Natchitoches populist., 1899-03-10
IT HAS RUINED CHILLI,
GOLD STANDARDS DIRE WORK
DOWN THERE.
Tramps-0nce Prosperous Under Bi.
metallic COndltions-As Viewed by a
Distinguished Chillan.
valparaiso, Chilli. letter.

country are based upon my own ex-
perience as merchant, and careful
and extensive study of the subject as
treated by leading writer's of various
nationalities. Chilli has gained moth
ing by her silly adoption of the gold
standard, with no gold money to fill
the place OF circulating medium. On
the contrary, her losses have been
heavy from the beginning of the gold
era, and we are going rapidly from
bad to worse. The depressed condition
of our trade is such that we are no
longer visited by the numerous COM
mercial travellers who formerly came
from England, from Germany and
from the United States. We cannot
buy their wares and improved ma
chinery, and consequently we lose the
benefit of the exchange of products,
which We formerly enjoyed. Compared
with the prosperity of former times,
when the silver of our mines was free
ly exchanged for the articles that we
needed from other countries, our busi-
ness seems to be almost at a stand
still. Meanwhile the debts of our peo-
pie are increasing, with apparently no
hope for future relief. Chilli cannot
pay her debts except by going further
into debt, and she continues to sell
the silver she produces in London for
less than so cents rather than open her
mints to silver and coin it into dollars,
which would lay the foundation of Inn
pr0yement in local home prices, as is
the case In Mexico today and has been
for quarter of a century past. We
are enriching England at our own ex-
pense, and our rulers are not wise
enough to see the point. 1t is not diff
cult to understand why England
should be gold standard country
Her position was clearly stated by Mr.
Gladstone some time before his death
I quote what he said:
II am almost afraid to estimate the
total amount of the property which the
United Kingdom holds beyond the linn
its of the United Kingdom; but of this
I am we'll convinced, that 1t is not to
be counted by, tens or hundreds of
millions (of pounds) an extremely low
and inadequate estimate. Two thou
sand millions or even more might very
likely be nearer the mark. think, un-
der these circumstances, it Is rather
a serious matter to ask this country
whether We are going to perform this
supreme act Of self-sacrifice (the es-
tablishment of bimetallism). I have
profound admiration for cosmopolitan
principles. | can go a great length,
in moderation, In recommending their
recognition or establishment; but If
there are these two thousand millions,
or fifteen hundred millions of money,
which we have got abroad, it is
very serious matter as between this
country and other countries. We have
nothing to pay to them. We are not
debtors at ali. We should get no COM
fort or consolation out of the substi-
tuition of an inferior material, of a
cheaper money, which we should get
for less and part with for more. We
should get no consolation, but the con-
ISOLATION throughout the world would
be great And this splendid spirit of
philanthropy, which we cannot too
highly praise, because have no doubt
all this is foreseen, would result in our
making present of fifty or one hun
dred millions to the world. 1T would,
no doubt, be gratefully accepted by
the world, but / rather think the graft
tude for your benevolence would be
mixed with very grave misgivings as
t,o your wisdom
This is the language of the money
lender; but why should those who are
iii debt yield up all they possess for
the benefit of the comparatively few
who flourish upon the accumulations
oil interest? Has the debtor no rights
which the creditor should respect?
Shall all the world pay tribute to Eng
land because she is the worlds banker
land because she owns many gold
mines and none that produce silver?
England is wise, but what shall we
say for those nations that willingly
yield themselves victims to her greedl
Among the silver producing nations
Mexico has proved herself to be the
wisest. She is now the only really
prosperous country in the world, and
this prosperity is due to the wisdom
and patriotism OF her rulers. All her
silver is coined into dollars and kept
at home to enrich her own people, in
place Of being sold abroad for less than
so cents Strange that other silver
producing nations cannot see this SIM
pie business principle as Mexico sees
it. Even child can understand that
1t is better for him to keep the orange
that his mother gives him than to di-
vide it with the big boy across the
street But our rulers have not even
the wisdom of children. Mexico's sill
yer benefits her In double sense. In
addition to enriehins her own people,
1t serves q better purpose than a pro-
tsetire tarlR. Ia establishing ana sus-
tanning home industries. England Is