Middletown transcript., 1898-08-06
THE RICH AND THE POOR
How They Are Influenced by
Mexican Free Coinage.
MoNoPoL1Es AND CORPORATIONS.

They Are Not Unknown In Mexico, Despite
the Champions of Free Silver - Taxes,
Wages and Prices In the Land of Presi-
dent Diaz-Seventy Cents Day.
1This series Of letters is the result Of per-
sonaI visit to Mexico made by the writer
early in 1898 as O special representative OF the
Michigan Republican Newspaper Association
to investigate the monetary system OF that
country.]
VI.
It is the boast Of the City Of Mexico
that no other city in the world, save
Paris alone, possesses 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, ~ miles distant. The car
riage way is broad and shaded by great
trees, two rows on each side, over which
every afternoon from o'clock till dark
a 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 ~,
Columbus and Guyatimotzin on to Cha
pultepec, once the palace of kings and
emperors, and today, as the home Of the
presidRt of Mexico, fitted in regal
splendor which compares with the Off
cial home Of the American president as
castle to q 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 a
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 ST. rs 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 $1.65 in
| gold, with 16 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
ther 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
ernment favored corporations.
1t is well remarked in a recent num-
ber Of The Mexican Financier that
"the common people are not asking for
concessions or salaried places or social
distinctions at the hands of General
Diaz, and they are the most loyal
friends he has" 7" Very true it is that the
common people of Mexico are not ask
ing for concessions or salaried places OF
social distinction. They know by long
experience that salaried places are al
the disposal of the wealth of Mexico,
that social distinction is barred from
them by their poverty and wretchedness,
which are increased and perpetuated by
government policies.
Taxes to Pay Subsidies.
In his letter eulogizing the Mexican
government and its financial policy il
will be remembered that Mr.. Bryan
made no reference to the most conspic.
uous feature of Mexico S financial policy,
its subsidy granting, monopoly form.
ing, capital favoring characteristics,
xx-hio1, odd ko fha ,1oIryo,. - nv, iokf fro,,-
the palace even while they add to the
poverty of the masses from whose toiI
all are being enriched in Mexico save
the toilers themselves. 1t may be mat
ter of some interest to my readers tc
learn how the generous subsidies are
provided for. In the first place, Mexico
has schedule of import duties several
hundred per cent i'll excess of the tariff
duties of the present Dingley bill in tht
United States on many staple articles
50 per barrel on -four, $140 per bushe
on wheat, So per keg on nails, 81 eacl
on hats, So per square yard on woole1
cloth and cents per square yard OF
plain cotton cloth, IL cents per pound
on cured meats and go cents per quar-
on canned fruit, being some items indie
ative Of its general make up. Thest
duties, however are evidently intended
to be in great part prohibitive, and they
are having that effect, although Mr.
Bryan approvingly. credits the decreass
Of imports to the free silver exchange
sliding scale. Stamps are required by tht
government on every receipt issued, OF
every show card or advertisement post
ed up, on notes, bills, checks, contracts
leases, certificates, and the books of ev
cry business house are taxed in accord
ance with the number of leaves each
book contains, the bookkeeping system