The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-12-30
MEXICAN DEVELOPMENT.
The silver STANDARD Has Meant Trade
Increase for Our Neil
ins Repubiic.

Increase Is the word marked over
every statistic Of trade given ri by
Mexico" SAYS the Philadelphia II
quirer. .The exports have Increased
over the imports. and both are larger
than at any time curing the life cfth2t
republic. Agriculture. manufacturing
and mining al show large gains. The
railroads are earning more and steam
ships are mling her ports IL a man
ner hitherto almost unknown
This. in brief. tells the situation IN
the country where Diaz is the beEe-
ficeni hut none the less absolute die
fator. The Mexican hirself j. 10 =
larg. extent responsible for this con
dition OF affairs. lie Is reaching ont
and exploiting the resources Of his
country at every opportunity He Is
organizing syndicates aud he Is taking
contracts-he Is exhibiting his PROD
ucts at state fairs and at national ex-
p~ositions-in a word. be is pushing
Chill hard for the honor Of being
called the Yankee Of the south
Nor have Americans been slow 20
see the advantages that are offered for
trade il Mexico. Capital is flowing
into that country 10 buy farms. sink
shafts and build factories a large
company proposes TO erect an enor
nous candy and cracker factory.
American buyers have gone into Mex
leo TO buy $1,000 head Of cattle 10 ship
TO Cuba and Porto Rico. In the last
few years many cotton factories h-Nc
been built by Americans. who import
half the raw cotton they use from the
states. Mexican papers are fun ofeoTs-
ments on the excellence CT American
machinery. which has been imported iE
large quantities recently. The demand
for American bicycles is 20 per cent
greater than il was four years ago. ard
Is steadily growing.
american machinery AID American
methods go hand in hand. The reT-
chants Of Mexico 10 longer demand
nine and twelve months time or their
bills, but are learning 10 pay in 20
DAYS or take a discount az ten days.
Statesmen and agents representing our
merchants scour the country from end
to end placing orders CT buying.
And the government is encourag-
ing this rapid increase in the CONFER
cial prosperity of the country by every
means il has at hand Even the gen
darmerle, or police force. Of the City q
Mexico is now taught 10 speak English.
and prizes are given II those most pro
ficient.
I'VE in this country are too prone 70
assume that the countries south OF -
are asleep. Such is not the fact. Mex
ico is but a single example OF whaz j
going on through the whole Of South
America. 1t is the magic touch Of en-
ergy and enterprise that the United
States gives 70 those peoples who ccne
under its influence"
While the Philadelphia Inquirer was
thus d~iscoursing on the marvellous
progress Of Mexico. sound money
orators and newspapers engaged u
campaign work =. { the countr.
were painting sad and sorrowful I-ie-
lures Of he degradation and distress
4 OF Mexico, all on account 81 her :
cent IOAlLI1. cA~A ANAN 49,
shrieks the campaign spel-binder. -cn'
American dollar IS more than equal x
two Mexican dollars DO you wan
such money as that2 How a an.
country be prosperous and progressif'
upon a cheap silver standard
Sure enough. how. And yet the tac'
Is that Mexico Is most astonishing (,
prosperous. and slmost every rePor
from that country ascHbes the pros
perity. in part at least. TO this ver
fact.
1t ought to be plain that ], a Mex
lean dollar is only worth half as nue.
as an American dollar. il will OIL.
take half as much labor or produce Il
get the Mexican dollar. II a Mexicai
peon is working for $50 a day IN a
silver money of his country. the acor
ton of the gold standard there woul'
reduce his pay 10 IS cents. Would tina
improve his condition any? II 50
how? So far from being q benefit q
him. IL would be a most grievous n
Jury. 1t is true that other thing
might fall in price also. and thus e
aDlt MIN " h-tP 1'NA+
Just keeps even" how DOES the go'
standard improve his condition? tn
coldite cannot defend his pet sys-cT
by simply showing that a man ca
keep even" under H. for the claim J
that the gold standard is the best, an
he is bound TO prove IT, Nor can b
do so by showing tfrat American work
ingmen are. as a rule. better of tina
the Mexican. because the orne IA
many advantages owe the latter ef
tirely separate and apart from an
difference in the monetary system II
must show how the adoption Of ID
gold standard by Mexico would in
prove the condition of labor there II
cannot do IT, The most he can do
TO show that the Mexican can los
nothing. because 50 centsin gold woui
70 as far as one dollar in silver. Bu
even here the gold man would fail 10