Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-12-04
CLASS LEGISLATION.

ON the stockholders in the Company in Grccnyc
| the 10Th instant 10 elect board Of directors
CLASS LECHSLATlON
From the indications thrown out during General iayi"rs
cholera tour through pcnnsy yana the oracar declarations
of the monopoly conventions last summers The aris'ocsaic
fashionable watering place of Newport and more recently al
the bcgrcd CRY Of Pitlsbrg and lastly from the
!ekages of the confidential lerswrtcr 10 The Wing pa
pers is cnl that desperate onslaught is abort l" be
made on the revenue tariff Of 1876 During ihc last f'cs-
Dental canvass the Wings "kept dark" the tariff, or if
they said any thing ALL il was that the measure was
in itself protective and not free trade enough ior or
| professions This TO catch votes and push along
the grand hunbug of Tayorism The trick succeeded dd
we now SEE the Wing party shedding hrny tears over &c
r,,nos British Tariff" which is desoaiing the maniacli-
rers and hurryng The Republic the brink of dcsich
The DOOM of that Tariff fixed if the protectons' sches
prevail and il becomes the duty Of lis champions Ia rylo
its support. With this view we deem il not inappT"Fiacn
throw together :. few facts strengthen the h'i'es q IN
| iiends of free trade i'll Congress and elsewhere.
So much indeed has been said upon the subject Of lDec
ton" that almost any who should presume TO o:f any
thing original would probably subject hmsc! 10 the arge
nordnac vanity Yet is trc that very little hasbeon
said in opposition the ot-rcpcatcd statement thai the
object Of the Tarius is protect the American hrer
against the paupe labor Of Great Britain 10 preventive
thousands under this specos plea; induced 10 bclre
that protection aG,. patriotism SYNONYMOUS.
Va propose examine briefly this par Of the st.rci, and
10 show that under The Tariff of s6 ihc abo.r in Ills
country has nothing 10 ppchend from any such results. II
il is rue tal the wages in factories in the United Stats
are not only paid less by piece work, but pa less pr
,ree than is paid in England then the argument tat pr"
lection is necessary for The aborc is NOT only nlacou
bu, fraud upon the unsuspccting. That this is the
following facts concusively DEMONSTRATE The table
of wages paid in England, is taken from recent Rpori Of
a Committee of Parliament and is, without doubt orrcc
Such statements forth with official stamp every
| where recognized as authentic
Rate wages paid in Manchester England cottonfacto
ries Spners fl FL 81 per week, nearly 81 pr day.
cardes The Of SIS per month"; women, SO pcrwcek
power wcavers 80 per week; Children 81 IS per week
Rate fwages paid al Bradford England woollen factories:
Men average So per week women So children 81
| IS 10 81 IS per week
Compare hesc paper wages Of England with the
paid BY The cotton and woolen factories in Richmond and
vicinity and il will be found that establishment phys
high wages the above named and notwhsand
ing our factories pay wages they all work hours,
except in States where the ''en hour system prevails.
These facts that be controversial and in addition
to low rate wages, the American manufacturers have
decided advantage the English i'll improved machinery.
an usira Of tho difference the machinery in wool
len mills here and in England anan-".,- ANY wears
expereno. stated in the presence OF our Informant short time
since that he would accept gift the best woolen
mill in England and be compelled to run il with English
chnery five years in this country We have, beyond a
question great advantage in that particular The bay
State Mills" Massachusetts the largest in this country
having portion of their work done BY machinery for for
cents which costs in Scotland enyhec cents Does
| this single fac, speak volumes
We will venture that intelligent mannfac-
turer be found in this country who will say nder OATH
that him for Me labor per yard than is paid by
the English manufacturer This particularly In all
broad cloths keseymees Blankets annc wooen shawls,
cotions negro cloths and nseys and yet the
cturcrs of these goods il said broken down by the
paupcr labour Of England II is much more likely that
those who either broken down. in danger of being bro
ken down. have been placed in that condition by bad man.
agemenr extravaganza salaries paid the favoes of the
companies totally unfit for the places they occupy
Ii thing in this country appon, agents OF
cotton factories with large salaries who do know the
difference between "Sea Island and Fair Orleans and
also appoint agents Of woolen mills thar could not tell
Saxony" from South Down and then, if they do not
prosper hear hcn out for protection against paupcr Ia
bor'. Such appointments entirely unknown in England
and the fac, is, doubtless reason Of their succo
| my and competent will accomplish '
r;,I h, ., :; ,ccssarv. are i'll our
las, ,y five years We that will be conceded,
,ba, the following resolution adopted by the Convention re-
Gently assembled at p,tsbg very good proof tina, they
| have not come $50 years of discretion
Resolved Thai is the of this convention. At the
present state the foreign market that will require dn
~ of $40 per ton on pig on ana sSo per ION o 1'o"
bar and corresponding increase all other iron and manu-
features of IRON proportion OF make 10 protect the
| American market
We hardly know how 10 characterize the above resolution
/ A IL. .ti
dence tina, the proectionists will be cnniented until
they can monoposc tho entire market How they could foi
ono moment believe that tho American people would SUB
mi, 10 any such cxayagant demand is beyond copc
henson-bu we are very they never will Tho effect
would be 10 keep NIL Foreign Iron out of the MARKET until
in the market here s5 $50 would be the common prices
and vet II is declared that the bocrs require protection
When did the aborers receive $40 for r abor ton
of Pig Iron! or $40 the labor of Bar Iron There
is something besides the aborers interest in view will
div be perceived by the following statements The Tariff Of
1876 laws about average duty of % 10 81 cent or
goods impored and every acquainted with
ing knows very well that 25pcr cent is far more thar
the entire costs of The labor upon articles For example
Broad Cloth worth dollars per yard pays GO cents duty
and everybody knows that the labor yard OF Broad Co
s bur little over fourth of 60 cents certainly
half goods of the value OF eight cents yard pm,
duty per Yard who pays two cents per ward To-
the labor on such goods1 Fannels costing "a cents PC
yard pay duty of6 CENTS ar yard what establishment
pays half OF six for the labor yard oil Flannel.
va could extend this list considerable length. in com
pairing the duty levied article with the amount paid
This country for the abar the articles and We be
eve thai in every it would appear that the duty or
foreign goods yard than the amount PAID Tor abo
on the domestic article What does the above comparison
exhibit? Clearly that if the foreign manufacturer had hi
goods made without costing him farhng for the labor
rouph, to this country free of charge he would then b.
compelled 10 pay duties than is paid by The Amor
can manufacturer for the labor his goods What sense
less cry them that Of pauper labor agains' The Amcri
can aborer bv the Tariff of 1896" Why, il may be asked
then is it that distress exists among the manufacturers
this country This question should be answered by III
neither the public nor the aborer sou
be deceived by the false cry of pauper labor as the cas
| of occasional distress among them.
| There seems TO be settled determination, the part
the proteconsts wage Incorporating war upon tn
present Tariff So be it, The friends of free trade have no