The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-09-23
The RICH and THE POOR
How They Are Influenced by
Mexican Free Coinage. -
MoNoPOLIEs AND CORPORATIONS

They Are Not Unknown In Mexico, Despite
Wages and Prices In the Land OF Presi-
dent Diaz-seventy Cents . Day.
This series of letters is the result Of a per-
sonal visit to Mexico made by the writer
early in 1893 O special representative of the
Michigan Republican Newspaper Association
to investigate the monetary system Of that
country.1
It is the boast of the City Of Mexico
that no other city in the world, save
Paris alone, possesses a drive equal in
beauty to its Paseo de la Reforma, a
magnificent boulevard which connects
the national palace and the business
heart Of the city with the castle of Cha
pultepec, az miles distant. The car
rage 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 any other
city in this western world could present
rolls like the boastful stream of wealth
It is, through fashionable San Francis
co street, past the beautiful Alameda
and the costly statues Of Charles Nv,
Columbus and Guyatimotzin on to Cha
pultepec, once the palace of kings and
emperors, and today, as the home Of the
president of Mexico, fitted in regal
splendor which compares with the Off
cial home of the American president as
castle to a cottage. If the query shall
come to the mind Of the reader how
can such wealth and splendor exist in a
country where the extreme of poverty
is the lot of 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 and
cheap labor of which this country per-
sistently boasts.
The oft repeated assertion INDUCED in
by the American advocates of free silver
that monopolies 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 remitted by the government Of
Mexico to corporations and monopolies.
The government of Mexico has recently
entered into a 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 message to any part of the
United States they are empowered to
charge 81 70 in gold for ten words and
IL cents in gold for each additional
word, and for kilograms from the Unit
ed States to any part of Mexico 81. So in
gold, with 10 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
compels 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
Their illustrates the fact that the cheap
silver currency of Mexico is 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