The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1898-08-02

the Mississippi river can be prevented
from continuing its course to the gulf
or the night and day interrupted i'll
their succession. 1t is not even sought
TO be denied in Mexico that the cur.
rency system of the country gives the
capitalist an advantage over the laborer
which IA not possessed in gold standard
countries.
Silver Robs the Toiler.
In the same issue of The Mexican FL
nancier, published in this city, in
| which reference is made to the enter
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
substantial profit from the employment
of cheap Mexican labor upon silver
basis and selling their product for gold. "
| Will the workingmen OF the United
States take notice of the fact that
"cheap labor" and a "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 definite statement by very
conservative man, whose addresses on oriental
matters we have often quoted, to the effect
that India, like Mexico, is protiting Industrial
ly 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
it otherwise would be. The working
men of the United States have been and
are being urged to assist i'll securing the
adoption of the free coinage of silver III
order to secure for themselves some
promised advantage or alleged profit,
, while it is we'll understood fact, con-
stantly commented on here In Mexico,
J that labor is the one commodity first
and most depressed through free silver.
, Viewed from any practical and applica'
J BILE point Of observation, it is not even
, / T.. a,.1 1tVsnff or
: coinage of silver in the United States
: could have any other effect save that OF
5 making the rich richer and the poor
poorer, as it has done and is doing IL
5 Mexico.
{ Distress of the Laborer.
r had many times heard it asserted
before coming to Mexico that the ma
= tives Of this country were worthless al
4 laborers, that they had no desire TO earl
I better wages and that they would no
4 work steadily no matter what compen
Q sation was given or promised them. IL
8 part only this is true, and it is giver
: such truth as they are now enduring
o the free coinage Of silver being lead
n ing factor in their present distress. Blu
n l was told by the managers of the iroi
n mines at Durango and OF the silve
b mines at Zacatecas that very many o
their Mexican employees were as stead.
and reliable as are the workmen of an.
y other country. Some of them have beer
l. employed at these mines for man.
g years, and their labor has secured TO
s the mine owners, most of whom are res
f idents Of Europe, the almost fabulou
l. fortunes which these mines have yield
j. ed Possibly it may ease the conscienc
Is of these millionaire mine owners to III
a sist and to have their assertions accept
10 ed that their payment OF starvatlo
d wages in a currency worth less tha
E half its face value is justified because C
"a the fact that their faithful laborer
h could not appreciate better wages c
better currency conditions.
q At the great Guggenheim silver sme
% ter at Aguas Calientes l found severf
ct hundred native Mexicans at work, tha
10 great industry being entirely conducte
id with their labor, directed by five or 81
" German and American department for'
q. men. Native workmen conducted I'll
Ia castings and endured the fierce heat ,
{. the smelling fires. They separated ii
nc ores upon their receipt from the mine
n according to quality OF desirability fl
in the several furnaces. They handled Il
precious product of the smelter in all i
nd stages from crude ore to silver bars al
ng attended to its preparation for shiI
v. ment. And for these services the Me
ry lean workmen at this smelter recei'
X from 20 to "A cents day In curren'
re worth les than IL and 22 cents in Il
or country in which their employers ii
d. luxuriously.
,r- Practically all the industries of Il
le- City of Mexico are conducted with N
: a tive labor. Native Mexicans are CO
le- ductors and street car drivers, they p
ost up the electric light wiring and after
ers to the lamps, they do nearly all t
I'm building and have charge of municip
30. improvements, they are the policem
4. 80 tho o;t;ao ond the soldiera Of the I