New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-01-25
The Wages ofLabor

To the Edo i The Tribune:
Should not the prices of Labor among the MIMI
featuring Population of this Country DC ie "'''''
by law or,o,, work
Powerful Corporations or Comoinao.is o,.ei
rr,a, mischief 10 a community; and II Is neceSs u.
IN order to preserve the hper''eS % III.
keep in check s,rch monopoly ms may thlo"
a,err, Al choi,,s around the poor and helpless.
Wao,th 10 power: and in general, Man LOOKS 10
HE NV. interest before he does to that OF '''pse
arnund him. Now, il q party OF wealthy me" NC
snrmed IN any community with the ntento'i u ~
qrandize 10 themselves greater profits oy ,euuIi'
the wages OF the Poor, what IS 10 pre'eh.,
No,h;nG, except q competition by some o'hcr co'i-
u,,ni,y: and the Laborng People may po Wv 20
70 remove from one place 10 the othef' ,,,.c. ~
a. CONSTITUTION insurcs n every one ne, lip
~, W. anJ The nursut of happiness And 90 these
nersons have clear field Most unquestlonaoly
not. Mechanical employnents dlier from '!oSe
,.onscn, ones which can be shifted from day TO Gay.
a nerson brought up and educated to particular
line Of mechanical employment, the time required
for his study. and the necessity OF working INDUS
,r;ousIy for living prevents him from obtaining
knowledge Of any other pursuits. Many nave "feli
brought up to their particular line, ana Deyo"l
they know nothing; their wages nave never PEI
hans hcen sufficient for them to save any thing, or
rerhaps their families large, and SICKNESS has
reduced their means; they are rooted to one spot,
and ,nus, toll from dav day with the torlnents OF
He'll breathing around them,
The oppressors wrong the proud mans cortumely;
thew learn to hate those above them IN me 'ley
curse their Government and ITS laws; uley are
miserable, unhappy beings shut out from the beau
tiful of Gods creauon and the tongue that speaks
a tone OF JOY and happiness from every iea' anu
flower is to them seeming taunt.
These remarks may not be applicable IN the
present state of our Country, but look forward
We arc rising in Importance as Manufacturing
Peonle. and unless we take some measures 10 pre-
vent oppresson we shall find ourselves, before nan
cen,ilry. in the miserable state OF England with
regard 10 Manufacturing Population. AS long as
this interest is growing rapidly, air wages WI DC
allowed: bur as II IS settled IN maturity d
reduction Of wages, both oppressive ana 'us'' VII
follow.
Let this be subject at once of investigation by
Congress-, the policy of fixing the price of labor IN
the different departments of Industry, under "nch
no Manufacturer shall go, giving the Poor al t.e
same time the opportunity OF making bargain ioi
higher wages if their services would command II.
This could easily be done. 1t Is well known lfoW
much man live upon in the Manufacturing
towns at the present time; and if the price OF living
be changed, a corresponding change may be made
in the price of labor fred. This would no! affect
the Manufacturer if il were general thing; IT
would merely protect the Poor. Ii Goods cannot
he manufactured without drawing upon the 1000 OF
rhe moor man for profit, let shut up our Manu-
factories. | would argue from these premises 'nat
we have means of supporting millions on millions
that we are an industrious People ulat o',i great
object should be the ameoratlOn OF the cOndluon oi
Man. that our Government formed with this
intention: that we ought every one OF rs 10 40 our
hest 10 carry out the great principles mculcated py
our Constitution, and give to every man tille
far above the beasts that perish; that the ann o' an
good Government is the happiness OF It's people !;
that laws should be moulded TO suit the condition
Of our age or counry without any particular refer
ence to precedent; that all ideas OF the seTllty OF
Immortal souls. bred as they have been IN ancient
ignorance, should be driven IN horror from every
bosom; and that nM ambition, save that OIL eXcelhS
in our duty towards God and promoting Peace,
Goodwill and Happiness among our fellow men,
and thus placing the State firm and settled basis
is unworthy OF an educated and a Christian man
Please say something of your opinion on this sub
jcct when you can find nothing better 10 do, and
cbhge < SUBSCRIBER.
Remarks on the adore.
Without at present considering whether oul
correspondent does Or does not exaggerate the
evil he apprehends, we see very clearly that his
remedy is good for nothing. For, after>we had
soemnly enacted that no manufacturer should
hire workmen for less say, than four dollars a
week, we should want another law to compel
them to hire when the laborer wanted employ
ment, although the product Of his labor should be
worth then the price by law established. This
would soon wind itself up by running the en-
ployer.
Our correspondents suggestion appears 70 us
unjust as well as impracticable. We will assume
that the minimum value OF mans weeks work
is four dollars, and that is by law established as
the minimum price. Well: there is season OF
great activity and prosperity in manufacturing
and the workmen are paid Eve to six dollars pei
week But this very activity leads TO q cores
bonding depression the markets are gluttcd
goods fall; and the weeks work will no longer ne
four dollars TO the employer. What shall now be
done2 Shall the laborer accept three dollars, i
that is all his work is worth or stop work alto
gether, and live ont his past savings 1t strikes
US that there can be but one sensible answer to
this question.
The relations Of Labor and Capital present a
vast theme, to which we cannot do Justice in
this place We are confident, however, that
Government cannot intermeddlc with them with.
out doing great mischief They are too delicate,
complex and vitality important to be trusted to
the clumsy handling Of raw aud shallow legisla.
tors. The experiment Of fixing prices by law was
tried out in France during the great Revolution,
and failed disastrously, as any discerning mind
must have predicted.
No: the evils apprchended by ou- correspond
ent are Social, not Political, and arc to be reach
ed and corrected by Social remedies. lie himself
uneonsciousy indicates portions the remedy
as, for instance,
l. We must provide & better Education for the
Poor. No child should be allowed to grow up