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The Silver Standard And Mexican "prosperity."

The Silver Standard And Mexican "prosperity." image
Parent Issue
Day
27
Month
September
Year
1895
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Much isheard these days about the "prosperity of Mexico" and the advocates of f ree silver asoribethis so-called "prosperity" wholly and solely to the fact that Mexico has a silver currency. She is accordingly held up as a bright ana shining example for us to follow, and our people are assnred that all that is necessary to secm-e inimediate and nnbounded prosperity here is to follow the financial leadership of Mexico. All this seerns but to illustrate how nnquestioningly and easily some people Ijelieve what they wish to believe, regardless of conditions and facts. The United States follow the lead of Mexico! Impossible. To do thiswould necessitate an evolution of some centuries backward. If onr people ever passed through the stage of "prosperity" jbow being enjoyed by the masses of Mexico, it was a long time ago and finrely no one can have a desire to return to the "advantages" of such priniitive conditions. The fact is that modern civilization has scarcely as yet iuvaded Mexico. Labor there receives iess than ñfty cents a day in Mexican money, which rueaus that wages do not average tweuty-five cents of our money. How would such wages snit our laborers? Besides, the homes of the laborers there are a disgrace to the name. They are scarcely fit for pigeties and the people live like the lower animáis. Their food is of the poorest qnality ind meager in quantity and it is said that two dollars of onr money Would buy all the clothes one those people wear. The wage earner is in no wise identified with the development of the age. He is a mere serf in fact, if not in name. If such is the "prosperity" of Mexico, dne to the silver standard, do our wage-workers want any of it? It is absurd to advise the United States to become "prosperous" be following the example of Mexico. Mexico has a silver currency, it is true, aud has mined more silver than auy other country in the world, yet she has no financial standing among the nations of the earth nor is her progress in other respects more xnarked. She is no more than a fourth -rate nation in any respect and it is out tif the questionlto institutecomparisons between her and the United States. The Mesican minister at Washington in a recent article in the North American Review said: "This country is so far ahead of Mexico in material progress, commerce, manufactures, agricnlture, wages, popular education, wealth, banking and banking facilities, and so many other things, that such a comparison would be unfair. " Still Mexico is well up among the silver standard countries of the earth. None of thein are flrst rte nations in any of the before mentioned particulars. The nations that have made the most advancement in all other lines than financial, are not silver standard nations. It is safe to conclude, therefore, that they liave also been most progressive in monetary science as well, and are consequently in no position to receive instruction in finance from Mexico or other silver standard nations. No one here should allow himself to be deceived into believing that his condition in the scale of existence would;be bettered by the ünited States taking on the "prosperity of Mexico," thatsaid prosperity is due entirely to the free coinage of silver Torn Platt is still the republican boss of New York, as Matt Quay is of Penn sylvania. Both díctate the nominees down to tbe minor offices. The oul; way to rise in the republican party in New York or Pennsylvania is to beconie loyal henchmen of these two men, ready to do their bidding, whatever it may be. And these two men who have earned a national reputation as trick sters will probably have more to do with winning the next republican nom inee for president than any other hundr ed nien in the nation. A week or so ago a large quantity of wool was shipped f rom New York to Xiondon, the dealers selling ït for from 2J2 to 3 cents a potmd more than they paid for it. The Boston Herald says, in speaking of the Boston market, that there is "a good deal better inquiry for domestic wools. There is no special excitement in the wool market, and yet wool cannot be bought as favorably as a f ew days ago. " It is to be remembered that low as wool is this year, it was lower under the McKinley law. The Adrián Press has bolted Campbell's nomination by the democrats of Ohio for governor. There is undoubtedly so great rejoicing in the McKinleyForaker ranks that they are apt to forget that Stearns doesn't vote in ■ Ohio, and that, in this case, he certainly can't control even his own vote. The Wisconsin state census just com pleted shows the gain of a quarter of a million in population in that state in the last flve years. Wisconsin 's population now reaches nearly two millions. Steadily the star of empire is moving westward. France taxes her 200, 000 bioycles $2 a year each. How would it do to put a tax on the bicycles owned in this state to go into the highway funds? Harrison will not be the republican nominee for president next year. He thought Matt Quay and Torn Platt were dead. They are very much alive.

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Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News