THE PROGRESS OF WESTERN AMERICA. 



59 



JAMES H. McCLfNTOCK, 



of Arizona, Member National Executive Committee and 

 Local Committee on Publicity. 



Extent of On all these taken together, 

 our Loss. and on cotton> t b e price o f 



which has been similarly affected, although 

 it is impossible to give exact figures, the 

 aggregate loss cannot be less than $400, - 

 000,000 on what we have exported, and 

 four times as much on our total produc- 

 tion. The total loss on silver itself is not 

 to exceed $30,000,000, and yet we are 

 told there is nobody interested in, or to 

 be benefited by, the silver legislation but 

 the silver mine-owners. If the gold bugs 

 can make the farmers of the country be- 

 lieve that, they may well be justified in 

 their opinion, so often suggested, that the 

 farmers are a brainless set, incapable of 

 thinking or acting for themselves. 



Opposing All of the gold standard coun- 



I J/ fPi'f^f** i 



' tries except our own are among 

 those classed as consuming countries. 

 They have not hesitated to almost destroy 

 their own agricultural industries for they 

 are suffering in common with ours, 

 because in their case, as before stated, the 

 manufacturing and commercial interests 

 are paramount. As buyers of such prod- 

 ucts if they can save $400,000,000 on the 

 share purchased from us and proportion- 

 ally on the vastly greater quantities pur- 

 chased elsewhere, is it reasonable to sup- 

 pose they will invite us to join them in 



restoring the value of silver bullion, or 

 that they will aid us in doing it? It is 

 hardly creditable to the intelligence of the 

 American people that they should submit 

 so long as they have to a controlling in- 

 fluence in our legislation which means so 

 much of hardship and suffering for the great 

 mass of the people. THE IKEIGATION AGE 

 will discuss the silver question along the 

 lines herein indicated during the coming 

 campaign, and fully believes that this 

 country cannot hope for recovery from the 

 present depression until it provides for 

 the coinage of all silver that may be 

 offered at the mint at the existing ratio. 

 It would be infinitely better that every 

 ounce of silver bullion should be sunk to 

 the bottom of the sea than that it be 

 permitted to go abroad under existing 

 conditions with the effect to depreciate 

 the value almost one-half of all our 

 products. 



Mexican A few years back Mexico 

 Progress. b e g un ^ o gain ground with its 

 industries and to prosper as the result of 

 a more stable government. At first it 

 began buying more largely from abroad, 

 and for a while it looked as though the 

 western cities would have a profitable 

 market for many of its manufactured 

 products. Being on a silver standard, and 

 producing its own money metal all it can 

 use at home and a considerable amount 

 for export as gold has appreciated in 

 other countries it has carried the prices 

 of such goods as were imported to almost 

 double the former price. Its enterprising 

 capitalists have been quick to appreciate 

 the great advantage it is giving them to 

 introduce home manufactures in pretty 

 much all lines. They have been buying 

 machinery in this and other countries 

 where stagnant business conditions have 

 been reducing prices, have erected factor- 

 ies, have employed instructors for their 

 home employes and are reaping great 

 profits, as well as affecting great savings 

 to the consumers, by manufacturing cot- 

 tons, woolens and other textile fabrics, 

 foundry products and machinery for their 

 mines. More than that they are intro- 

 ducing American cattle and hogs for 

 breeding purposes, with a view to the 

 home production of meats and provisions. 

 It is undoubtedly good for Mexico, but it 

 is cutting off a very profitable portion of 

 our western trade. 



