The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-01-19
Mexican Labor aud Free silver.

= d. b.
While the decision OF the Republican
editors of the slate of Michigan to send
one of their number to Mexico to inves-
tigate the workings of free silver in that
country. is commendablc. the action Is
hardly necessary. In view Of the many
reports which have already been made
upon the, subject, and the abundance Of
statistics that are available from official
sources.
The Chicago Inter-Ocean recalls, in
this connection. the action OF the Ameri-
can Federation OF Labor in sending
commission to Mexico on a similar quest
and the result of the inquiry, which
was widely published at the time. It
will be remembered that there was but
one Republican on this commission, and
that he was a believer in the virtues of
\ free silver. Notwithstanding this, the
report OF the results Of the investigation
& could not have been more favorable to
: the contentious Of the sound money men
I IL they had themselves prepared It as
I campaign document. In it's reference to
the incident our contemporary recalls
that the commission Investigated and
reported in detail the industrial condi-
tons in Mexico as compared with the
United States. the City Gt Mexico and
{ Chicago being taken as the two base
z lines of calculation.
The result, briefly summarized. show
ed that in the point Of comparison be-
tween wages in both countries. in every
instance. the earnings were lower In
& Mexico, while prices for the nccessitics
of life were higher. There was no cx-
ception In either list. as to wages and the
prices Of necessaries. trade by trade In
Z the frs, instance, and article by article
In the second. Summed up. the average
z OF wages In the City Of Mexico is less
than halls that in Chicago. while tn.
average OF prices Of commodities Is more
I, than double.
Iss Thl5 IS the report from duly author
{ ized agents OF one of the greatest labor
organizations in America. every one OF
whom went 10 Mexico prcIudiced In
favor Of free silver. but whose dutyfi.
s was TO ascertain the truth for the pur-,
pose Of cnlghtcning the many thousands
sof,wage workers whom they represented.
! The explanation Of the state OF affairs
4 IN Mexico. and OF the similar state or
affairs in all silver standard countries,
q is, that while ,wagee fail 10 :lse the pur-
iGchaslng power OF the money In use has In
7 all cases decreased: l.,4
Since tho Journey of the representa-
tiyes OF the american Federation OF
Labor the contrast has become even
2 greater than It was then, for The silver.in
Z the Mexican dollar has still further de-
y creased in price until nov, instead Of be-
Ing n,flfty cent dollar. II Is worth much
less.
Mr.. Bryan. who has recently returned
. from Mexico. where, he went os,enslbly
10 tnvcstisatc the genera. conditions.
Z but who In reality was toasted and ca
~ W. td"iSu " WY hioHica sihs7cS anu ilul
IA by the CLASSES who suffer. most from the
policy OF maintaining a deprecated cur
\ rency, has professcd to be well pleased
4 with the prosperous condition OF the
country. but It is clear thai The sort of
prosperity which Mr.. bryan witnessed
was not the alleged prosperity" that the
Representatives Of the wage working
rlasscs OF tho United States were cspcc-
( tally instructed to investigate. He found
capital and enterprise in Mexico con-
ton.edt but 10 has had little to cay Of the,