The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-15
MR. BRYAN,s DISCOVERIES.

Mr.. Bryan should not have been surprised
when the Mexican banker gave him two
Mexican silver dollars for dollar of United
States money. IL he had been reading pa
pers which contain current facts he would
have known it two years ago. If he had
spent a few moments of the time which
he has been devoting to talking to reading
the reports of New York markets he would
have known that the Mexican silver dollar
is quoted in New York and elsewhere for
its bullion value, now less than so cents in
the money which is tied to gold. During
the campaign of 1896 hundreds of papers
stated scores of times that the purchase
price of the Mexican silver dollar was but
half that of the United States silver dollar.
The experience of scores of men in Mexico
was given to the public during that cam
paign, all tending to establish the Mexican
dollar as 5O-cent dollar The representa-
went to Mexico reported the same fact. In
this vicinity the boys learned that two Mex
lean dollars could be obtained here for
standard silver dollar and ceased in 1886
to be surprised. Indeed, the fact that the
Mexican dollar is worth less than so cents
is generally as well known as that two and
two make four And yet the man who keeps
himself before the country as a presidential
candidate is reported not to have found out
this commonly known fact until he went
to Mexico and was given two Mexican for
one United States dollar. This sort of ig-
norance which Mr.. Bryan is displaying and
having telegraphed over the country must
embarrass his friends
The last thing reported of Mr.. Bryan was
that he was going into the Mexican market
with his 50-cent dollars TO see if he could
purchase as much value in merchandise for
one of them as he could for a 10O-cent
dollar. Everybody else in Mexico and else
where who has come to the years of dis
erection, or rather of ordinary comprehen-
sior knows that he cannot. There is not
man in this country, not even the widest
advocate of fiat money, who does not know
that one cannot purchase as much of any
article for so cents as he can for 81. He
knows that it makes no difference what the
coin is stamped if it is accepted for the
market value of the bullion it contains.
The Mexican dollar would purchase no moNe
if it were stamped five dollars instead of
one 1t is different with the United States
dollar. 1t is tied to gold money, and will
be SO long as the issue is limited and the
limited issue can be used to pay all debts
1t may be that Mr.. Bryan may be made
to believe, or rather to declare, that he can
purchase as much of certain native products
with the 50-cent as with the 1O0-cent dol
lar He may say and believe it as much
as he will. The person of average sense
knows that. SO long as in any town in Mex
leo two Mexican silver dollars can be OBJ
tanned for one United States dollar only
half as much merchandise, except possibly
the Mexican bean and red peppers, which
constitute the diet of the native laborer,
can be purchased for dollars which cost but
so cents as for those dollars for which two
Mexican dollars can be secured. Mr.. Bryan
may go about Mexico paying out 10O-cent
dollars for SO cents worth of merchandise,
but the Mexican greaser, who cannot read,
should he find himself the possessor of a
United States dollar, would go straightway
to money broker and get two Mexican dol
lars for it. Probably Mr., Bryan is the
only man in Mexico wearing a full suit of
clothes who has harbored the impression
that he can purchase as much with
dollars which he received two for one
as he can for dollars which he can ex-
change one for two. Really, If Mr.. Bryan
goes on in Mexico as he is reported to have
begun he will run great risk of becoming
the laughing stock of all those people who
are not the victims of the Bryan fetch.