, 1840-04-04
WHOLE NUMBER 337.

eDiaIled upon the country, linen ! should con-
slider it the lesser evil TO abolish Them alto
gether. If the state legislatures shall now
do their duty, | do not believe that It will
ever become necessary 10 decide on such an
alternative. ~
We are also charged by the senator from
Kentucky with a desire TO reduce the wages
of tie poor mans labor. We have been
often termed agrarians on our side OF the
house. il is something new under the sun
to near TIE senator and his friends attribute
to US a desire to ~elavate the wealthy ma::u-
~facturer at the expense of the iaboring man
and the mechanic. From my soul | respect
the laboring man. Labor is the foundation
of the wealth OF every country, and the free
laborers Of the north deserve respect, both
for their probity and their intelligeIce.-
Heaven forbid that ! should do them wrong.
OF all the countries on the earth, we ought
TO have the most consideration for the labor
ing man. From the very nature Of our In
stitutions, the wheel Of fortune is constantly
revolving and producing such mutations in
property that tie wealthy man of to-day
may become the poor laborer OF to morrow.
Truly, wealth often takes to itself wings and
flies away. A large fortune rarely lasts be-
yond the third generation, even If IT endure
so long. We must all know instances of in
dividuals obliged to labor for their daily
bread whose grandfathers were men of for
tune. The regular process OF society would
almost seem to consist of the efforts of one
class to dissipate the fortunes viii h they
have inherited, whilst another class, by their
industry and economy, are regularly rising
10 wealth. We have all, therefore, a COM
mon interest, as ii is our common duty, to
protect the rights Of the labo,ing man; and,
If ] belle, ed for a moment that this bill would
prove injurious to HIM, it should meet MY I'm.
qualified opposition.
Although this bill will moi have as great
an influence asl could desire, yet, as far as
it goes, it will benefit the laboring man as
much, and probably more, than any other
class Of society. What is il he ought most
to desirel Constant employment, regular
wages, and uniform reasonable prices for the
accessories and comforts Of life which he
requires. Now, sir, what has been his con.
ditIon under our system Of expansions and
contractionsl lie has suffered more by
them than any other class Of society. The
rate OF his wages is fixed and know; and they
are the last to rise with the increasing ex.
~pansion, and the first to fail when the cores.
O4e'h SAo SNoiS ~ Sbh Sohkth-
ues to receive his dollar per day, whilst the
price Of every article which he consumes is
rapidly rising. He is at length made to feel
that, although he nominally earns as much,
or even more than he did formerly, yet, from
the increased price of all the necessaries OF
lie, he cannot support his family. Hence
the strikes for higher wages, and the uneasy
and excited feelings which have at different
49,. . -, - H. -
But the expansion at length reaches the ex-
ploding point. and what does the laboring
man now snffer! He is for a season thrown
out Of employment altogether. Our manu-
features are suspended; our public works are
stopped; our private enterprises Of different
kinds are abandoned; and, whilst others are
able 10 weather the storm, he can scarcely
procure the means Of bare subsistence.
Again, sir: who do you suppose, held the
greater part of the worthless paper Of the
one hundred and sixty-five broken banks to.
which | have referred? Certainly it was
not the keen and wary Spectator, who snuffs
danger from afar. If you were to make the
search. you would find more broken bank
notes in the cottages of the laboring poor
than any where else. And these miserable
shinp!asters. where are they? After the re-
vulsion of 1887, laborers were glad to OBJ
tain employment o n any terms; and they
often received it upon the express condition
that they should accept this worthless trash,
in payment. Sir, an entire suppression Of.
all bank notes of a lower denomination than
the value of one weeks wages Of the labor
ing man is absolutely necessary for his pro-
lection. lie ought always to receive his
wages in gold and silver. or all men on the
the laborer is most interested in hav-
ing a sound and stable currency.
Al! other circumstances being equal, | a.,
gree with the senator from Kentucky that
that country is most prosperous where labor,
the highest wages. / do not,
however, mean, by the terms slightest wa
ges," the greatest nominal amount. During
the revolutionary war, one days work COM
a hundred dollars of continental
but this would scarcely have purchas-
ed a breakfast. The more proper expression
would be, to say that that country is most
prosperous where labor commands the great