The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-08-12


tainment of Mr.. Bryan on the occasion
OF his recent visit here it is stated that
"a combination of French capitalists
has been formed for the purpose of man
ufacturing shoes and leather goods for
sale in Europe, calculating to realize a
substantial profit from the employment
OF cheap Mexican labor upon a silver
basis and selling their product for gold. I"
Will the workingmen Of the United
States take notice of the fact that
cheap labor" and "silver basis" are
terms which persistently go together
here, and cheap labor would necessarily
accompany silver basis wherever the
latter was established?
The adoption of free coinage Of silver
in the United States would not repro
duce in our country all the conditions in
existence in Mexico today, but it would
create there one currency valuation in
which to pay for labor and another in
which to count cost and secure profits.
In The Mexican Financier of January
occurs this sentence:
Here, then, is a definite statement by q very
conservative man, whose addresses on oriental
matters we have often quoted to the effect
that India, like Mexico, Is profiting Industrial
" by the combination Of silver and cheaply
paid labor.
1t will be noticed that the quotation
"profiting industrially, which Mexico
Is said to be experiencing, does not pre-
tend to include the maker and producer
of this profit, but classes it as an ele-
ment as little worthy of consideration
as the combination Of silver" by which
labor here is made cheaper by half than
1t otherwise would be. The working
men of the United States have been and
are being urged to assist in securing the
adoption Of the free coinage of silver In
order to secure for themselves some
promised advantage or alleged profit,
while it is well understood fact, con-
stantly commented ON here in Mexico,
that labor is the one commodity first
and most depressed through free silver.
Viewed from any practical and applica-
BILE point Of observation, it is not even
imaginable that the free and unlimited
coinage Of silver in the United States
could have any other effect save that Of
making the rich richer and the poor
poorer, as 1t has done and is doing in
Mexico
Distress Of the Laborer.
had many times heard it asserted
before coming to Mexico that the ma
tves of this country were worthless as
laborers, that they had no desire to earn
better wages and that they would not
work steadily no matter what compen-
sation was given or promised them. In
part only this is true, and 1t is given
such truth as they are now enduring
the free coinage Of silver being lead
ing factor in their present distress. But
/ was told by the managers Of the iron
mines at Durango and of the silver
mines at Zacatecas that very many of
their Mexican employees were as steady
and reliable as are the workmen Of any
other country. Some of them have been
employed at these mines for many
years, and their labor has secured for
idents of Europe, the almost fabulous
fortunes which these mines have yield
ed Possibly it may ease the conscience
of these millionaire mine owners to in
sist and to have their assertions accept
ed that their payment of starvation
wages in a currency worth less than
half its face value is justified because of
the fact that their faithful laborers
could not appreciate better wages or
better currency conditions.
At the great Guggenheim silver smell
ter at Aguas Calientes found several
hundred native Mexicans at work. that
great industry being entirely conducted
with their labor, directed by five or six
German and American department fore
men. Native workmen conducted the
castings and endured the fierce heat Of
the smelling fires They separated the
ores upon their receipt from the mines,
according to quality or desirability for
the several furnaces. They handled the
precious product Of the smelter in all its
stages from crude ore to silver bars and
attended to its preparation for ship
ment. And for these services the Mex
lean workmen at this smelter receive
from % to A cents day in currency
worth less than ID and 90 cents in the
country in which their employers live
luxuriously.
Practically all the industries of the
City of Mexico are conducted with ma
tive labor Native Mexicans are con-
ductors and street car drivers, they put
up the electric light wiring and attend
to the lamps, they do nearly all the
building and have charge of municipal
improvements, they are the policemen
of the cities and the soldiers of the re-
public. Indeed the president Of Mexico
today is himself an illustration of the
possibilities of the native Mexican
when assisted by opportunity and ia
voring circumstances. 1t is most as
suredly not true that conditions here,
which are especially favorable to cap
ital and wealth by reason Of Mexico's
currency system, so exist because the
native laborers Of the country would
not assist in upholding improvement
and do not desire to have it otherwise.
They are the victims of a system and of
conditions which serve to allow them
but miserable existence, and they
have no choice but to accept the unfor-