Lincoln telegraph. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1836-1846, 1840-06-18
THE TELEGRAPH.
B AT H M E.:
y n TT VT l.
THURSDAY MORNING, JUNE Is.
DEMOCRATIC WING NOMINATIONS.
FOR PRESIDENT:
WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON,
Of Ohio.
FOR VICE PRESIDENT:
10 III " Il Y FER,
of Virgiaia.
THURSDAY MORNING. JUNE II
From the New York American
THE WAGES OF LABOR,

he AdEo UT LA DtJ1t.
1t is one of the avowed objects of the
Sub Treasury bill to reduce the wages of
American labor to the level of the labour of
Europe. Mr. Calhoun looks to this result
to enable the planters at the South to real
ize larger profits on their staples, and even
Mr. Buchanan, Of Pennsylvania, commends
it as one of the advantages of the bill
In order that American laborers may
understand what it is, that the protessed
friends of the poor man are aiming to
bring about, we annex table quoted by
Mr. Merrick, the Senator from Maryland,
Il. the, course Of his speech against the
bill.
In November 1888, instructions were
sent by the British Secretary of State, Lord
Pamerston, to certain British consuls re-
siding abroad, requiring answers TO certain
questions having reference to the state of
agriculture, and to the condition of the
agricultural peasantry, within the districts
of their consulates. Answers received
from the consuls in various parts Of France,
Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy, have
lately been presented to parliament; and
from the documents the following abstract
is taken:
FRANCE. The average oflabor per year,
is l37 shiIIings sterling, or % dollars and
half; in some with, and some without
board. Day laborers average 8 pence a
day.
GERMANY. Laborers gel from so to 200
shlings year. Day laborers from 5 to
20 pences day. ....-..-.-.
IrALk At Trieste, laborers get IL
pence day without board, or q pence with
board.
IsrRrA. From to 10 pence a day
without board, or 4 to 5 Fence day with
board.
LoMsARDy From 4 to pence day
with board.
GENOA. Farm servants from 60 to 100
shilIings ayear. Laborers to pence a
day.
TUSCANY. Farm servants 40 shillings
year. Laborefs 6 cents day.
HOLLAND. Laborers 3 to 4 pence a
day.
FRIEsLAND From 6 to i6 pence day.
ANTWERP. Five pence day.
FLANDERS. From IS to IO4 shillings a
wear.
The shillings and pence above, are ster-
ling money, and one quarter must be ad-
ded to bring it into English, lawful money;
as for instance, pence sterling is 8 pence,
and 4 shlillugs and SIX pence, sterling make
one dollar
"Now, sir" said Mr.. Merrick, Il am
greatly in hopes our people will read and
ponder over this table; they will there see
that in France, yearly ao0ges for an able
bodied man range rom As to $50 shllings,
and day aborers get in that country from
4 I2 to - pence per Day; and whenever
they get as much as 5 pence they have TO
find themselves. In Germany, wages are
still lower, and range by the year between
SO and 100 shilings, and day laborcrs re-
ceive from l-2 to pence per day, and
find themselves in food. In south Holland,
farm hands get by the year from 200 to
$50 shillings, and day laborers from 3 to
pence per day, and are found. And so on,
sir. Whoever will take trouble to exam
inc the table, which is oGciai and authentic
will see that, in all these countries which
are held upto US as such bright examples of
hard money countries-France, Germany,
Netherlands, ltaly-wages by the year for
able bodied sound, healthy man, nowhere
exceed $50 sbillings; aud the daily wages
range from to 9 and l2 pence, rising in
ono place, and only one, to 90 pence, and
the laborer finding himself! What a COM
mentary upon the hard money policy
What hope is here for a man born the son
OF poor parents ever to better his cond-
ton? What ray of hope is there to slim
ulate him to exertion! None, none He
who is there born peasant dies peasant.
Those born at the plough die at the plough
tail and all that the longest life of aborious
toll can procure for them is coarse and
scanty means Of subsistence. Think you,
sir, these people are made happy because
theirs are hard money countries9 Is this
the prosperity boasted of when we are tr-
umphanty told of the immense amounts of
gold and silver held by their great capital
lists? Is this an example worthy of our
imitation' Think you, sir, the high blood
Of American freeInen will submit to thisP