
and buys as much of the native products
of her soil as it ever did.
b What has been the effect Of gold stand
ard countries treating Mexico's dollar as
bullion and refusing 10 accept it except
at bullion value (fifty-three cents to-day?
1t has increased her exports and dee reased
her imports 1t has placed her on Il basis
of industrial independence. 1t has re-
suited in an influx of foreign capital to
develop her immense interior resources.
1t has caused mercantile and other indus
trial enterprises To spring up all over the
country, which have given employment to
thousands of hitherto idle workmen and
afforded them an opportunity to raise
themselves from the level of common
Mexican peon and make mechanics. ma
ch:nists, engineers and skilled artisans
out of themselves and it has afforded
Mexico an opportunity to produce on her
own soil.such articles as these gold stand
ard countries refuse to sell her, except at
an enormous premium of So to 100 per
cent, and she is silently taking advan-
tage of it.
Has Mexico been clamoring Tor a rec
Ognition of an international metal ratio
with other countries? No. She quietly
goes on in her march of progress and
sells these gold standard countries more
OF her products than ever and buys less
of theirs, and all this on a silver basis
Her mines are being opened. Smelters
and mills are being erected to market her
lead iron, copper, silver and gold and her
already great railroad system is being ex-
papded to connect the Atlantic with the
Pacific. Even such shrewd and wealthy
American corporations as the Calumet
and Heclan mining company, with their
forty-five millions controlled by an Eng
hsh syndicate, after paying dividends of Il
ike amount, are new seeking to invest
the bulk of this enormous capital in
Mexico.
COST OF GIVING.
Does the New York World call this
picture of misery and despair?
Now, as to, prices of living, rent etc,
under the silyes standar A first class
hotel room can 6e had at the Jardin, Itur-
bide or Guardi0la three of the leading
hotels OF the city. at ST. 90 per day, and
meals at their respective restaurants at
Sl.oo per day, or 81 per dayby the month.
Cdos, OF winch There are three classes,
the first, blue sign, s. per ha1r; the sec
ond, red, at seventy1fge cents per hour,
and the third, yellow, at fifty cents per
hour, and everyone here who has got
more sense than money takes,a yellow
bird and pays City cents per hour as per
cab
sugar, Hour, corn, milk, eggs, meat,
coffee and all similar articles produced
IN Mexico costs about the same as in New
York, dollar for dollar. Sugar, for iu-
stance, costs eight cents per pound. on
canned goods and all staples imported
from the States and other gold standard
countries, if the people here prefer them
to home products of course they have got
TO pay the freight, duty and gold premium.
HOW POOR FOLKS FARE.
In another question the World saws that
IT costs the Mexican laborer more to live
Than 1T costs the laborer in the States.
nus wages on the average are lower. but
VIII prove to you that it costs him less
ana that he lives better.
The bread in Mexico is the s'tortilla. ;,
made of corn. For one cent the iaborer
can get three fine hot tortillas the size of