The true northerner., 1898-08-17
THE TOUR OF Mr.. BRYAN
His Views Gained From a Pal
ace Car Window.
At VARIANCE WITH THE FACTS

He Was Extravagantiy Entertained by
Mexican Government OhiciaIs. and He
Returned the Favor by an Extravagant
Misrepresen entstion OF the Conditions.
This series OF letters il the result of per-
sonal visit 10 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.l
The statements made by Mr.. Bryan
soon after his return home from his
visit to Mexico vary so widely from
the actual facts as they exist today, ad-
mitted and known by all, regardless Of
relation to the country or interest in its
welfare, that it is charitable TO accept
the explanation made TO the writer by
a conductor on the Mexican Central rail-
way that "Mr. Bryan's visit TO Mexico
was only Pullman palace car tour.
Wherever he went he was met by gov
ernment bands and feasted and flattered
by government officials and representa-
tives of Mexican investment interests.
leo, but what he says of them shows he
found out nothing about them. He was
extravagantly entertained in Mexico,
and he returns the favor by an eXtrava-
CANT misrepresentation of conditions as
he could have found them if he had
tried TO find out the truth about them. I"
Whatever may be true of the conduct
or's explanation as TO the statements
made by Mr.. Bryan, certain it is that
some of the more important of them
bear little or no relation TO the condi-
tions they assume TO present In my
reference to these statements, however,
. / will not present individual contradic-
tion or personal denial, but will make
use of the authorities which Mr. Bryan
himself would probably have accepted,
even though he might not have desired
to make use of them. More than ordi-
nary interest attaches to Mr.. Bryan's
statement concerning Mexico because
of his position as the accepted leader of
the free silver factions of the United
States, in which interest his views We're
evidently induce ,, and because of his
unqualified statement that what he had
seen and learned in Mexico would add
to his effort TO secure the adoption of
the Mexican free silver system by the
American people. This statement was
made by Mr.. Bryan:
Ny observation as well "a my reason leads
me to believe that the use of silver has been of
material advantage TO Mexico, and | am more
than ever convinced that the best interests OF
our people demand the immediate restoration
of the free and unlimited coinage of gold and
silver at the present legal ratio of l6 10 with
out waiting for the aid or consent of any other
nation.
Mr.. Bryan's personal interest III the
matter involved evidently has much
to do with the formation of his opinion
as TO what is for "the best interests of
our people " Mr.. Bryan further says:
The free coinage of silver is entirely satisfac.
tory 70 the people of Mexico. They have had
chance TO test their system thoroughly and
TO compare ii with the systems of the United
States, England, France and Germany, and
find no disposition either among the officials
or among the people TO favor the gold stand
ard. The federal government pays about s6,.
100000 annually on gold obligations, and, while
il is compelled to collect Sl2, 100000 in sill
yer TO cover this interest account il has diff
Guilty in doing so because of the prosperous
Mr. Bryan's reference to 1.-THE people
of Mexico" and his suggestion as TO
comparison with the United States and
other countries would be amusing if
the subject was less serious i'll view of
the fact that 1.-THE people of Mexico"
are III the most unsatisfactory condition
of any of the civilized nations on the
ry1n hxya oft oil 70 Of
life which civilization would accept as
satisfactory. They are the poorest paid,
the poorest clothed, the poorest housed
and fed of any of the people of the lead
ing nations of the world. Although
Mexico had what historians refer TO as
an advanced civilization before the
United States government was formed
there are today 20 states of the Union
either of which surpasses all Of Mexico
in accumulated wealth, industrial, ag-
ricultural and commercial importance
and in every respect save population,
natural resources and extent of terrific
ry.
Matter of Grave Concern.
If comparisons are odious, however
in the present instance, permit me TO
quote from The Mexican Financier of
the first week of February of the pres
ent year relative to Mr.. Bryan assur-
ance as to the government having "no
difficulty because of the prosperous con-
dition of the nation S industries"
At the time silver dropped so sharply every
interest here was affected, and the currency
question was a matter of grave concern to the
government, which has heavy gold interest TO
pay abroad The young and capable finance
minister Of this republic, Limantour, gave all
his time to a careful consideration of the mat
ter, and the conclusion was finally reached
that Mexico must stand by silver.
Here we find it stated by the leading
business journal of Mexico, itself an ad-
vocate of free silver, that every interest
was affected by a fall in the price Of sill
yer and evidently the question as to
whether or not Mexico could longer en-
dure its free silver system became a
matter of grave concern to the govern
ment. If fall in the price of silver de-
moralizes every interest and causes
grave concern to the government, Mr.