Ill A SILVER COUNTRY
Condition of the Laborer and
Business in a Land Where
Free Coinage Exists.
WHAT THE MEXICANS SAY.
A Representative of the St Louis
Globe-Democrat Tells What
He Saw.
Since the free-silver people began to
point to Mexico as an ideal country
where the free coinage f silver had
made everyone happy, contented and pros
perous, there has len much written by
men who had lived there and others.
The reports, which were not flattering
to the country, were denied by the sil
ver advocate and branded as lies. The
silverites stoutly maintained that if la
bor was as well employed here as in
Mexico the great question of what to do
with the poor would lie solved as there
would be no poor. They claimed that
in that country there was no Wall street:
that food, clothing and the necessities
of life were cheaper; that the nation
was prosH.-ring as it never had before,
and all on account ot the free coinage
of silver.
The St. Louis Glolie 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 silTer and its effects are priuted
below:
rteea Depend on foreign Exennauge.
' Pirates 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 coast ports, business
men of the states hardly notice from
week to week the variations in exchange
between their country and KuroH'. But
in the business relations between the
United States and Mexico the changing
difference between the standards is a
matter of hourly concern.
"What's exchange today?" goes with
every morning's salutation betwecu mer
chants in Monterey.
"Silver's up" or "silver's down" is the
commercial news of first importance.
The shrewd representative of a Pan
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 !c 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 1 tween 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 dny 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 alstve 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. Yon 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 United States 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,
and I don't want to see it in our trade
with Great Britain and Europe."
A Dollar's Worth of Labor.
A dollar worth 50 cents commands the
same labor in Mexico now that a dollar
worth a dollar did ten or twenty years
ago. Right there is the cornerstone on
which prosperity hi this silver country is
building. That is what makes it now
Jirofitahle to work mines with ores worth
"7 and $8, Mexican money, a ton. That
condition of labor brings the cost of min
ing and carrying out the ore down to $1
a ton. That kind of labor built and
operates the cables, which take the place
of thousands of burro trains, at a frac
tion of the cost for like construction and
operation in the States. Cables have re
duced the cost of conveying ore from the
mine to the railroad, two miles down the
mountain, to 20 cents and ') cents a ton.
This labor enables railroads to haul ores
at from 50 cents to $1 a ton. It figures
in the cost of the transportation of the
coke from the gulf and the coal from the
border. And. finally, it enables the
smelters to make an unprecedentedly low
rate of $4 a ton for treatment of ore.
At every step, from the first blow of
the pick in the mine to the landing of the
base bullion into molds at the furnace,
this fixity of wages on the basis of a
dollar depreciated to one-half its value is
the chief factor which instires the profit.
What matters it if silver goes down if it
commands jnst as much labor as ever,
and if the lead in the bullion can still
be sold for gold? The smelters of Mexi
co boy ore from the mine owners, and
pay a Mexican dollar an ounce for the
silver they get out of it. They paid this
several years ago, when silver was worth
more thau it is now. They still pay it.
Recently, under the importation of com
petition, While silver was dropping so
rapidly in the United States, some of
the smelters of Mexico advanced the
price they allowed the mine owners for
silver. They are now paying under some
contracts $1.06 in Mexican money for
every onnce of silver found in the ore.
Today the brick-making plant a few
miles out of Monterey, on the Mineral
railroad, is shipping 1(10.000 paving brick
to San Antonio, in Texas. It does this
arid pays the ad valorem duty of 25 per
e 'nr., which the Wilson tariff levies on
brick importations. The contract for
this brick shipment, was obtained at
Knn Antonio because this company put
m the lowest and best of twenty-eight
bids. The Monterey .company enjoys
the possession of excellent clay, but that
isn't v bat enables it to send brick to the
United fates at profit. It outbid the
tirertty-eeven American brck-makin
efti "sn'es - because It Bells brick (or
m -ricaa money, worth IOC cent in
Hold, and hire good labor for Mexican
mrney, worth 00 cents in gold. This
eompany repaying three miles of Monte
rey streets with brick, displacing . the
cobblestones of time immemorial. It
r. driwM block of the brick ptrlnf as
,- object twaeoa, and the governor, Gon.
FfrMrrta Beyee, with a keen perception
fee good thing, ordered three mllea of
i' - -nme to begin with. The brick mao
t'HM M the Basis of unchanging
rs and laid by the same will coat in
mm mm taaa w
same piving cnnimaods in American
money in the States. American cities
pay about I'J .'iO a square yard for brick
paved streets. Monterey will get her
streets paved for a little b-ss than $2."'
a square yard, and that price will be in
money worth one-half the American
;i rice.
Other Occupations.
As in mining and in hrickmaking. so it
is in all industries. Monterey is boom
ing. Wages remain fixed at the old rates,
and can 1-e paid in the depreciated sil
ver. That gives the margin of profit.
The most striking of the object lessons,
'lerhaps, are those which the railroad
furnish. These roads in Mexico are
well managed. The depots and sur
rouiidiui: are marvelously clean and
neat. The roadlwds will eoiuimre most
favorably with those in the states. The
train service is exi-elleiit. Mexican
money diics it. East from Laredo to
Corpus C'kriti. on the Gulf, wholly on
American soil, the Mexican National has
a division 1HO miles long. Southward
from Ijiredo the first division of the
same road, within Mexican territory, ex
tends to Monterey. lrt-S miles, shout the
same distance. On one side of the Rio
Grande the Mexican National pays
wages in Mexican silver. On the other
side the pay roll is met with American
money.
Conductors between Laredo and Corpus
eet !Mr s month in gold. Conductors
between Lnmlo and Monterey get fl.'JO
a month in Mexican silver, which is
worth $(".( I, for the same kind of serv
ice. Engineers on the Texas side are paid
$.'i.5ii in gold for 1I0 mih-s. Engineers
ou the Mexican side receive 5.50 in
Mexican silver, worth $2. NO, for 100
miles.
Brakemcn running to Corpus get $50 a
month in gold; to Monterey. p'Ai a
month in Mexican silver, worth $.'10.50.
Firemen on the Texas division are paid
at the rate of Sl.Nt in gold for 100 miles
traveled: on the Mexican division, $2,125,
worth $1.17.
A general officer of the Mexican Na
tional, tisi modetit to bare his name in
print, gave these wages from his hooks.
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 J exas division.
"Probably thev 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 KIO miles on a gold basis in Texas
and ihri miles on a silver basis in Mexi
co. They have the gold and the silver di
visions alternately. We do that to give
tnem all ttie same chance.
"When did the company adopt this plan
oi evening tilings .'
"About two vears aim."
"How about wages of section hands'
I tie official earned to the books again.
"On the Texas division." he said, "fore
men get .flO a month in American money.
The laborers get 75cerits a day. On the
Mexican side fosjjTget $40 a month in
Mexvan silver, ami'i.iborers cents,
b)th Mexican silver."
W prevailing rate of exchange this
gives section foremen on the Mexican side
2l a month and .sect inn hands about 31
cents a day in American money.
"But you must rcuieiiils-r," said the
railroad oflicial. "these fig urea for fore.
men and labor hold good onlv as far be
low the border as Snltillo. That is 240
paid $1.50 a day and laborers f0c a day,
all in Mexican silver. Still further
south, Islow San Luis Potosi, the pay is
$1 2.i a day for foremen and for laborer
''"'Y" a day. Mexican silver."
"Have railroad wages undergone any
change with the decline of Mexican sil
ver "No. These are the rates today, and
they were the same in lKWj. when silver
dollars were worth a half more than they
are now."
Concerning Lead...
"The silver mine owners of Monterey
would he greatly gratified ' to see Mr
Bryan restore silver to $1.2!" 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 ns."
This s.-eming paradox Mr. Mai pro
ceeded to explain. In so doing he threw
much light uiion 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 $1.2'J an ounce," he be
gan, "it would lie $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 05 cents an ounce in
American money for our silver. That
American money is worth lt.HJ per cent,
more than Mexican money. n other
words, the J5 cents an ounce in Amer
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 $1.2i). 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 lie 5o0 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 $.'0 in .Mexican
money.
"Silver, yon must remember." Mr
M aiz continued, "doesn't govern the
price of lead. If silver should go up to
$1.2!) an onnce, or, which is the same
tiling, to par with gold, my lead would
keep about even, regnrdless of the fluc
tuation of silver. It would still be
worth 3 cents in gold. My 5O0 pounds of
lean per ton woiim ne worth $15 in gold,
but it wouldn't lie worth any more in
silver. It wonld be $15 in gold in Amer
ican silver and in Mexican stiver."
Having shown that he would get very
little if any more in Mexican money
for his silver if it commanded $1.2!t,
or par with gold, and having demon
strafed th8t the advance of silver to
$1.2! 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
was very little difference, we oh id 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 dny
in Mexican money which is now equiv
alent to about 37 cents a day in gold.
This 37 cents a flay 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
7( cents, in gold. The Mexican miner
dees not consume for his nourishment
and his clothing any but Mexican prod
ucts, sncn as corn, nesns. coffee, sugar,
cotton goods, etc , Nearly sll 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 it the same wages as they received
when silver was the same as gold."
The Mlver Masts.
Ip waves on a silver basis, the win,,
owner of .Monterey finds his margin. In
wages on a silver bssis, fhe smelters of
Mexico figure out a great advantage mcr
those of the United States. The Omiihu
smelter is one which offers a fair com
oarison with this Guggenheim plant of
Heater ty. They are, probably, the larf-
nines soutti ot the frontier. As you go
toward the interior wages decrease
From Snltillo Southward to San Luis
Potosi. HlkS miles, section
est silver smelters in the two countries
Each gives employment to about 4i
men. No one will traverse the great
plant at Monterey and doubt that tie
Mexican workman in the industry ren
der equal lal-r, man for man, with the
American employed in the Omaha 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 latsir unloads the cars mr heap the
ore by the thousands of tons in the yards.
This same labor loads the ore into the
little iron tramcars and heels it under
the sheds, where the more skilled work
men do the mixing of the ores in great
l-ds. This common laU.r shovels and
lifts and pushes as hard as the $1.50
gold labor at Omaha and does it for i2H
cents a day Mexican silver, or 31
ceuts gold. This labor works ten boors 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 lalxir 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 slwut over
seeing and directing, are paid from $:'
to $5 a day. They are few in number.
Still fewer are the furnace foremen of
that ripe exjierience which is resjioiisible
for the results. These get $2 a mouth,
the equivalent of $100 in gold.
The pay at the Omaha smelter aver
ages $2 a day. or $NOO for the Mm :l.
Isirere, the equivalent of $1KJ in Mexi
can money. The pay at the Monterev
smelter averages $1 a day in Mexican
money, or $400 for the 4ot) employes.
Here is a difference of $12Sl Mexican
money or $J gold In the daily pay
rolls. The Mexican silver smelters are
said to lie 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 wonld require the American
smelters to pay only twice as much for
labor where now they pay 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, 2'jC, is nearly double that
Caid for ordinary common labor. It
rings to the works brown men 'with
muscles like steel, who trot along with
,I0 pounds of ore in a barrow. These
Mexicans shed all clothing but sandals,
strawhat and cotton drawers as they
push and pnll the ore down the incline
of the long roasting ovens. They have
only one bad habit. They will come to
work before breakfast. Von can teach
Mexican labor to smelt ores to perfection
but you can not teach the Mexican wom
an to get up and prciare breakfast, sim
ple as it is, lwforo the 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' Wages.
' At Cerralvo. in the state of Nueva
Loon, is located the Benavides smelters.
From this smelter there has been
shipped since the 1st of January, by ox
carts. l.Hon.OOO pounds of bullion. This
Cerralro 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 activity.
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 past three years, ninety
miles from a railroad, affords one of the
liest possihle illustrations of the cheapen
ing of silver production in Mexico. The
manager of the smelter is Mr. H. C. Har
rison, who has had a good deal of ex
perience in mining and smelting. He
furnishes the actual cost of ojieration
from his books and makes a comparison
with the cost of a like smelter in the
States. These are bis figures:
Kmelter operation In Mexico.
Per day In
Mexican jnoiiev.
Superintendent .' .11.1.00
Two foremen, at $4 s mi
Tk'O ore weighers, at $1 2.00
Ansa yer 4 (Si
Two engineers, at $1 2.00
Two fiiniacemen, at 11 a.ori
Two feeders, at 75c J Ml
Four slag men. at 'Vjic 2 So
Two ore men. at 1.2.1
Two charcoal men. at f!2fV'-.. 1.2-1
Two patio men. at Klr i;jr,
Ten outside men. at .Vie.. 5.00
Two bullion men, at ftl'iy: ,. 1 2.1
Two cords of wood, at $2.25 4. .VI
Oil for engine and lights j..vi
Total In Mexlrsn money $.13.00
Smelter operation in Lotted States.
I'er day In
Tnlted States moiiev
Fuperlntendcnt $10 oo
Two forpinen, at $4 ft on
Two ore weighers, at $2.50 B.on
Assayer , r.S"i
Two engineers, at $.'! f. (j no
Two fornscenwn. t $t..., j. fl (Si
Two feeders, at $3 ." 0 oo
Two slag men. at 2..V 5 no
Two charge wheelers, at $2..V) .1.00
Two chsreosl men. at $2., 4 tut
I'lve ysrd men. st $2 10 on
Two bullion men. at, 2 4 nn
Two cords of wood, st $3 A (in
Oil for engines and light 1.10
Total In t'nlted States money $l .so
Exchange, HO , 7:.;is
Total In Mexican money $1.14X1
The cost of pinning fhe same smelter
would be in Mexican money $154X5 for
labor on the American side of the Rio
Grande. It is $53 in Msxico ninety
miles from a railroad.
"The present cost of smelting In Mexi
co," said Mr. Harrison, "is only about
one-third of what it is In the T'nlted
States. This shows that a very low
ifrade 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
rice and reliability of labor is an im.
oortant factor in smelting. Here in
Mexico we have cheap and steady work
ers. The average income of an adult
in the stste of Nuevo Leon is 10 cents
a dav. There is scarcely a day I do
not hsve to turn applicants awsv. The
entire population Is offering service in a
fearfully overstocked labor market. The
cost of mining in the Cerralvo district,
as compared with the western part of the
United States, is abont one-sixth what It
is in Colorado and one-eighth what it
is In Arizona. "
Ore Mine and Its Output.
If you ask who is the richest man in
Datango, the reply will be:
"Maximiliatto Pamin.
The rase of Miitlmiliitno Da mm it one
of the answers to the question how cbeai
nean-
flt In
Iv can silver Is' pi minced at a pr
Mexico. Mr. Pamiu Is it momfant. A
r.-w iinrs a no he owed $400,001) to Euro-
pea a credited The story ef MaaiaxiMane
Damn's rapid rise to the distinction, af
the Croesns of Dursngo is the story of
the Promoiitorio mine. That is a proper
ty of w hu h the milling market never
heard. It is known to Durango people
tiecause they see the ox carta and mule
wagons couie creaking in with sS) tons
of ore monthly. The mine is Ka3 mih-s
north of the city, and the ore must be
hauled that distance in carts and wagons.
'The ore is quarts, and all that is thus
transirted is of a grade which yields
150 ounces to the ton. The monthly ship
ment from the Promoutorio is 90,000
ounces of silver. In a year this amounts
to l.isst.fssi ounces. It is worth in
Mexican money $1.2!st,O0a, and in Amer
ican mnn v $j50,0U). But thie shipment
of ore at the rate of 000 tons is not all
of Mr. Damm's product. From bis own
works at the mine he makes every day
a bar of silver weighing 1100 ounces. A
bar of silver worth $1210 in Mexican
money and half of that in American mon
ey is not very formidable in appearance.
It is ouly 16 inches long by 4 inches in
breadth and thickness. Every day one
of these bars 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 opportuni
ty to handle a collection of these bars if
free coinage tiecomes the law.
The pnnent product of the Promontorio
is l.HOO.iatO ouuee a year, worth $1,74!.
400 in Mexican money, and to be worth
that in American money if Id 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 liegan
to urn-over its richness. With his rep
utation established as the richest man
in Durango, Mr. Datum does not admit
that he has done any mining. He has
imply been developing what there is in
the Promontorio. blocking out Ihe mssses
of ore to be removed when be gets down
to the real business of mining. But
while doing development work Mr. Da mm
is taking out incidentally ore which
yields him 1 .3110,01 Mi 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 devidoping his property,
Mr. Da i) mi has taken out a third-class
of ore which has not U-en shipped to the
smelter or treated at the mine. He now
has a dump containing 50.000 tons of
uch ore which, he says, will average S0
ounces to the ton. That mentis 3.(KKt,-
ounces more, to he worth $3,H20,
IS) when the United States declares
for unlimited silver.
Maximiliano Da mm can furnish all
of the silver the mints of the Cnited
Statics will be able to coin into
dollars during five weeks of oH-ra-tion
at thtiir present full capacity.
Open Mints Cheapen Mlver.
"Why is it that in a ailver country,
with unlimited coinage, bullion does not
go, to the Mexican mints to lie coined
into dollars, but is sbi'incd out to be
sold in another country where it has a
fluctuating , alue and where so much of
it as would make a dollar In your mint
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 lsdow, from which the Mex
icans were trotting forth in never-ending
file with their sacks of ore. The mine
owner chncked a pebble over the preci
pice, and shook his head, as if the ques
tion ws too mui n tor 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 arc 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 Hie Mexican mints and
coined into dollars."
THE FARMER AM) THE RILVEHITE.
He was set tin' on a shoe box at to' corner
uv th' street,
f'uawin' plug terbacker an' waltln' fcr a
treat.
While be antilrted his terbacker Juice at an
Inerfeuslve fly.
He saw an honest farmer come a-wslkln'
slow iy by,
tio he hlsted up bis britches, an' be took sn
ot her chew,
An' boldly waded Inter him, an' this Is what
be blew:
"fan yon tell me, mr friend, why the chinch
hug Is eatln- up your grain?
Have yer ciphered on the problem why we
git wi little rain?
Can ycr tell ine, plodding farmer, why the
army worm's around?
Why th' tarnal veller sunlight la burnio' np
tU'grouud?
ran ycr tell me why tb' weavll, th' rust an'
Hessian fly .
Are eatln' up yer substance? lo yer know
th' reason why?
Why th price uv eggs an' batter, oats an'
corn, an' wheat an' rye.
Are a-fallln'-lit the market as th' years sre
pasaln' by?
"The reason why these dismal clouds cast
tbelr shadders 'crost th' sun?
Why yer debts are gettln' bigger, as th'
siasons go and k'lm?
Th' reason fef tbla trouble Is plain eoougo
ter see,
Tla that orfnl, fearful, nasty thing; tb'
'crime av '73.'
Tew be sure, yer didn't know It fer thirty
veiira er so,
Hut It worked tnls orful bsvue, it dealt
this deadly blow.
Th' (iold Hugs down In Wsll street under
cover uv lb' Isw,
llav' gobbled up yer earnings In tbelr
thirsty, hungry maw.
'Hlxteen to one ' will cure you 'tis th' sllo-
pathlc plan."
The farmer stopped snd listened, tho' II
almost mB(ie- blm Isf,
At tbe stupid, senseless logic uv this whit-
tlln' talkln' calf.
An' bis dander 'gao arlstn' at this ever-
Isstlo' bore.
An' he racked bs heels together so' be
shuk bis fists sn' swore:
"You must think us fanners bay' antbla'
else to ao
Hut Stan' aroun' an' argify with such tarnal
fools ss you.
You'll leglslste the weavll, cblnch bug so'
Hessian fly..
You'll resolute the raindrop er kaow th'
reason why.
You'll upset th' laws trr natur, you'll change
th' seasons 'round.
You'll stop lb' goMn sunlight from shinltT
one th' ground.
Til' law tbst flies prices, you'll change 11
lest fer fun.
With rolnln' uv th' sliver 'sixteen tew one.'
Half a dollar's worth uv acta I will be
worth test twlct as much,
When melted by th government an' glv'n
Its msgle touch.
You'll bust up sll th' railroads, shops, an'
savings banks.
With th' drlvlln' silly nonsense av you crasy
silver cranks. ,
"It seems fer me that I remember wfcu
things were all askew,
Rome time snout November la tb' year uv
88.
That the same gang av fellers promised
another '-eat.
That yer to d tb' grabble' farmer that
you'd gin blm 'dollar wheat.
That he'd sorely tnea be happy, as' bla
fort a n weald be aisde.
V,t he'd Jest upset IT tsrin, vote fer Cleve
land aa free trad.
Now, ws don't pertend ttj knew so or I, fer
we never nan mors snow.
Hut there la quite a grist o' things thst
eveu fnr:urs kaow.
They know ilea they've been Had to, an'
taken f r a dunce.
An' they're gain tew be d d keerful that
IH0V7 WILL THEY VOTE?
Sf&oj Tho titan da of Young Men
Have Beached the Threshold
of Their Career.
TWO POLITICAL PATHS OPEN.
Sound Money Stands for Nationa
Honor Debased Coinage Stands
for Dishonor.
There are a good many thousands of
yeung men who will this year cast their
first vote for President. They stand on
the threshold of their career and are
looking forward to achieve success in
life in some chosen vocation. With but
few exceptions they all expect to be
business 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 ques
tion, which is now the political question
of the moment, is of surjussing impor
tance, not only for the right casting of
their votes but for the right understsnd
Ing of business principles, for if they do
not understand the meaning of money,
what it ahould 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 nse it.
The common phrase in business la
lmaking money," but money is only a
means for obtaining otber things. When
a young man has saved his first hundred
dollars he doesn't put it away or hide it,
but invests it in other property or loans
it at interest until he can find ao oppor
tunity for otber Investments. As be in
creases his money be sets it at work for
bim, and in this way grows rich. Money
is not tbe ultimate object of business,
but it is the means whereby men obtain
what tbey want.
It ia of the first importance, therefore,
and each man's common sense confiraH
it, that the money we earn, that the
money we borrow and lend and that we
use for the purpose of exchange should
be uniform and stable in value, that it
should mean the same thing next year
that It does today,. and the world of busi
ness has agreed that gold and silver
makes tbe nearest approach to that
kind of money gold for large transac
tions, silver for small. That these
metala can be eqnally nsed history
shows to be impossible, so the wisest
nations have provided that gold should
have 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 the teachings of history and the
example of the most successful hnsiuess
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 Kngland or sfter
'Mexico: Shall we learn from Cblni or
from Germany?
How does a young man art for himself
I when looking around among his elders
land superiors in business life? Does he
choose the example and advice of suc
cessful men of the Armours and Fields
and tinges of commercial and financial
life or does he start out regardless of
their methods and attempt some slrort
cut to success? How many young men
have stood at the parting of the ways
looking wistfully into the future? How
few have taken the narrow and forbid
ding natb 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 snd Integrity in
their national life any more than in
personal life.
Hound 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 onr young men fol
low? Chicago Times-Herald.
THE MODERN ALADDIN.
How Bryan Ignorea the Experience
of This and Other Nationa with
Free Coinage.
Mr. Bryan states that he believes the
free coinage of silver, by our govern
ment alone, at the ratio of 10 to 1,
would raise the price of silver to $1.29
per ounce; and lie never tires of alleg
ing that our government is strong, and
rich, and owerful enough to accomplish
this result without waiting or asking for
the co-operation of any other country.
Ia making this prediction Mr. Bryan
ignorea tbe experience of this and otber
nations of tbe world in regard to tbe
coinage of silver during the past 100
J ears; but waiving that, let us see what
is proposition involves.
I presume it will In; 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 tbe production of silver since
lHtr2, are all taken from a report sub
mitted by Mr. Veorhees, a free silver
advocate, on behalf of the finance com
mittee of the Senate, March 5, 1MM,
which report is entitled "Coinage Laws
of tbe United States from 17U2 to 1WM.
with an Appendix Relating to Coins and
Currency; Fourth Edition, Revised and
Corrected to August 1, Prepared
Under the Direction of tbe Committee."
According to that report, page 175,
tbe production of silver la tbe world
from 1493 to lWr2 amounted to 7.522.-
807,716 ounces, and there has been pro
duced since 1882 about AuD.OOO.OfJO
ounces in round numbers. Add this to
the other sum and we have a total of
8,122,A07.7ie ounces. I have no data
showing the production of silver prior to
1408, and hence I cannot give the fig
ares; bnt I think it may be safely as
sumed that it amounted to as much as
tbe whole amount of silver that has beau
lost or destroyed. In order to be sure
that we are on the right side, however.
let as deduct 122,.V7.7ltf ounces, pm)
state tbe present supply of silver in its
various forms In the world si $.000.-
0UIJ,laj ounces, inis is worm y lent
per ounce, or ...yr .'ssmsi in tn ur
negate. To this, according to V
Bryan's opinion, the legislative fl. of
erne aersrawicDt alone weald adJ UO
rents per ounce. fcVMO.OOT.Ofin. And
strange to ssy. the Isrgcr part of this
added wraith would le outaide of our
own country. In gold standard coun
tries tbe commercial vslue of
the silver coins iu circulation would be
brought nesrly to the gold standard.
This list of ours would suUtantmlly
double the vslue of $1 l.s'l.'s's'l in sil
ver coins in Great Britain; Kssl.(.GW)
in France; $l'l!i.(SSt.lSiO in Germany;
IM.WSi.tsai in Belgium: f lO.raKM
Italy; $15,lMJ.fssJ in Switzerland; 13,
(agi.fgsj m (Jrcece; ll.Vi.msi, ' ia
Spain; $10.10.0Ut in Portugal; $85,000,
(aVl in Anstro-Hungsry; S.Ws's'Ms'gJ in
the Netherlands: 4.lsi,fx) in Sweden;
$5,400.01' in Denmark; M-t.000.000 in
Tnrkey; $7.0Ms'l in Australia; $15,
OOO.OHO in Egvpt and fllO.tsai.fKKI in tbe
Straits, besides $U5.fl0.0rtJ in this
country, and raise all this money near
ly to par with gold; and yet we sre told
that all these countries not only refuse
to join Mr. Bryan and his supporters,
but even do not sympathise with them
in this stiiMMidus enterprise w hich would
add so much to their wealth, and in
a large degree relieve them from
the burden now resting u:mn tbem
of keeping their gold and silver coins at
par with each other in their circulation.
But bow would it work in the silver
standard countries? This government
fist of ours would at one fell swoop sub
stantially double the value of $4 1 .tSsl.Otal
in silver coins in Kussia; $.KI.'s'Sl.fSSJ in
Mexico- $8,01X1.) Ml in the Central Ameri
can states: $rMI.MUMI in the South
American states; $;t.VI.(K).KKI in India,
and $725,MXM) in Chins, snd would at
the same time double all the private and
public debts of those countries, which
nave been contracted on the silver basis.
But Mr. Bryan's proposition is more fsr
reaching than that. He asserts that he
believes that this legislative fiat on our
part would not only bring the silver now
In existence to par with gold at the
ratio of 1(1 to 1, but wonld keep it snd
the future production there, although
doubling the price would hereafter
probably double tbe production.
In view of these facts ia there any im
propriety in inquiring how it is that we,
70,(s,X).0'0 strong, can affect tbe money
of 1,350,000,000 people by a simple stat
ute, while the 1,H5J,000.0(S) cannot by
legislation affect us? And are the iieople
of Great Britain and continental Europe
and many millions of Americans to Is?
dubbed "money-grabbers" and "pluto
era la" if they hesitate to believe that Mr.
Bryan has found and carries Aladdin's
Wonderful Lamp, and can produce these
stupendous results? And sre the millions
of people in this country who hsve made
contracts and investments upon tbe pres
ent monetary stahdard, which ia gold,
and which has been the standard at least
since 1879. and I think since 1814, to tie
chanced with being unreasonable when
they ask Mr. Btfm t statr explicitly
What hm heHeees wwaid occur net only
to their Interests, bait to the business of
the whole country, -if his prediction ss
to the rise in the price of silver should
not be fulfilled am' tbe standard of ex
change ahould suddenly be changed from
a gold to a silver bssis with no, or st
best a slight advance In the commercial
value of silver bullion? J. L. T.
Has the American Farmer Forgotten
That under President Harrison's ad
ministration the prohibition against our
meat products by Great Britain, Ger
many, Denmark, Austria. France, Italy
and Spain were removed?
Has he forgotten the high prices he
received during the times reciprocity
and protection were in force?
Has he forgotten that our trade in all
agricultural products was extended dur
ing tbia time?
Has be forgotten that our exports of
bacon, hams and lard was increased
$19,000,000 in one year by this same
policy?
Has he forgotten that we exported
$12,000,000 more of American beef
products in a single year?
Has he forgotten that we exported
$K',000,000 more of live cattle annu
ally? Has he forgotten that we exported
$1.V'(M1,000 of cereals, namely, wheat,
$115,000,000, flour $2X,0U0,000 and corn
$7.0M,000?
Has he forgotten that we increased
the foreign sales of all our agricul
tural products $275,000,000 annually'
over what it had been previously?
Has be forgotten that four years ago
Mr. Brysn and his free trade fnnds
promised him that if the McKinley bill
was repealed better prices wonld be ob
tained for all of his products?
Has he forgotten that all these prom
ises failed of fruition, and that instead
of receiving better prices all agricultural
products have depreciated in value?
Has he forgotten the good times that
all classes, the farmer, the wage worker
and the business man enjoyed under
protection and reciprocity?
Does he propose to accept the promises
of this same Bryan crowd, who make no
references to their pledge of four years
ago that the reiieal of the McKinley
bill would bring relief to all classes in
tnis country, and who shamelessly Ig
nore all reference fo those promises, and
now seek his votes nnder pledge that a
debased and depreciated money will
remedy the hard times?
The American farmer should not for
get that protection and reciprocity
brought bim prosperity.
The Working; Man's Vote Is Ilia Own.
Bryan and his shooters make much of
the charge that efforts are being made
to control the labor vote. The Is (sir
vote cannot Ik- controlled. It is free.
A secret vote must of necessity be free.
It was to make it free that legislators
made it secret. There would be a tuple
ground for criticizing the writing of let
ters to working people by their emnlov-
ers on the subject of election, If suclt
action oy tne employers involved com
pulsion; for this is a free country, and
the right of every citizen to freely ex
press his own views by his own vote
should and must be sacredly maintained.
Under existing circumstances letters of
advice written by employers to their em
ployes are no more to be regarded as
attempts at compulsion than is the cir
culation of any other class of campaign
literature to ne consiocrcd as an attemnt
at compulsion. They are a legitimate
part of the "campaign of education."
to be judged by the arguments they con
tain, and acted upon aa the recipients
may decide to lie best for their own in
terests. Milwaukee Evening Wisconsin.
FARMER BROWN'S DILEMMA,
We had a public meetln' In tbe scboolhouaa
her last week
And a feller from tbe city was Invited down
to spess.
He'd studied up the -subject ef flaanea la
every light
And claimed that be was competent to
shew us what wss right.
He says this whole blamed country Is s-gohV
straight to smash
I'alesa we get free coinage sad Increase our
stock ef cash.
He's flggered ont a dslsy scheme sad claims
'twld work Immense
He wants to make our dollars oost us only
fifty cents.
He'd take "four bits' of stiver snd would
run It through tbe mint
And stamp It plain "one dollar" with tbe
eoTsrnaisnt'i lanrlnt:
The mines wosld dump tbelr silver aad the
nation, sues as greass.
Would grind out braad-new dollars at lest
nftv enta aniaoe.
Tint sounds all right; hat sloes that nlaht
somehow I've wondered
vlen I buy dollsrs for fifty cents who'll
tske 'em for s hundred?
-V. a P., In Chicago TImes-Hereld.
1X4