The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1898-08-02
WAGES OF THE TOILER.
Mexican Labor the Poorest Paid
on This Continent.
CHEAP OURRENOY's SURE EFFECT

Free Coinage Causes n Loss TO the Work-
man of Half the Value of His Earnings.
Rich Profit at Expense Of Poor-Theory
and Practice Contrasted.
This series of letters is the result OF a per-
sonal visit to Mexico made by the writer
early in 1893 as a special representative of the
Michigan Republican Newspaper Association
to investigate the monetary system of that
country.]
H.
During the last national campaign i'll
the United States and in the several
state campaigns of last fall persistent
efforts were made on behalf of the ad-
vocates of the free coinage OF silver to
persuade the workingmen of our coun-
try-those who dispose of their labor by
the day or week or month-that especial
advantage would be secured TO them
through the currency change asked for.
1t was urged to them that through free
coinage more money would be circulat-
ed and wages would be increased and
that all the injury predicted to occur to
other interests and other classes would
directly result in advancing the inter-
ests of the workingman. To the farmers
1t was said that free silver would COM
pei higher prices for their products, 1T
would enable them to pay their debts in
a cheaper currency, and it would give
them unusual and hitherto unpossessed
advantages over all other producing in
terests. Banks and corporations were
denounced, and it was made TO appear
that the operation of the free coinage of
silver would in some way injuriously
affect these institutions to the Sadvan-
tage of the classes sought to be arrayed
against them.
The greater producers and large en-
ployers of labor were included i'll the
list of interests against which appeals
were made and prejudice created, and
1t was made to appear that SO peculiar
and so discriminating would be the op-
Grafton of "a law providing for the free
and unlimited coinage OF silver at the
ratio of 10 TO / that while the small
producers would be benefited the great
producing corporations and iron kings
and lumber barons, as they chose to
term them, would have their profits
limited and lessened, and that while
the income of the employer of labor
; would be curtailed through free silver
system the wages of his employees
would be promptly increased.
If it is thought by any reader of this
review of free coinage assertions that 1t
is in the least degree exaggerated OF
overdrawn, permit me to call his atten-
ton to the leading and more especially
to the closing features of the campaign
of 1896 in behalf of the free coinage OF
silver. Is it not true that denunciation
of banks and corporations formed the
principal theme of free silver orators
and free silver editors? Was it not urg
ed by professional labor agitators before
labor organizations and to laboring mel
whenever addressed that the adoption
of free coinage would bestow upon then
advantages over their employers which
they had not before possessed?
Labor and Wages In Mexico.
One of the important purposes of m.
visit to Mexico, where the free and un
limited coinage of silver is now and ha
been in operation since the mint wa
first established in 1887, was to learn
, possible by observation and inquiry rel
ative to the practical effects of that sys
tenn what grounds existed for appeal
to workingmen in, behalf Of such
change in the currency laws of tn
United States and what reasons existe
J. in fact for any expectation that work
: ingmen and small producers would b
. benefited rather than injured throug
i such change.
! shall not seek to create prejudic
= against the coinage system of Mexic
- through mere presentation of the fac
that the men and women who are tn
daily toilers here are the poorest pal
laborers on this continent If not in an
civilized section of the entire globe
But desire TO state just here that
the continuance of the free and unlimi
ed coinage Of silver by Mexico is dr
!. the loss to the workingmen of this coul
y try of more than half the value of the
daily earnings.
Had Mexico coined its own silver an
= upheld its value through establishir
and maintaining the redemption pri
ilege, as has been done by almost evel
civilized nation ON the globe the Me
lean laborer could purchase today mo
than double the quantity of food
clothing his wages will now comman
This burden of loss by reason OF adhe
ence ON the part of Mexico to mon
tary standard which is as completely
thing of the past as the brass candl
stick or the tallow dip has fallen almo
entirely ON the shoulders of the lahore
of Mexico and it is being borne by the
today. The government of Mexic
which is government of and for {
influential and well to do absolutel
finds means of profiting through the fr
coinage of silver. Capitalists and CO
porations and banks find means of
- creasing their profits through this p'
icy, but the unfortunate from whom I
q their extra profits come, the losers frc
pu- whom all others are gaining, are the