The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-04-07

WITH 80 general 4 astsgnation In busi-
ness, aad consequent wautof employment
among mechanics and laborers al the East,
we havesnot been surprised to See specu-
iations in the leading journals Of that ne
gion, tor few weeks back. upon . de-
cline OF wages in all departments of IN
dustry. This they regard as asetEled
fact, an inevitable contingency, to which
those who have only labor 10 offer in the
market must reconcile themselves as well
as they can, and the sooner it is done the
better it viii be for them. One New
York paper, we observe, goes so FAR as to
say that the demands of werkmen have
been too high for some years back-so
high, indeed, as to render it impossible
for employers to make living profit by
their business, and thus becoming di-
rect cause of the present inability Of some
of them to furnish any employment atall
Another New York journal estimates
that during the last year, several millions
of dollars have been paid for labor in that
city over and above what has been re-
turned to employers in the shape of prof
It's. This may at first thought seem an
extrayagant estimate, but we are inclined
to believe it is no exaggeration, if it even
come up to the actual facts of the case
We do not indorse all the various speeu-
lations OF our eastern cotemporaries, but
present them as portion OF the history
of the prevalent hard times. In one
point, however, We quite agree with
them-thst wages at The East, and to
some extent everywhere, must fall to a
lower point than they have jet reached.
The question. does not turn upon justice,
philanthropy, or expediency, but upon
the dire necessities of all classes. A seem
ing exception of the very wealthy, with
independent money incomes, might be
made; but even. their resources are not
placed beyond extraordinary contingen-
cies, and they must conform to the gen
eral rule if they would maintain their
coveted status IN society. The law of
supply and demand-whether harsh
or beneficial rule-must govern the price
of labor as well as that of every other
commodity.
Mean time, those who have labor to
sell, are protesting against the threatened
decline in wages. They say they cannot
live for less than they are now receiving,
and fortify their position by a reference
to the high rents, the high prices of pro-
visions, and the unprecedentedcost of liv-
ing in other respects. Their argument,
it must be confessed, is sound and logi-
cal, but there is another side of it to be
presented. Hear Mr.. Greeley on this
point: = 's'
Stop, gentlemen ! let US look into this
business. You say you can't afford to
work for twelve shiliings, or twente shil-
lings, or whatever the reduced rate may
be, and for that reason must have more.
Do you buy labor, (or its product, which
is the same thing ON the principle which
you thus impose on others? Do you
pay fourteen shillings each for shirts, so
as to afford the seamstresses who make
them a fair living, when you can buy
as good in the market for twelve p
Suppose grocer were to ask you to
buy his tea, coffee, sugar, or whatever
other article he deals in, at certain
price, because that was the lowest at
which he could afford it, though others
were selling either side of him ten or fif-
teen per cent lower-would you not
laugh at him? Would you not say -
"My good fellow, what you can afford is
nobody's business but your own if you
have made bad venture, let that teach
you wisdom for the future but what you
can or can't afford, is no concern Of ours.
If you can sell us groceries on. better
terms than we can obtain elsewhere, we
are ready to buy; if not, we shall go to
him who sells cheapest" Now, if the
merchant must sell his commodity for
what it will fetch, whether at profit or
at loss, how can you require him to buy
yours, not for what it is worth in the
market, bit for what you think it ought
to bring to afford you fair living? How
is he to live, if he must buy for what the
seller sees fit to ask, and sell for what he
can get?
AnY,oint rnauts no fhe Presideuf