OCR Text |
Show VOL III. A SHOUT CATECHISM. AN EASY ing method of convert- to-da- y. MISLED VOTERS. Oam Thar I'adarafami That This Is a Battla for I'ulrantal aapraaiarr Lada haai aad Juba Ball Thayil Vaia for I'm ill tar. Be-twa- Question What Issue outweighs all others in this years campaign? Answer The question of the restora- tion of the principle of bimetallism In our monetary system. Q. Why is so much earnestness felt on the subject? A. Because me vote next November will probably determine the question finally one way or the other. Q. Is not the tariS equally an Issue In the campaign? A. No, there is no appreciable opposition to a protective tariff, and all other issues are lost in the great one of gold or bimetallism. Q Explain the position of the gold advocates? A. They Insist that 2322 grains of gold shall constitute the measure of the dollar, no matter to what point gold may advance. Q- Why are they so wedded to the gold standard? A. Because it is the English r' End England is looked upon as the Suost enlightened nation of the world. Q- Is there any reason why we should have the same standard as Euro pean countries? A. None whatever. The monetary system of a country is purely a matter of its own Internal concern. Q- What influence has precipitated the Issue at this time? A. The spetu.-i.i- ve money influence. Q. What do you mean by speculative money influence? A. Capital legitimately employed has little to make or lose by the question of the standards. A piece of property is worth Just as much whether expressed in English pounds or in French francs or in American dollars. So Invested capital represents the same Intrinsic value whether it be measured by gold dollars or silver dollars. Only large Investors in money have any very real interest In maintaining forever the gold standard. Q. But would not s change of standard be an injustice to them? A. The issue had better not have been raised at this time, but as it has been raised some injustice must be experienced on one side or the other. Q. Who raised the issue? A. The advocates of the gold standard. Q. What are their chief arguments? A. Denouncing the advocates of bimetallism as populists, anarchists, fanatics and cranks. Q. Are these denunciations Justified? A. No; many able political economists and statesmen advocate bimetallism. Q. Does free silver carry with It the destruction of the national banking system, the restriction of the powers of the government to preserve the peace in times of riot and insurrection, and other populistic meas- ri ed ures? A. By no means. A. Many good thinkers believe n will. In any case the disparity would be but very small compared with what It is Q. What advantages are claimed foi free coinage? A. It would break the existing corner in gold and cause the dollar to return to Its old value. Q. What would be the effect of that? A. Prices for all products of labor would advance, business would revive, debts would be more easily paid, labor would be in greater demand, and strikes and riots would cease. Prosperity would be restored to the country. Q. Then the support of free silver does not mean anarchy and repudia- The remonetisa- tion? A. Far from it; the intelligent and conscientious free-silvadvocates have solely in view the prosperity of the nation. er TO OPPRESS LABOR. Aldrich's Cuuimlttes Mlarrprraaatt the Karl. New York Journal: What are these statistics in which Mich constant appeals are made, and for which men are asked to distrust their common sense end common observation? Fortunately, this question may be briefly answered, because ail these labor sympathizers refer to the same set of statistics the only set in the world that would answer their purpose. It is the report made by Senator Aldrich of Rhode Island to the senate finance committee In 1893. Those who know nothing about the wages accepted the committees summary, but others looked to see in what industries this astonishing rise in wages had taken place. They found that upon hooka and newspapers" wages had fallen since 1873; in the building trades" they had fallen; in city public worka" they had fallen; in "cotton goods they had fallen, but that in "dry goods, where the greatest fall was expected, wages were reported to have risen over 40 per cent! Turning to the employers reports in another volume to learn where the wages of clerks had been rising at such a phenomenal rate, it was found that but a single dry goods store, up in New Hampshire, had made a return. Leas than twenty clerke wf employed by it, and yet the Aldrl's committee assumed that all clerkf throughout the country had had a similar advance In wages. As clerks are more numerous than cotton operative, for example, a rise of per cent in the wages of a score of clerks waa made to offset a fall of about one-aixin the wages of over a thousand cotton operatives and leave a handsome balance to be applied to other Industries aa needed. Other methods likewise extraordinary were uaed by the committee, such as the separation of the foremen from the hands, and the making a rise in a foremans wagea offset a fall in the wages of a score of men under him. By these means the desired results were secured. What the employers' returns really showed was something very different, according to an independent Investigator, who went over the returns a few months ago. The summary for all the persona employed in all the Industries covered waa aa follows; Avmn A Ting Arsrrntc allj 40-o- th wc-- a wigra dally wagaa Data Kmpnlred. tdallj.) nrmn. Ignld.) tion of silver is a legitimate question January, 1MM..B.NI1 S4.M8 blli fill of statesmanship with a solid basis of Jaauary, lNTS .s.ins 1S.MS 1.81 lot 1SS1 ..7.7S5 1.IS l.OS Jannary, ls.l scientific truth underlying it In 1860 other between and conwords, do the bimetallists Q. Just what 1S7S, under bimetallism, gold wages tend for? A. For the free coinage both of gold rose S3 per cent In thirteen years; between 1873 end 1891, under the incomand ailver. plete monometallism, gold wages in the Q. What do you mean by free coinmost favored establishments fell 7 per age? A. The privilege on the part of any cent Since 1893, under complete monometholder of the precious metals of taking them to the mint and having them allism, the decline in wages has been coined into money without limitation. at a much more rapid rate. In Massafree simply chusetts the labor report for 1894 showQ. Then the term ed that in two years the nominal rata means unrestricted as to amount? A. Exactly. If every coin contains of wagea in the factories of the state the full weight of pure metal and passes had fallen 7 per cent and that even this at what it is worth, there can be no lower rate was received by fewer hands, who object in limiting the coinage. The working fewer days. do not know the statistics know the more money we have the better. . Wage-earne- rs But how about the expense of facte from hard experience, and those who depend upon statistics to persuade to take the aide of A. At present gold la coined at the the wage-earneexpense of the government. In some money lenders and tighten their grip countries the cost of coining is charged upon the industry of the country have a difficult task before them. to the person getting his metal converted Into coin. That would be a matter for congress to settle. There can be no Jut Like riuvaluud. objection to a charge for coinage. There Those Republican papers that have may be advantages in It been roasting Cleveland for his goldlte Q. Then free silver simply means financial policy can now with the same putting silver on an equality with gold consistency roast McKinley, but it is In throwing open the mints to Its coin-age- ? a noticeable fart that they do nothing of the kind. If there is any difference A. It does. between the policy announced by Mcq. What do you mean by IS to 1? Kinley and that pursued by Cleveland, A. The present sliver dollar has 16 people would like to know what that times the weight of the gold dollar. The difference la. Wood River r, expression 16 to 1 means the continHalley, Idaho. dot-luance of the coinage of the silver at the present weight, or at 16 times Mars Mauy Wasted. the weight of the gold dollar. It Ik more money that the people want Q. But the present silver dollar has and making all the silver bullion into hut half the bullion value of the gold money gives them a larger supply, but dollar, has it not? even when tbte lb done there Is yet A. True, but Its depreciation results short supply. Nothing leu thjin 830 very largely from Its demonetization. per head for every man, wbaian and Restore its functions as real money and child la sufficient to arke the people it will certainly advance. prosperous and harpy, and put them Q. Will It return to a parity with out of the rear1 of the goldbaei.--Times- , Longnvat, Colo, gold at the 16 to 1 ratio? Q. running the mints? rs Newa-Mine- ar TKAVEI.S THIRD OF I. MEXICO. A SERIES OF E. LIGHT'S LETTERS. B. Aaysaa Wha I maglaM That Fraa Silver Is lajarlag oar i'aaatry Oaghl la Haad This hot aa Idla ffsrkau Aaywbara la lha Karablla. (Copyrighted 1896 by Chicago Preu Bureau.) THIRD LETTER. Chihuahua, Aug. 16, 1896. I find so many attractions in this quaint enterprising city, that I am tarrying here longer than I expected, that I may fully investigate Its Industries. The largest manufacturing plant in Northern Mexico Is that of The Industrial Company ot Chihuahua. The principal ownr is Mr. Enrique Creel, the banker, whose very Instructive interview I recorded in my previous letter. Mr. K. C. Creel, his brother, is the The works were essuperintendent. tablished by the erection of a small foundry and machine shop, and employed of a capital of $40,uo0. Later the capital was increased, and the profits have been allowed to accumulate until now the company has a capital of $360,000. Mr. Creel very courteously showed me through the worka In which he takes a pardonable pride. He Informed me their employes are chiefly natives, to whom they pay the same wagea for the same work as to foreigners, and the scale of wages now employed waa molders, $2.00 to $3.00; machinists, $3.00 to $5.00 per day of 10 hours. In the rolling mill the employes from foramen to Iron handlers average $4.00 per day of 12 hours per shift Six months ago they employed twenty foreigners mostly Americana Now they employ but three, aa they find that the Mexicans turn out more work, because they will bear rushing, which the Americana would not Mr. Creel said he preferred the Mexicans beoause they did not understand the art of combining and coercing their employers as did the Americana The weekly payroll of the Industrial Co. amounts to $5,000. The product covers merchant bar iron, castings for stoves, architectural work, castings for smelters and mines, and general machine work. The work Is of inferior finish, inartistic In design, and lacking that attractive style our Americans produce; but it may satisfy their trade. The thought presented to my mind waa, with the competition of an American plant, under the direction of one who waa thoroughly conversant with the business, it would be necessary to turn out better work or lose the trade. I believe there is a grand opening at Mexico City, the commercial metropolis, for a plant of equal magnitude, to be operated by American capital, and directed by American skill. Mr. Creel told me that last spring a large contract was awarded in Mexico City, te which foreign manufacturers were invited and were present, but thnt the Industrial Works secured the entire order amounting to upwards of $250,000. This was made possible by the high rate of exchange which haa proved of inestimable benefit to Mexican industries, and shut all manufacturers out that operate in gold standard countries. As 1 look into this question I oan come to no other conclusion that that our manufacturers have not studied this monetary question from the standThat they do point of not realize that through its operation the silver-usin- g nations are establishing new industries, revering every important branch In those countries when we have long monopolized their valuable trade, and that new industries are being planted upon such a olid foundation they can never be dislodged. Look at Japan. Never did a country develop their resources more rapidly, and never were our Industries so seriously threatened in our home markets, as by that nation operating upon a ailver basis with their abundant cheap labor. Should we remain on a gold basin and double our present tariff (barring transportal ion) they would yet have an equal chance in our markets. Restore unlimited coinage of silver, and we at once place them on a level with our manufacturers if there was no tariff. Then by continuing the tariff of today, or increase it if you please, we ehall effectually shut them out of our markets. If the committee that Is now In South America looking for new avenues of trade will take up the monetary question and study it from a standpoint, they will reach the conclusion that they can accomplish more by returning and acquainting their brethren of the true cause of the present paralysis of thlr business, than ran possibly be accomplished by advertising their wares in countries operating on a silver basis. If this statement is doubted let them end a committee to Mexico, where our manufartui era a few yean ago sold this republic a very large part of the goods it consumed. Then we annually held a balance of trade against this nation of some $16,000,000, which has been gradually reduced, until In 1894 a balance there waa against ue of over $11,000,000. Under these rendition! la it eurprislhg that upwards of $360,000,000 o' foreign gold baa found more profitable 1 LABORS WAGES AND MONOMETALLISM. I HlUlUUmilUlUlUUllUiUUUUUlUUUlUUUUUUUUIUUUlUN The advocate! of the present gold standard are fond of asserting that are higher In 'goM' standard wagea countries than they are In bimetallic countries. They quote the dally wages paid In Brazil, Belgium, Denmark, Franca. Germany, Italy, Holland, Great Britain, Argentina, Norway and Sweden, Spain, Turkey, Portugal, Canada, Switzerland, Venezuela, United States, Chili and Australasia, all gold standard countries, aa against Austria, China, Ruasla, Central America, Persia, Peru, Uruguay, Mexico, Colombia, Japan, India and Ecuador all silver standard countries. It will be noticed that not one of the countries named are on a bimetallic system, except It be the United States (the figures are for the year 1890, when this country was on a partial bimetallic bails) which they nevertheless put in the gold standard column. Today all the countries named have either a single silver stsr.dard or a single gold standard. Npt one of (ham has a financial syslen like the United States had up to 87S, and. in a measure, from that lime to 1893, when the Sherman lay was repealed by a forced panic apa under which wages advanced Oy'muclL A single silver standard la almost aa bad aa Ingle gold standard. Ths one virtue of silver monometallism over gold la that It keeps tha forces of production at work. There fas practically no In the silver countries, A third of the forces of production In the gold countries are Idle at the present time. And again It la organized labor that Lakeeps wages up In every country. bor la thoroughly organized in nearly all of tha gold standard countries In the silver countries it is sot. All of the gold countries named have heretoTha fore been bimetallic countries. silver countries have always been monometallic. Wagea thrive under the Wages go down bimetallic system. under the monometallic eyetem be It gold or ailver. This country la now on a gold monometallic system and haa Wages have gone been since 1891 down 80 per rent, sinoe then. The dally pay of workmen ia tha United States In 1892 waa $13,000,000; today It la about $8,000,000. We want to get back to the bimetallic system, aot mere-'l-y aa It partly existed prior to 1893, but so it wholly existed prior to 1871 Thea wagea will go up. investment here, than at home? But let us not soliloquise. I prefer to give statements as f gather them from gentlemen In the various walks of life, an? especially aanufacturers; for I recall how at hdme we have over 3,000,-00- 0 Idle workmen denied the right to earn bread fij the sweat of the face, because thrir employers cannot find for thtfr wares. om tjrie roiling mills we drove to National Soap Works, owned and managed by the Brlttingham haiy. I am told this business waa blitf'ied In 1885 In a small way, t W.nen It haa been enlarged three e lentil now, It has a weekly capa-o- y two car loads of laundry soap, it gentlemen havt since built a larger factory at Lerado which fa capacity of three car loads per k. In connection with the Chlhua-yctorMessrs. Brlttingham and yn operate a candlee factory boxes capacity of seventy-fivIn all of these works they quite largely cotton seed oil, It they formerly bought in the each $2.26 per day by the year, we employ only native help. All work 10 hours per day. Labor la organizing and wages ere going up. At present the demand for labor la in excess of the supply, especially for the farm. During the poet two weeks two car load of laborers have bean shipped in. The last one, two days ago, and today there ia not an Idla man in the city that wants work. For several years past we have not had our usual amount of rain fall. Many men have left the farms and found work In the factories, until now the farmers cannot procure sufficient labor to rales and harvest their crops The demand haa been eo great for farm help that the tate has leased their prisoners to the farmers In the Immediate locality. Before leaving El Paso, Mr. Donahue, general agent of the Mexican Central, told me if I desired information at Chihuahua, I would find their agent at that point very well informed, and he would gladly give me Information if I applied for IL Therefore my next call waa upon W, 8. Clayton at the depot. I found him a regular encyclopedia. It was quite satisfactory to have him corroborate the statements it Inmade by those Interviewed, creased my confidence in their correctness. It Is proper to say here, that I have aimed and shall continue to give the name and address of the party Interviewed In full, that any person desiring to test the correctness of my statements may do eo by addressing the party personally. I asked Mr. Clayton to give me the rates governing traffic on the Central, to which he replied : On paasenger business we have first, second and third clasa The first class la three cents, the second Is two cents, and the cents per third la one and one-ha- lf kilometer, or about H of a ml la Tha self-intere- st non-partis- an y, chang I caused the building of a factory here, Consuming Mexican cotton seed and t us we lost another source of come another struggling Industry waa rippled. They are now buying soap oxea In Michigan. It Is hoped we ran r tain that trade. The Brittlng-ar- e hams loyal Americans and ex- press! d regret at seeing our country loslni so rapidly the valuable trade of thA Southern Republic. I asked these lrentlemen how present wages compelled with those paid when they To which the began manufacturing. reply cm me, when we began In 1885 we paid ou r men from 25 to 60 cents per $1.00 pe r day, and to some of our older and bet ter men we pay $1.25 per day. We pa r our engineer and carpenter In-a- i first claas cars are furnlahed with chair seats, tha aeoond with seats of the uaukl pattern, but are not upholstered, having alatted seats, the third class can have slotted seats running lengthwise along each aide, and a doubts row of seats back to back, through the center. These care will accommodate more than twice aa many passengers aa the first class care. Aa the low rates ancoutage travel I believe the suggestion of lower rates for cheaper accommodations, worthy tha consideration by our American railroads. To tha question do you find tha liberal use of silver inconvenient or burdensome? He replied: "No we are to it, and tha large amount of ailver In circulation enables all to pay cash for purchases ae made. Our merchants would rather bandit tha silver than keep books Then plenty of money Improves business. The high rats of exchange encourages the establishing of new Industries, which creates a demand for labor which la fully employed at good wages considering the cost of living. The average pay tor peona ia from cents a day. Masixty to eeventy-fi- v sons $1.50 to $2.00, carpenters $1.00 to $5.00, machinists $3.00 to $5.00, boilermakers $5.00 to $8.00. All work 10 hours per day and no strikes In tha southern part of the republic lower wagea are paid aa labor is more plentiful, except to foreign mechanics who command about the same rate in all the stales. There ie a fair demand for labor at these prices. It le proper to ay that not all the men coming from the states can secure employment at these wages until they have been here some time, as they must flrat learn the language before they can make themselves useful. They must also be prepared to live differently and work more hours. I must emphasize Mr. Claytons suggestions as to our workmen coming here for employment. AH persona before coming here for a prolonged stay, should take up the study of tha language. You will learn tha language more rapidly when among the natives, but the rudl monte should be mastered t home, aa well aa tha names of things In common use. This suggestion applies to all who would visit the republic for pleasure. There are eo many Americans her that one ran got along very comfortably in the cities, by exercising their Ingenuity and patiently persevering with those who speak broken English. Do not come here with tha Idea that our ways are superior, and therefore should be adopted. These people change very slowly, and you will be more successful If you fall In with their ways as rapidly aa possible, and leave changes to be made when yo better understand the situation. Then you will probably decide it la better for things to go on their way. EDY. B. LIGHT. Fata Ita rant la It Kvarv nay. Chicago Tribune, today: This ailver agitation la all in the Interests of tne liver miners. They want to make fifty cents worth of silver worth a dollar. Chicago Tribune, yesterday: The value of silver cannot be Increased by unlimited coinage. Query If the value of silver caunot be increased by free coinage, how Is free silver going to benefit the ailver mlnen? |