La Junta tribune. (La Junta, Bent County, Colo.) 1881-1939, 1898-09-10
TIE RICH AID THE POOR
How They Are Influenced by
Mexican Free Coinage.
AuD CORPORATIONS.

EoH0PoLIES AID CORPORATIONS.
They Are Not Uukpov. In MEXICO, Despite
the Champions os Free silver = Taxes.
Wages and Prices In the Land Of Presa-
dent Dtas-ssvesty cents . nay.
fThis series Of letters h the result Of = PER
sonai visit to Mexico made by tho writer
early IN 1888 n special representative Of the
Michigan Republican Newspaper Association
country.l
VI
It is the boast Of the CITY Of Mexico
that no other city in the world. save
Paris alone. Possesses drive equal in
beauty to its Paseo dc Ia Reforma.
magnificent boulevard which connects
the national palace and tbe business
heart of the city with the castle Of Cha
pultepec, 2t miles distant The car
ringe way is broad and shaded by great
trees. two rows on each side. over which
every afternoon from o'clock till dark
. magnificent procession OF finer and
more costly equipages than &ny other
city in tits western world could present
rolls like the boastful stream Of wealth
1t is. through fashionable san Francis
CO street. past the beautiful Alameda
and the costly statues of Charles ~.
Columbus and Guyatimotzin on TO Cha
pultcpec. once the palace Of kings and
emperors, and today, as the home Of the
president of Mexico. fitted in regal
splerdor which compares with the Off
cial home of the American president as
castle TO n cottage. If the query shall
come to the mind Of the reader how
can such wealth and splendor exist in
country where the extreme of poverty
is the lot of u large majority OF the peo-
pie. it can be promptly answered that
the poverty Of the people is necessary
incident to the monetary policy of Mex
leo. whatever contributory conditions
may exist. even as is the wonderful
wealth Of the fortunate few who profit
through the free coinage of silver aud
cheap labor of which ta;s country per-
sistentiy boasts.
The oft repeated assertion indulged in
by the American advocates of free silver
that monopoiics and corporations could
not or would not thrive under such
policy and therefore that friendship to
free coinage involved favor for the COM
mon people in opposition to capitalistic
encroachment is discredited by the
concessions granted, subsidies paid and
taxes reh.itted by the government Of
Mexico to corporations and monopolies.
The government Of Mexico has recently
entered into . contract with the West
ern Union Telegraph company and the
Mexican Cable company, both owned
and controlled In the United States,
whereby an absolute monopoly Of all
communication by wire with foreign
countries is bestowed upon them.
For q message to any part Of the
United States they are empowered to
charge 81 IS in gold for ten words and
IL cents in gold for each additional
wcrd, and for teiegrams from the Unit
ed States to any part of Mexico sl.S5 in
gold. with I6 cents in gold additional
for each word above ten. A special rate,
which would be an exorbitantly high
one in the United States, is given the
Mexican newspapers. and the contract
conipels the payment by the newspapers
for their entire outside service in gold
to companies chartered by the Mexican
government and with established Offices
and complete equipment here. This fur
ther illustrates the fact that the cheap
silver currency Of Mexico il for the pay
ment of wages to workingmen and to
farmers for their produce. but is not for
the importers and exporters or the gov
ernment favored corporations
1t il well remarked in recent num-
ber of The Mexican Financier that
"the common people are not asking for
concessions or salaried places or social
distinctions at the hands of General
Diaz, and they are the most loyal
friends he has," Very true it IL that the
common people Of Liexico are not ask
ing for concessions or salaried places or
social distinction. They know by long
experience that salaried places are at
the disposal of the wealth Of Mexico.
that social distinction is barred from
them by their poverty and wretchedness,
which are increased and perpetuated by
government policies.
Taxes - Pay subsidies.
In, his letter eulogizing the Mexican
government and its financial policy it ,
will be remembered that Mr.. Bryan
made no reference to the most conspic-
uous feature Of Mexico's financial policy. |
its subsidy granting. monopoly form
ing. capital favoring characteristicA
which add TO the power Of an edict from |
the palace even while they add TO the |
poverty Of the masses from whose toll !,
all are being enriched in Mexico save |
the toilers themselves. II may be mat |
ter Of some interest TO my readers to |
learn how the generous subsidies are |
provided for. In the first place, Mexico |
has q schedule OF import duties several /