Nebraska Newspapers

    | | l IN A SILVER COUNTRY
G § 1 Condition of the Laborer and
H | I Business in a Land Where
B I Free Coinage Exists.
Hi WHAT THE MEXICANS SAY.
BSI
HI A Representative of the St Louis
BI Globe-Democrat Tells What
HI He Saw.
HI Since the free-silver people began to
H& point to Mexico as an ideal country
Hl | where the free coinage of silver had
H& made everyone happy , contented and pros-
HB perous , there has been much written by
Hfl men who had lived there and others.
HB The reports , which were not flattering'
Hw to the country , were denied by the sil-
H8 ver advocates and branded as lies. The
HB ; silverites stoutly maintained that if la-
HSl , , or wns as wel1 employed here as in
i Mexico the great question of what to do
| Hi with the poor would be solved as there
HKl would be no poor. They claimed that
K in that country there was no Wall street ;
" " * m that food , clothing and the necessities
of life were cheaper ; that the nation
was prospering as it never had before ,
and all on account of the free coinage
of silver.
The St. Louis Globe Democrat , wish
ing to be just in the matter , decided
to send a representative there who would
report what he saw and learned , with
out regard as to how the reports would
affect the political situation. The man
was one on whom the paper could de
pend to tell the truth. >
Extracts from some of the letters
which throw some light on the subject
of free silver aud its effects are printed
below :
I'riccs Depend on Foreign Exchange ,
l'irates on the high seas could hard
ly be a more dangerous menace to com
merce between nations than this fluctua
tion of exchange between countries on
different standards. Outside of a few
• money-changers at const ports , business
men of the states hardly notice from
week to week the variations in exchange
between their country and Europe. But
in tlio business relations between the
United States and Mexico the changing
difference between the standards is a
matter of hourly concern.
"WJlnt's exchange today ? " goes with
every morning's salutation between mer
chants in Monterey.
"Silver's up" or "silver's down" is the
commercial news of first importance.
The shrewd representative of a San
1
Antonio ( Tex. ) jobbing house on his way
back to the states from his midsummer
round of the cities of Mexico said :
"Here's a variation of 9c between the
gold standard of the states and the silver
standard of Mexico within two weeks.
How is a man going to sell goods or do
any business between the countries when
he has got to make allowances for such
fluctuations. When I sell a bill of goods
to a Mexican merchant on six months'
time I've got to figure the prices high
enough to save my house in the event
that silver drops by one of those violent
fluctuations before the day of settlement
comes. The merchant has got to mark
the retail prices on a margin sufficient
to protect him against possible change.
And so American goods must be sold in
Mexico at two margins above legitimate
profits in order to protect the American
jobber and the Mexican storekeeper
against these rapid up and down move
ments of the standards. The condition
is simply ruinous to trade. People will
not buy when prices are raised on them.
My house may make a tremendous profit
or barely save itself in a sale of goods on
six months' time. That isn't the way to
do business. You might as well have a
Chinese wall between two countries as ,
these fluctuations. And this is what we'
will have on a vastly greater scale if
the UhitedStates goes to a silver stand
ard and Great Britain and the European
nations continue the gold standard. I
know what this , thing of two standards
_ . means between Mexico and the States ,
B and I don't want to see it in our trade
B I with Great Britain and Europe. "
B A Dollar's "Worth of .Labor.
HHVJ A dollar worth 50 cents commands the
HBSJ same labor in Mexico now that a dollar
HHSj . worth a dollar did ten or twenty years
HBVJ ago. Right there is the cornerstone on
HHVJ which piosperity in this silver country is
HHSj I building. That is what makes it now
HHSJ | profitable to work mines with ores worth
HHSJ I$7 and $8 , Mexican money , a ton. That
BBS I condition of labor brings the cost of min-
BBVJ I ing and carrying out the ore down to $1
BBS I a ton. That kindof labor built and
BB rfflf operates the cables , which take the place
BBS wk of thousands of burro trains , at a frac-
BHB K | tion of the cost for like construction and
BBH m operation in the States. Gables have re-
BHH St dueed the cost of conveying ore from the
BBB flj mine to the railroad , two miles down the
BHH mountain , to 20 cents and 30 cents a ton.
BB B This labor enables railroads to haul ores
BBS K at from 50 cents to $1 a ton. It figures
BBV mm in the cost of the transoortation of the
BBB B | coke from the gulf and the coal from the
BBB Si border. And , finally , it enables the
BBB fl < smelters to make an unprccedcntcdly low
BBV H rate of $4 a ton for treatment of ore.
BB ) If At every step , from the first blow of
BBB B the pick in the mine to the landing of the
BBB Br base bullion into molds at the furnace ,
BBB 8 | this fixity of wages on the basis of a
BBB fij dollar depreciated to one-half its value is
BBB SI the chief factor which insures the profit.
BBB SJ What matters it if silver goes down if it
BBB Hj commands just as much labor as ever.
BBB D ] and if the lead in the bullion can still
BBB JH be sold for gold ? The smelters of Mexi-
BBJ jH ! co buy ore from the mine owners , and
BBJ SJ pay a Mexican dollar an ounce for the
BBB Sj silver they get out of it. They paid this
BBB Bj several years ago , when silver was worth
BBS Bj more than it is now. They still pay it.
BBB BJ Recently , under the importation of com-
BBB SJ petition , while silver was dropping so
BBJ Bj rapidly in the United States , some of
BBJ BJ the smelters of Mexico advanced the
BBJ Bj price they allowed the mine owners for
BBJ 91 silver. They are now paying under some
BBJ Bj contracts § 1.00 in Mexican money for'
BBJ BJ every ounce of silver found in the ore.
BBJ S Today the brick-making plant a few
BBJ I miles out of Monterey : on the Mineral
BBJ I railroad , is shipping 1G0.000 paving brick
BBJ to San Antonio , in Texas. It does this
BBJ 9 and pays the ad valorem duty of 25 per
BBJ 9 cent. , which'the Wilson tariff levies on
BBJ I brick importations. The contract for
BBJ 1 this brick shipment was obtained at
BBJ J San Antonio because this company put
BBJ W' in the lowest and best of twenty-eighf
BJ I kids. The Monterey company " enjovs
BBJ { the possession of excellent clay , but that
BJ IB isn't what enables it to send brick to the
BJ II United States at a profit. It outbid the
H twenty- even American brick-making
H < companies because it sells brick for
HH American money , worth 100 cents in
HH gold , and hires good labor for Mexican
BB fl money , worth 50 cents in gold. This
BJ B company is paving three miles of Monte-
BBJ B rey streets with brick , displacing the
BBJ B cobblestones of time immemorial. It
BBJ B put down n block of the brick paving as
BBJ B an object lesson , and the governor , Gen.
BBJ B Bernardo Reyes , with a keen perception
BB for a good thing , ordered three miles of
BJ the same to begin with. The brick mnn-
Bfl J ufactured on the basis of unchanging.
BBJ } . . wages and laid by the same will cost in
BBJ , JH Mexican money a little less than the
BBm 'T Wfi3l1ffMP" " * '
- ' ' H-l ' ' ' ' ' '
anT . - . . I I'
i ii i i i I i n ii
same paving commands in American
mpney in the States. American cities
pay nbout $2.50 a square yard for brick-
paved streets. Monterey will get her
streets paved for a little less than 52.50
a square yard , and that price will be in
money worth one-half the American
price.
Other Occupations.
As in mining and in brickmaking. so it
is in all industries. Monterey is boom
ing. Wages remain fixed at the oldratcH.
and can be paid in the depreciated sil
ver. That gives the margin of profit.
The most striking of the object lessons ,
perhaps , are those which the railroads
furnish. These roads in Mexico are
well managed. The depots and sur
roundings are marvelously clean and
neat. The roadbeds will compare most
favorably with those in the states. The
train service is excellent. Mexican
money does it. East from Laredo to
Corpus Christi , on the Gulf , wholly on
American soil , the Mexican National has
a division 1G0 miles long. Southward
from Laredo > the first division of the
same road , within Mexican territory , ex
tends to Monterey , 168 miles , about the
same distance. On one side of the Rio
Grande the Mexican National pays
wage * in Mexican silver. On the other
side the pay roll is met with American
money. . * *
Conductors between Laredo and Corpus
get $105 a month in gold. Conductors
between Laredo and Monterey get $130
a month in Mexican silver , which is
worth $67.00 , for the same kind of serv
ice.
Engineers on the Texas side are paid
$3.50 in gold for 100 miles. Engineers
on the Mexican side receive $5.50 in
Mexican silver , worth $2.SG , for 100
miles.
Brakemen running to Corpus get $50 a
mouth in gold ; to Monterey. $00 a
month in Mexican silver , worth $30.50.
Firemen on the Texas division are paid
at the rate of $1.80 in gold for 100 miles
traveled ; on the Mexican division , $2.25 ,
worth $1.17.
A general officer of the Mexican Na
tional , too modest to have his name in
print , gave these wages from his books.
When he had read them off to this point ,
an interested looker-on interrupted with :
"I should think all of the fellows on
the Monterey division would want to get
on the Texas division. "
"Probably they would , " said the officer ,
"but we have combined the runs so that
on all mixed trains the crews go through
from Corpus to Monterey. That gives
them 1G0 miles on a gold basis in Texas
and 108 miles on a silver basis in Mexi
co. They have the gold and the silver di
visions alternately. We do that to give
them all the same chance. "
"When did the company adopt this plan
of evening tilings ? "
"About two yeais ago. "
"How about wages of section bauds ? "
The official turned to the books again.
"On the Texas division. " he said , "fore
men get $40 a month in American money.
The laborers get 75 cents a day. On the
Mexican side foremen get $40 a month in
Mexican silver , and laborers G2 > cents ,
both in Mexican silver. "
At the prevailing rate of exchange this
gjyes section foremen on the Mexican side
$20 a month and section hands about 31
cents a day in American money.
'
'But you must remember. " said the
railroad official , "these figures for fore
men and labor hold good onlv as far be
low the border as Saltillo. That is 240
miles south of the frontier. As you go
toward the interior wages decrease.
From Saltillo southward to San Luis
Potosi. 268 miles , section foremen arc
paid $1.50 a day and laborers 50c a day ,
all in Mexican silver. Still further
south , below San Luis Potosi , the pay is
$1.2o a day for foremen and for laborer
37c a day , Mexican silver. "
"Have railroad wnges undergone anv
change with the decline of Mexican sil
ver ? "
"No. These are the rates today , and
they were the same in 188S. when silver
dollars were worth a half more than they
are now. "
Concerning Lead.
"The silver mine owners of Monterey
would be greatly gratified to see Mr.
Bryan restore silver to $1.20 an ounce ? "
was suggested to Mr. Joaquin Maiz.
"On the contrary , " replied the owner
of San Pedro quickly and with decided
emphasis , "the less silver is worth , the
better for us. "
This seeming paradox Mr. .Maiz pro
ceeded to explain. In so doing he threw
much light upon the operation of the sil
ver basis in a silver country. What he
said of wages and living will be par
ticularly interesting in the United" States.
"If we got $1.29 an ounce , " he be
gan , "it would be $1,20 in Mexican
money. Mexican" money would" be the
same as American money , and both the
same as gold. Under present conditions ,
suppose we got only Go cents an ounce in
American money /or our silver. That
American money is " worth 100 per cent ,
more than Mexican money. In other
words , the 65 cents an ounce in American - "
"
ican money or gold for our silver is
worth double that in Mexican money.
So yon see we would get no more per
ounce in Mexican money if silver was
worth $1.29. Now the main value of
our Monterey ores does not come from
the silver , but from the lead. If I have
lead in my silver ore running 25 per
cent , that wilL be 500 pounds of lead
to the ton of ore. At 3 cents that lead
is worth $15 in the United States. That
is $15 in gold , which is $30 in Mexican
money.
"Silver , you must remember , " Mr.
Maiz continued , "doesn't govern the
price of lead. If silver should go up to
$1.29 an ounce , or , which is the same
thing , to par with gold , my lead would
keep about even , regardless of the fluc
tuation of silver. It would still be
worth 3 cents in gold. My 500 pounds of
lead per ton would be worth $15 in gold ,
but it wouldn't . be worth any more in
silver. It would 'be $15 in gold in Amer
ican silver and in Mexican silver. "
Having1 shown that , he would get very
little if * any more in .Mexican * money
for his silver if it commanded $1.29 ,
or par with gold , and having demon
strated that the advance of silver to
$1.29 would .knock him out of half of
his return for the lead , measured by the
Mexican money. Mr. Maiz. proceeded to
that phase of the silver question which
is most interesting to Americans.
"Now , there is another thing , " he said ,
"and it is this : When gold was about
even with Mexican money , or when there .
verylittle difference , *
was very- we paid our
labor at the mines 75 cents a day. The
amount was equivalent to about 70 cents
a day in American money. Today we
pay those same miners 75 cents a day
in Mexican , money , which is now equiv
alent to abouti 37 % cents a day in gold.
'This 37 % cents a day in gold yields the
mine-owner the same amount of labor
which was produced for him when the
75 cents in Mexican money was worth
70'cents in gold. The Mexican miner
does' not consume for his nourishment
and his clothing any but Mexican prod
ucts , such as corn , beans , coffee , sugar ,
cotton goods , etc. Nearly all of these ar
ticles are today sold at the same prices
as when silver was at par with gold in
this country. Consequently the living
expenses of the miners haven't increased
at all. They can perfectly well work
now at the same wages as they received
when silver was the same as gold. "
' The Silver Basis.
In wages on a silver basis , the mine
owner of Monterey finds his margin. In
wages on a silver basis , the smelters of
Mexico figure out a great advantage over
those of the United States ; The Omaha
smelter is one which offers a fair comparison - ,
' parison ' with this Guggenheim" plant of
Monterey. They are , probably , the larg-
BBBBBli
HHHHBBBBiHHI
'
m r
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmamm
ust silver smelters in the two countries.
Each gives employment to about 400
men. No one will traverse the great
plant at Monterey fthd doubt that the
Mexican workman in the industry ren
ders equal labor , man for man. with the
American employed in the Qmiilm smelt
er. At Omaha there is little labor given
at $1.50 a day. The wages in the various
grades of the smelter range as high as
$3 a day. It will not place the average
too high to make it $2 per day. That is
American money gold. Here the com
mon labor unloads the cars and heaps the
ore by the thousands of tons in the yards.
This same labor loads the on' into the
little iron tramrars and wheels it under
the sheds , where the more skilled work
men do the mixing of the ores in great
beds. This common labor shovels and
lifts and pushes as hard as the $1.50
gohl labor at Omaha and does it for 02V.
cents a day Mexican silver , or 31 %
cents gold. This labor works ten hours a
day for that price. Then there
is the twelve hours labor , so divided
to keep the smelter running night and
day. Here something besides muscle en
ters in. The iron barrows must be
wheeled upon the scales , and one kind
of ore follows another in , as beam after
beam tips , until the barrow is full of
just the right proportions of lead and
iron and lime and various ores to take
out all of the silver in the smelting. *
The Mexicans who do this are paid 75
cents a day , worth 37 % cents American
money. Then come the feeders and the
furnace men , who know just when to
dump in the barrow loads at the top
and just when to tap at the bottom to
draw off the bullion. This is labor that
receives $1 a day in Mexican silver , or
50 cents a day in gold. The slag pullers
get 75 cents a day in silver. The fore
men of the yards , who moves about over
seeing and directing , are paid from $3
to $5 a day. They are few in number.
Still fewer are the furnace foremen of
that ripe experience which is responsible
for the results. These get $200 a month ,
the equivalent of $100 in gold.
The pay at the Omaha smelter aver
ages $2 a day , or $800 for the 400 la
borers , the equivalent of $1600 in Mexi
can money. The pay at the Monterey
smelter averages $1 a day in Mexican
money , or $400 for the 400 employes.
Here is a difference of $1200 Mexican
money or $600 gold in the daily pay
rolls. The Mexican silver smelters are
said to be making $10 in Mexican money
where the American smelters are profit
ing $1 in American money. Whether
free silver in the United States would
raise the Mexican money to the Ameri
can money or lower the American to the
Mexican it would require the American
smelters to pay only twice as much for
labor where now they pav four times as
much as the Mexican smelters do. The
wages paid at the smelters here com
mand the best of Mexican labor. The
lowest rate , 62c , is nearly double that
paid for ordinary - common labor. It
brings to the works brown men with
muscles like steel , who trot along with
500 pounds of ore in a barrow. These
Mexicans shed : > 11 clothing but sandals ,
strawhat and cotton drawers as they
push and pull the ore down the incline
of the long roasting ovens. They have
only one bad habit. They will come to
work before breakfast. You can teach
Mexican labor to smelt ores to perfection
but you can not teach the Mexican wom
an to gat up and prepare breakfast , sim
ple as it is , before tlie whistle blows for
the change of shifts from night to day.
And so. an hour or two after the brown
men have begun work , the little brown
women come stringing in with the beans
and the corn cakes and the bit of meat.
Laborers' 'Wnges.
At Cerralvo. in the state of Nueva
Leon , is located the Benavides smelters.
From this smelter there has been
shipped since the 1st .
of .Tanuarv , bv ox
carts , 1,800.000 pounds of bullion. This
Cerralvo district was a great mining cen
ter 300 years ago. It had a government
mint , and turned out quantities of coin
during two centuries * under Spanish do
minion. When the revolutionary period
set in mining ceased. Titles lapsed.
With the establishment
of stable gov
ernment and the coming of railroads
mining in Mexico took on new activitv.
The Cerralvo district was one of the last
to feel the spirit of revival. The rail
roads passed by and left this ancient
town in the interior. Three years ago
American enterprise found this long
neglected district. A smelter was built.
The highly successful operation of this
plant for the east < three years , ninety
miles from a railroad , affords one of the
best possible illustrations of the cheapen
ing of silver production in Mexico. The
manager of the smelter is Mr. H. C. Harrison
risen , ' who' has- had a good deal of ex
perience in mining * and smelting. He
furnishes the actual cost of operation
from his booksj and makes a comparison
with the cost of a like smelter in the
States. These are his figures :
Smelter operation in Mexico.
Per day in
Mexican money.
Superintendent $15.00
Two foremen , at $4 8.00
Two ore weighers , at $1 2.00
.Assnycr • • • • • • • • • • • • • > • • • • • • • • * • • • • * x uu
Two engineers , at $1 2.00
Two furnacenicn. at $1 2.00
Two feeder ? , at 75c 1.50
Four sing men , at G2 c 2.50
Two ore men. at 62"4c J.25
Two charcoal men , at 62 } c 1.25
Two patio men , at C2 c 1.25
Ten outside men , at 50c 5.00
Two bullion men , at fl2 c 1.25
Two cords of wood , at $2.25 4.50
Oil for engine and lights 1.50
Total in Mexican money $53.00
Smelter operation In United States.
Per day in
United States money.
Superintendent $10.00
Two foremen , at $4 8.00
Two ore weighers , at $2.50 5.00
Assayer. . 5.00
Two engineers , at $3. . . . . (5 ( 00
Two furnacemen. at $3. . ' (5 ( 00
Two feeders , at $3 (5.00 (
Two slag men. at $2.50 5.00
Two charge wheelers , at $2.50 5.00
Two charcoal men , at $2 4.00
Five varrt men. at $2 10.00
Two bullion men. at 2 4.00
Two cords of wood , at $3 (5.00
Oil for engines and light 1.50
Total In United States money $81.50
Exchange , 90 73.35
Total in Mexican monev $ ] 585
The cost of running the mp smelter
would be in Mexican money $15 .S5 for
labor on the American side of the Rio
Grande. It is $53 in Mexico ninety
miles from a railroad.
, - "The'present cost of smelting ih'Mexi
co. " said Mr. Harrison , "is only about
one-third of what it is in the United
States. This shows that a very low
grade of silver ore which would be smelt
ed at .a loss in the United States can be
treated here at a profit. Our furnace
smelts twenty tons of ore a day at a
cost of $2.54 a ton for labor. The
nrice and reliability of labor i * an im
portant factor in smelting. Here in
Mexico we have cheap and steady work
ers. The average income of an adulr
in the state of Nuevo Leon is 10 cents
a. day. There is scarcely a day I do
not have to turn applicants away. The
entire population is offering service in a
fearfully overstocked labor market. The
eost of mining in the Cerralvo di.-tricr.
as compared with the western part of the
United States , is about one-sixth what it
is in Colorado and one-eighth what it
is in Arizona. "
Ore Mine and Its Ootpnt.
If you ask who is the richest man in
Durango , the reply will be :
"Mnximiliano Damm. "
The case of Maximiliano Damm is one
of the , answers to the question how cheap
ly can silver be produced at a profit in
Mexieo. Mr. Damm is a merchant. I
few years ago he owed $400.0(10 ( to Euro
pean creditors. The story of-Maximiliar.o
S icaorirrimriiikTOiiiiiiiifimirimiiiiBiMmmB ° * " - " • r " "
Daram's rapid rise to the distinction of
tlfe Croesus of Durango is the story of
the Promontorio mine. Thut is a properj
ty of which the mining market never
heard. It is known to Durango people
because they see the ox carts and mule
wagons come creaking in with 600 tons
of ore monthly. The mine is 100 miles
north of the city , and the ore must be
hauled thnt distance in carts and wagons.
The ore is quartz , and all that is thus
transported is of a grade which yields
150 otmccs to the ton. 'The monthly ship
ment from the Promontorio is 90,000
ounces of silver. In a year this amounts
to 1.000,000 ounces. It is worth in
Mexican money $1,290,000 , and in Amer
ican money $650,000. But this shipment
of ore at the rate of GOO tons is not all
of Mr. Damm's product. From his own
works at the mine he makes every day
a bar of silver weighing 1000 ounces. A
bar of silver worth $1290 in Mexican
money and half of that in Americab mon
ey is not very formidable in appearance.
It is only 16 inches long by 4 inches in
breadth and thickness. Every day one
of these bnrs is turned out at the mine ,
brought down to Durango and added to
the stack of treasure in Maximiliano
Damm's warehouse/ The mint officials of
the United States will have an opportunity -
ty to handle a collection of these bars if
free coinage becomes the law.
The present product of the Promontorio
is 1,360.000 ounces a year , worth $1,749. -
400 in Mexican money , and to be worth
that in American money if 16 to 1 pre-
vails. This is one man's mine. That is ,
perhaps , the reason so little has been
heard of it.
About ten years ago , when silver be
gan to go down , the Promontorio began
to uncover its richness. With his rep
utation established as the richest man
in Durango , Mr. Damm does not admit
that he has done any mining , no has
simply been developing what there is in
the Promontorio , blocking out the masses
of ore to be removed when he gets down
to the real business of mining. But
while doing development work'Mr. Damm
is taldng out incidentally ore which
yields him 1,360,000 ounces of silver
yearly. A fissure vein which gives him
this ore carrying 150 ounces of silver
to the ton is from 18 inches to 5 feet
wide. While developing his property ,
Mr. Damm has taken out a third-class
of ore which has not been shipped to the
smelter or treated at the mine. He now
has a dump containing 50,000 tons of
.such ore which , ho says , will average 60
ounces to the ton. That means 3,000 , -
000 ounces more , to be worth $3S20 , -
000 when the United States declares
for unlimited silver.
Maximiliano Damm can furnish all
of the silver the mints of the United
States will be able to coin into
dollars during fiv6 weeks of opera
tion at their present full capacity.
Open Mints Cheapen Silver.
"Why is it that in a silver country ,
with unlimited coinage , bullion does not
go to the Mexican mints to be coined
into dollars , but is shipped out to be
sold in another country where it has a
fluctuating value and where so much of
it as would make a dollar in your mints
is worth now only half a dollar ? "
This was submitted , during the rest in
the saddle of Las Mitras , to the owner
of the mines below , from which the Mexi
icans were trotting forth in never-ending
file with their sacks of ore. The mine
owner chucked a pebble over the precipice -
pice , and shook his head , as if the qucst
tion was too much for him.
"Well , why do you send your own
bullion to the United States to be sold
at bullion value under the gold standard
instead of having it minted into dollars
which are worth 100 cents on the silver
basis ? "
The mine owner got out his pencil and
figured. He took the exchange , the cost
of transportation , the 377 grains of fine
silver in the Mexican dollar , the 371
grains in the American dollar , the ounce
value , and made elaborate calculations.
At length his face brightened.
"Silver , " he said , "yields today 4 cents
an ounce more when sold in the states
as bullion , after paying freight charges
and brokerage commissions , than it
would if taken to the Mexican mints and
coined into dollars. "
_
THE FARMER AND TirE SII/VERITK.
He was * settin * on a shoe box at th' corner
uv th' street ,
Chawin * plug terbacker an' waitin' fer a
treat ,
While he squirted his terbacker juice at an
inerfensive fly ,
He t > aw an honest farmer come a-walkin'
slowly by.
So he hlsted up his britches , an' he took another -
other chew ,
An' boldly waded inter him , an' this is what
he blew :
"Can you tell me. my friend , why the chinch
bug is eatin' up your grain ?
Have yer ciphered on the problem why we
git bo little rain ?
Can yer tell me , plodding farmer , why the
army worm's around ?
Why th' tarnal yeller sunlight is burniu * up
th' ground ?
Con yer tell me why th' weavil , th' rust an'
Hessian fly
Aie eatin' up fhv substance ? Do yer know
th * reason why ?
Why tn' price uv eggs an' butter , oats an'
corn , ari' wheat an * rye.
Arc a-fallin' in the market as th' years are
passin' by ?
"The reason why these dismal clouds cast
their shndders 'crost th' sun ?
Why yer debts are gettin' bigger , as th *
seasons go and kiiiu ? '
Th' reason fer this trouble is plain enough
ter see.
'Tis that orful. fearful , nasty thing ; th'
• crime uv ' 73. ' l
Tew be sure , yer didn't know It fer thirty
vears er so ,
But it worked tnls orful havue , ft dealt l
this deadly blow. t
Th' Gold Bugs down in Wall street under
cover uv th' law ,
Hav' gobbled up yer earnings In their i
thirsty , hungry maw.
• Sixteen to one' will cure you 'tis th' allo
pathic plan. " c
The farmer stopped and listened , tho' it \
almost made him laf , '
At the stupid , senseless logic uv this whit- ,
* - ' 1
tlin tail-in' calf.
An' his dander 'gan arlsin * at this everc
lastin * bore , j
An' he kracked h's heels together an' he .
• • huk his lists an' swore :
" think farmers hav' ' *
"You must us nuthin'
else to do
But stan * aroun * an' argify with such tarnal c
fools as yon.
You'll legls'ate the weavil , chinch bug an"s
Hessian fly , i
You'll resolute the raindrop cr know th *
reason why. '
You'll upset th' laws uv natur , you'll change '
th * s-easons "round , i
You'll stop th' golden sunlight from shinlu *
one th' ground. (
Th' law that fixes prices , you'll change it
jest fer fun. ;
With coinin' uv th' silver 'sixteen tevr one. ' <
Half a dollar's worth uv metal will be (
worth iest twlct as much. 1
When melted by th * government an' gl\'n
its magic touch. .
You'll bust up all th' railroads , shops , an' !
savings banks. J
With th * drlvlln' silly nonsense uv you crazy s
hllver cranks. . (
"It seems ter me that I remember when <
things were all askew. ,
Some time about November In th" year uv '
* *
02
That the same gang uv fellers promised 1
another treat. ,
That yer to'd th' gmbbin' f.irmer that c
\on'd gin him 'dollar' wheat.
That * he'd sure'y then be happy , an * his {
fortnn would be made. '
V.t he'd 1c t upset th * tarllT. vote fer C'evef
land an free trade. j
Xow. we don't pertend fn know much , fer „
we never had much show. ,
: : ut there Is nutte a crist o' things that
r
even farmers know. •
They know when they've been Hcd to. au" \
' t. "Ien fer a dunce ,
Au' they're go'r. " trw be d il keerfu ! tha * ]
they don't irlt fee 'ed but onee "
St. Paul Ploncr Tress. .
*
fS
mmmr \ iiiit i - r JS3ahMrrn Tti i Fi
"
)
HOffWILLTHEYVOTE ] j ?
•
Many Thousands of Young Men
Have Keaohed the Threshold
of Their Career.
TWO POLITICAL PATHS OPEN ,
. ,
Sound ( Money Stands for National
Honor Debased Coinage Stands
for Dishonor.
•
There are a good many thousands of
young men who will this year cast their
\
first vote for President. They stand on
the * threshold of their career and are
looking 1 forward to achieve success in
life \ in some chosen vocation. With but
few exceptions they all expect to be
business I men and by their own efforts
win a competence if not a fortune. This
ambition to obtain wealth is laudable
and should be cherished by every honest
and industrious youth.
To these young men the money question -
.
tion , which is now the political question
of the moment , is of surpassing importance -
tance i , not only for the right casting of
their t votes but for the right understanding -
.
ing of business principles , for if they do
not understand the meaning of money ,
what it should be. what it is for , and
what it can do , there is but little hope
that they will be able to accumulate
much of it. or , accumulating it , know
well how to use it.
The common phrase in business is
"making money. " but money is only a
means for obtaining other things. When
a young man has saved his first hundred
dollars he doesn't put it away or hide it ,
,
but J invests it in other property or loans
it at interest until he canfind an oppor
tunity t for other investments. As he increases -
creases his money he se + s it at work for
him , . , and in this way grows rich. Money
is not the ultimate object < > v business
but { it is the means whereby men obtain
what they want.
It is of the first importance , therefore ,
and each man's common sense confirms
it i , that the money we earn , that the
money we borrow and lend and that we
use for the purpose of exchange should
be 1 uniform and stable in value , that it
should mean the same thing next year
that it does today , and the world of husi-
ness j has agreed that gold and silver
makes i the nearest approach to that
kind I of money gold for large transac
tions 1 , silver for small. That these
metals i can be equally used history
shows to be impossible , so the wisest
nations have provided that gold should
have 1 the principal place and silver be
treated as subsidiary.
The political question , then , for the
young , man who now votes for the first
time to decide is , whether it is wiser to
follow j the teachings of history and the
example of the most successful business
nations of the world or to start out on a
plan that has already been tried and
found \ disastrous. Shall we as a people
take \ pattern after England or after
Mexico ? ; Shall we learn from China or
from \ Germany ?
How does a young man act for himself
when looking around among his elders
and superiors in business life ? Does he
choose \ the example and advice of successful
.
cessful men of the Armours and Fields
and Gages of commercial and fimriicial
life \ or does he start out regardless of
their methods and attempt some short
cut to success ? now many young men
have j stood at the parting of the ways
looking ' wistfully into the future ? How
few have taken the narrow and 'forbid-
ding path of hard work , thrift and self-
sacrifice , but that leads to the mountain
tops \ , and how many the flowery road
that is so enticing in its ease and pleas
ure , but which ends only in morasses
and despair ?
As it is with individuals so it is with
nations , and no people can defy the
\ principles of honesty and integrity in
their national life any more than in
personal life.
Sound and honest money , which means
money as good as gold in this campaign.
stands for national honor. A debased
coinage stands for national dishonor.
Which banner will our young men fol
low ? Chicago Times-Herald.
THE MODERN ALADDIN.
.
How Bryan Ignores the Experience
of This and Other Nations with
Free Coinasre.
Mr. Bryan states that he believes the
free coinage of silver , by our govern1
ment alone , at the ratio of 10 to 1 ,
would raise the price of silver to $1.20
per J ounce ; and he never tires of alleg
ing that our government is strong , and
rich , and powerful enough to accomplish
this result without waiting or asking for
the co-operation of any other country.
In making this prediction Mr. Bryan
'
ignores the experience of this and other
nations of the world in regard to the
coinage of silver during the past 100
years ; but waiving that , let us see what
his proposition involves.
I presume it will be conceded by Mr.
Bryan and his adherents that the price •
of silver bullion in this country cannot
be affected without at the same time
affecting it everywhere , and that the
rise in the price will apply to all silver ,
whether in bars or wares as well as in
coin , throughout the world.
The figures I shall give , except those
showing the production of silver since
1892 , are all taken from a report submitted -
mitted by Mr. Voorhees , a free silver
advocate , on behalf of the finance com-
niittee of the Senate , March 5. 1804.
which report is entitled "Coinage Laws
of the United States from 1702 to 1894.
with an Appendix Relating to Coins and
Currency ; Fourth Edition. Revised and
Corrected to August 1. 1S94. Prepared
Under the Direction of the Committee. " •
According to that report , page 27T .
the production of silver in the -world
from 1493 to 1892 amounted to 7,522. -
" 07.7lG ounces , and there has been pro
duced since 1892 about 000.000.000
ounces in round numbers. Add : his to
the other sum and we have a total of
S.122. . " )07.71 ( ounces. I have no data
showing the production of silver priir to
1493. and hence I cannot trive the tig- .
nres : but I think it may be safely as-
' it amounted to as much
.imcd 'hat as
the whole amount of silver that has been
test or destroyed. In order to be sur. >
that we are on the right side , however. •
Jot us deduct 122.507.710 ounces , sml
sfte the present supply of silver in its
• • i'rous forms in the world at a.000. - ; .
fVW ) 000 ounces. This is worth WI lents
Sronnco. or .2S0.000. < W > in theB. .
" e-ate. To this aoeor , bugt < > Mr
the legislative flat r •
r\Ws opinion ,
.5- " government aloce"wihl ate < - Ji
< * MI 1. iw * , jl _ 0Qfj- . , - # " / ' " * J ? ? * -
, _ . *
tOMitrJ J - " ITT TMMIII
iAi1n ' riii ttitrti'iinrrrfirtirriBi ii i i l ii ir- - "
00- Ana M
cents per ounce , or ? 0,000 -
the hu cr. PrM * i { H
?
strange 4o soy , , ,
added wealth' , uJtl be outwdnpr > oa jflH
own country , hh gold "fan-lnnl rounfV
tries the commercial value or Ail H
be HB
the silver coins in circulation woulii
to the gold tan ird. v H
nearly
This brought fiat of ours wouW * at , . , t3r . H H
double the value of : M12.000.000 m titH
ver coins in Great Britain ; $ u0aOOOHX ? m
in France ; $215,000,000 Id' ' Gonn f * l H
S54.000.000 in Belgium : ? lff,0OOOW r H
Italy ; $15,000,000 in Switzerland : - H
000,000 iu Greece ; § lfJ3.000.000 in j H
Spain ; $10,000,000 in rortugal OOO. - l H
000 j in AnstnAlIungnry ; SSCOOO.OOO i r H
the , Netherlands ; $4,000,000 ij yreden ; If H
$5,400,000 in Denmark : $44,000,000 i / ! H
Turkey ; $7,000,000 in Australia ; $15 , - , m
000,000 ( in Egypt and $110,000,000 in the | j H
Straits. I bcBidcs $025,000,000 m this i H
country , and raise all this -money near- | V H
lv to par with gold ; and yet we arc told H
that all these countries not only refuse t m
to join Mr. Bryan and his supporter * , i H
but even do not sympathize with icm 1
in j this stupendous enterprise which v.ould H
add i so much to their wealth , and in J H
them from H
a ' large degree relieve
the burden now resting upon tliem H
of keeping their gold nnd silver coins at l H
par j with each other in their circulation. f H
But ; how would it work in the stiver- , f H
standard countries ? This government l H
fiat of ours would at one fell Btvoop sub- II H
stautinlly double the value of $11,000,000 'W
in j silver coins in Russia ; $50,000,000 ia i H
Mexico$8,000,000 in the Central Amen- f H
can ' states ; $ .10,000,000 in the South U H
American states ; $950,000,000 In India , 11 H
and $725,000,000 in China , and would at , < H
the ' same time double all the private and ( H
public debts of those couutries , which l H
have j been contracted on the silver basis. l H
But ] Mr. Bryan's proposition is more fnr- J l
reaching than that. lie asserts that he I l
believes ' that this legislative fiat on our iH I
part ! would not only bring the silver now fS H
iu existence to par with gold at the- ( f l l
ratio j of 10 to 1. but would keep it and it H
the 1 future production there , although i M
doubling the price would hereafter . Jl M
probably ' double the production. , ' < 'j l
In view of these facts is there anyiru - j l l
propriety j in inquiring how it is that we , l H
70,000.000 strong , can a fleet the money E l
of 1,350.000,000 people by a simple stnt- I H
ute. while the 1,350,000.000 cannot by J H
legislation ] affect us ? And arc the people P l
of ( Great Britain and continental Europe H
and i many millions of Americans to be . H
dubbed ' 'money-grabbers" and "pluto- / j H
J crats" if they hesitate to believe that Mr. i H
Bryan has found and carries Aladdin's j 'i
' B
Wonderful Lamp , and can produce these J l
stupendous ! results ? And are the millions l
• <
of people in this country who have made ' H
contracts and investments upon the pres- ! | H
cut , monetary standard , which is gold , H
ami which has been the standard at least ' H
since 1S79 , and I think since 1834 , to be j H
charged i with being unreasonable when- B
they i ask Mr. Bryan to state explicitly 1
what he believes would occur not only H
to i their interests , but to the business of H
the i whole country , if his prediction as H
to i the rise iu the price of silver should H
not i be fulfilled and the standard of exchange - * 1
change < should suddenly be changed from H
a ; guld to a silver basis with no. or at J
best 1 a slight advance iu the commercial H
value of silver bullion ? J. IT. . H
Has ; the American Farmer Forgotten ' 1
That under President Harrison's administration - ' H
ministration ' the prohibition against our |
meat products by Great Britain. Ger- r ! H
many. [ Denmark , Austria. , Francv , Italy ' |
and ; Spain were removed ? V > H
Hashe forgotten the high pruvs lie fl
received during the times reciprocity ' H
and ' protection were in force ? > H
lias he forgotten that our trade l-i all ' I H
agricultural i products was extended dur- T- l
]
lias he forgotten that our exports of ' ; |
baeon. hams and lard was iuc-r.-nscJ 'i l
$19,000,000 in one year by this s.tme ? |
Has he forgotten that we evported ' H |
S12.000.000 more of American beef |
products in a single year ? H
Has he forgotten that we exported 1
$1(1,000,000 ( more of live cattle .uniu- M
'
lias he forgotten that we exported M
3150.000.000 , of cereals , namely , wheat , H
$115,000,000 ; , flour $28,000,000 anil corn HB
$7.0 * 0,000 ? U
Has he forgotten that we increased H
the ' foreign sales of all Mur agricultural - H
tural ' products $275,000,000 annually M
over ' what it had been previously ? H
Has he forgotten that four years ago H
Mr. Bryan aud his free trade friends H
promised ' him that if the McKiu ! < > r bill V l
was ' repealed better prices would bv ob- l l
taincd for all of bis products ? H
Has he forgotten that all these promises - H
ises ' failed of fruition , and that instead H
of receiving better prices all agricultural H
products ' have depreciated in value ? - tf H
Has he forgotten the good times that 1
all classes , the farmer , the wage worker |
and the business man enjoyed under M
protection 1 and reciprocity ? |
Does he propose to accept the promises | |
of this same Bryan crowd , , who make no |
references i to their pledge of four years H
ago that the repeal of the MeKinley / H
bill 1 would bring" relief to all classvs in H
tnis i country , and who shamelessly ignore - ' |
nore all reference to those promises/and' | H
now seek his votes under pledge that a M
debased , aud depreciated money will j B
remedy i the hard times ? BHBVJ
The American farmer should not for'J M
get j that protection and reciprocity ; , BBVBV
brought 1 him prosperity. i ' 'HBhBh
Th e "Working Man's Vote is HLs Own. $ |
Bryan and his shouters make much of j | |
j the charge that efforts are being : msrrfe M
to control the labor vote. The labor i H
vote cannot be controlled. It free. | / |
A secret vote must of necessity > Tree. |
5 It was to make it free- that legis&tors H
made ' it secret. There would be ample H
ground j for criticizing the writing- letters - H
ters to working peopleBy their emplor- H
ers mi the subject of election , if such |
action by the employers involved compulsion - H
pulsion 1 : for this is a free-country , and - flBflBj
the 1 right of every citizen to freelv ex- Ti HBb
press 1 his own views by his own " vote telHflVfll
should and mnst be sacredly mauiTa-ined1 . ' HHH
Under existing circumstances letters of Al
advice written by employers to their emaVAVJ
ploycs 1 arc no more to be regarded as 'IflHVfll
attempts at compulsion than is the cir- u |
culation of any other class of campaign H
literature 1 to be considered as an attempt H
at compulsion. They are a legitimate J
part 1 of the "campaign of education. "
to 1 be judged by the arguments titer eon- H
tain 1 , and acted upon as the recipients H
may ' decide to be best for their own in- * AH
terests. i MQwaukee Evening Wisconsin. ( 9BVBh
FAKMER KCOWX'S nn.CTrafu -4VV |
We had a public nieetln' la the scSoolijousBflVfl
here week
And a feller from the city wa iarltetl tlowa HHBfl
to speak. H
IIed sttulietl up the subject of Qaanee In BHHHj
every light
And elaimeil that he was competent to H
show us what was right. H
He : says this whole blamed' country is a-soin" fl
straight to smash 1
Unless we get free coinage- and increase our H
cash. H
He 's ligsered out a daisy scheme and claims H
* twh ! work immense H
He : wants to make our dollars cost us on'r * v 1
fifty evuts. V .T H
He ' ll t.iko "four bits' or silver and rroiil.l ' H
run it through the mint ] M
And M.inip It p'aln "one * *
' dollar with I ho I I M
zovercmcni's imprint : -I Hl
The mines would dump their silver and the T M
nation , slick tts srease. T H
Wor.IcP grind out brand-new M
dollar * a tn- A
lirty rents apiece. * H
Thar Mtnmls- all right : hot since H
sanirbu-Y I've wondered that ni-hr Itf h
Wh.Mi I liny do' 'ars for uTty cent * whft'11 4 H
talre Vm fftr a hundred ? H H
"KS I * lu
- - - Cbfcaso Times-Herald. |
H
r- r ,