The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-01-24

is being taught more and more exten-
sively each year, and is now understood
and spoken by most of the public men
or by members of their families. I was
informed that a majority of the mem
bers of the federal congress could un-
derstand speech delivered in our Ian
Suage- The leading hotels and stores
nave clerks who can speak English, so
that travel and traffic are made easy.
Eighth-MexicO is making substantial
progress in education. The public
schools are free and attendance is COM
pulsory The president and those as
sociated with him in authority are put
ting forth every. possible effort to inn
prove the system of instruction and to
bring all the children under the inf1u-
ence of the school teacher. AS an il
luStratOn, in the state of Mexico the
number of schools has increased more
than 100 per cent within the last 10
years and the number of pupils in at
tendance shows an equal increase. The
girls and boys enter school upon an
equal footing and the ambition of the
pupil is stimulated by the offer of re-
wards for merit
Ninth-That the free coinage of silver
is entirely satisfactory to the people of
Mexico. They have had a chance to
test their system thoroughly and to
compare it with the systems of the
United States, England, France and
Germany, and I find no disposition.
either among the officials or among the
people, to favor the gold standard. The
federal government pays about six mil
while it is compelled to collect over Il
millions in silver to cover this interest
account, it has no difficulty in doing so,
because of the prosperous condition Of
the nations industries. The govern
ment is not only meeting its expenses,
but has q surplus. In Mexico the pro-
ducerS of wealth have not encountered
the disastrous fall in prices which has
afflicted all the gold standard countries
since 1873 While exchange has fluctu-
ated, the huctuation has only affected
while of small Importance when COM
pared with the great advance Of main
tanning the level of prices, will entirely
disappear when the parity between gold
and silver is restored
I found quite a number of Mexicans
who went so far as to express th9
hope that the United States would con-
tinue the gold standard, because of the
advantage which Mexican manufactur-
ers find in a high rate of exchange, but
the majority of the people with whom
talked desire the restoration of BIZ
metaIlism in the United States in order
that stability in exchange may be ad-
ded to stability in prices.
The United States has had the gold
standard for % years and the system
has proved so unsatisfactory that at
the last election G, 500 900 voters express
ed a desire for Independent biLnetal-
ism, while 1000 900 cast their votes for
candidates, pledged to international BIZ
metallism. The gold standard has been
so disastrous that even a Republican
administration is asking foreign ma
tiOnS to help US to get rid of it. The
people of Mexico could adopt the gold
standard if they desired to do sO-and
yet no considerable number of them
wish to abandon silver.
Tenth-That Mexico is more prosper
Gus today than ever before. Her indus
tries are increasing in number and inn
pOrtance.
Eleventh-That the wages are not
only higher on an average than ever
before, but still rising. Progress or re-
progression can be determined only by
comparing the present with the past.
The condition of the IabOring classes in
Mexico can be improved, but it is q
fact that they are in better condition
than they were in 1873, when the Mex
lean dollar was worth more than our
gold dollar, and I believe that their
condition is much better today than it
would have been if Mexico had adopted
the gold standard when the United
States did. It is not fair to compare
the wages in one country with the
wages in another country without first
making allowance for differences in ef-
ficiency, differences in climatic condi-
tions, differences in habits, etc.
In all the leading cities of Mexico can
be found people from the United States;
England, Germany and France-a1l
drawn from gold standard countries by
the advantages offered in Mexico. Few
have gone from the United States to
Canada, where they have the gold
standard and speak the English Iangu-
age, but in Mexico, where an American
citizen is compelled to learn an entirely
new language. there are already several
American colonies and the number is
constantly increasing. Some are in
business for themselves, some working
for wages, and they stay there, although
they are at liberty to return whenever
they see an opportunity to better their
condition in the United States.
TWelfth-Real estate is rising in Mex
leo. Public and private improvements
are in progress.
4pHHAT0ME TE0V RvHs