Chapter 329: Reaping and Resisting

Chapter 329: Reaping and Resisting

President Idalgo relaxed a bit at his friend's words. Indeed, the French had invested significantly in him. If the Spanish managed to suppress them, all that French investment would have gone to waste. But a troubling thought clouded Idalgo's mind.

"My friend, what if we find ourselves drowning in debts after independence? No Spanish oppression, yet continually paying the French each year for this debt. Wouldn't it mean swapping old oppressors for new ones? Getting rid of one villain only to welcome a darker one, continually reaping the Mexican people..."

"Mr. President, independence always comes with a price. Everything demands its due. Consider, if we perform well and swiftly crush the Spanish aggressors, our debt burden might lighten. And at least these debts offer a chance for repayment, unlike the unending rule of the Spanish."

"Have you ever seen someone fully repay such high-interest loans?"

"Well... Mr. President, indeed, I have," remarked Idalgo's friend, the Portuguese merchant Peria. "I have a friend named Mendosa. He was reckless in his youth, drowning in high-interest loans. Yet, in the end, he cleared them all."

"Your friend must be wealthy, or was he once wealthy?" Idalgo inquired.

"Mendosa indeed came from a well-off family. So, upon inheriting his father's estate after his passing, he sold off a manor to clear the debt," Peria replied.

"You see, my friend, people differ. Your friend had wealth, while Mexico, we are a poor country," Idalgo shook his head.

"No, Mexico is rich, only its wealth remains untapped," Peria countered. "The Spanish aim only for quick grabs, caring little for our progress. They fear that a prosperous Mexico might seek independence. But the French wouldn't mind our development. In fact, they'd benefit from our prosperity. Besides, Mexico holds vast territories. While the northern lands might seem less valuable to us, the French are constantly migrating to the Americas. They need land, and their expertise in railways might find use here. They'd surely invest in these lands. If we decide, we could use these territories as collateral, borrow a considerable sum from the French, muster a significant army swiftly to crush the Spanish. That way, our cost might end up being minimal."

"Peria, are you advising me to sell our nation?"

"Mr. President, this is the Americas, not Europe. Land dealings are commonplace here. How could this be deemed selling the nation? Moreover, our northern boundaries are ambiguous. And, sir, nations fundamentally engage in transactions—exchanges of national interests. Trade implies transactions. So, unless you sell it cheaply or pocket the money yourself, how could it be called selling the nation?"

"Peria, you always find yourself good justifications," Idalgo sighed. "But..."

Phileas cautiously approached, handing over the missive.

As Rayne read, his brows furrowed.

"Well, well! Impoverished scoundrels, relying on me for sustenance, dare negotiate? These rabble, I could find a thousand more like them on the streets merely by whistling!"

With these remarks, Rayne stood up. "Melissa, fetch my coat. I need to visit the office."

As his wife brought the coat, Rayne instructed Phileas, "Take my card, go to the police station, find Chief Clark, invite him to my residence tonight."

Phileas hurried off to prepare the carriage as Rayne swiftly arrived at the office, summoned several managers for a meeting, then returned home, engaging Chief Clark in lengthy discussions that evening...

The next morning, workers, following routine, arrived at the factory gates, only to find armed police guarding it. Members of the factory's security team were there too, informing them that all workers who had put their thumbprints on the petition addressed to Rayne had been dismissed. Their work permits were revoked.

The petition bore twelve hundred thumbprints, nearly a third of Rayne's workforce. But to Rayne, this wasn't a concern. Unemployment was rampant, and textile labor required no extraordinary skills. New workers could be hired anytime.

As a renowned economist in the future would caution against any intervention in free markets, warning that without market freedom, implementing public ownership or similar heretical approaches would confine workers' labor to a single buyer, leading them down the "path to slavery."

But in a free market, could workers avoid enslavement due to their freedom to choose? Ha! How could that be true when the average lifespan of British textile workers was lower than that of slaves? No factory owner would willingly raise wages, for it increased costs, putting them at a disadvantage in competition. In a free market, capital was scarce, and labor was surplus. Just like there were few companies making Marvel movies while countless artists who could draw comics or write stories had no rights. Those dismissed workers couldn't find a more benevolent capitalist elsewhere. For if such a capitalist existed, assuming this world had one, they'd have gone bankrupt due to costs in competition.

A worker representative stepped up, rallying all workers to strike. This time, the London Textile Workers Mutual Aid Society played a pivotal role, almost all workers standing outside the factories.