Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-07-16
BUCHANAN AND Low WAGES.

BUCHANAN AND Low WAGES.
On the 22nd January 1910, Mr.. Buchanan
made speech in the United States Senate,
(vide Congressional Globe, for Jan. 1910, PIP.
1856, or Niles Register vols. 67 and 6S.) in
which the following passages occur =
s.In Germany, where the currency is purely
metallic, and the cost of everything is REDUc-
Ed to hard money standard, a piece OF broad
cloth can be manufactured for fifty dollars, the
manufacture of which, in our country from the
expansion of paper currency would cost one
hundred dollars. What is the consequence ?
The foreign French and German manufacturer
imports this cloth into our country and sells ii
for a hundred. Does not every person per-
ceiye that the redundancy of our currency is
equal to premium OF one hundred per cent.
in favor of the manufacturer.
ssNo tariff of protection, unless it amounted
to prohibition, could counteract these adyan-
tages in favor of foreign manufactures. 1
would to heaven that could arouse the atten-
tion of every manufacturer OF the nation to
this important subject.
ssWhat is the reason that, with all these adj
yantagcs and with the protective duties which
laws afford to the domestic manufacture of
cotton, We cannot obtain exclusive possession
of the home market, and successfully contend
for the markets of the world 1t is simply
because we manufacture at the nominal prices
of our own inflated currency, and are compel
led to sell at the real prices of other nations.
REDUCE OUR NOMINAL STANDARD OF PRICES
THROUHHoUT THE WORLD, AND ToU COVER OUR
COUNTRY WITH BLESSINGS AND BENEFITS.
ssThe comparative LOW PRICES of France
and Germany have afforded such Stimuous
TO their manufactures, that they are now rapid
ly extending themselves, and would obtain
possession, in no small degree, even of the
English home market, II IT WERE NOT FOR
THEIR PROTECTIVE DUTIES. While British man
ufactures are now languishing, those of the
continent springing into q healthy and
vigorous existence
Having thus given Mr.. Buchanan's own
smooth and polished language, let US see what
IS the meaning Of it in plain English, when he
says s'reduce our nominal standard of prices
throughout the whole world, and you cover
the country with blessings and benefts.''-
Now, what did Mr.. Buchanan mean by this
language, if he meant anything, but that our
standard of prices should be reduced TO that
of the hard money currency of Europe And
what is the European standard then, to which
he desired our own to be reduced? Accord
ing to the best authorities on that subject,
Porter's Progress and Wade's History Of the
Middle and Working Glasses, two recent pub
lication's, containing statistics collected by
the British Government, the standard of pri-
ces for labor in Europe, is follows
Wages in FTaHcs.-Calais common Iaborers
7ad, per day, with board, and without dwell
ling; Boulogne, 5d. per day, do. do. 1; Nantes,
Sd, per day, without board and without dwell
ling; Marseilles. I'D. to I'd. per day with board
and without dwelling. The food ii some dis
tricts "consists in rye bread, soup made of
r., 81. -eda of Indian corn, nolo and
1hea some salt provisions ana vegctaisles, ral &
~, !, eyer,butcher's meat" In others, ,'swheat-
en- oread, soup iualv with --vses-I-l-~, and n
little grease or lard twice a-day, potatoes or
other vegetables, but seldom butchers meat .
Streden.-ssThe daily wages of a skilled ag-
Ticulturist are I'd. or Sd. while the unskilled
obtain no more than 3D.. or 4d. and board
themselves Agriculturists in the southern
provinces live upon salt fish and potatoes in
the northern provinces, porridge and rye bread
form their food.''
Bararia.-sLaborers are paid at the rate of
cd per day, in the country without board.
Beigiam.-ssA skilled artizan may earn, in
Summer, Is. 2. to Is. 3d.. in Winter, from
1Ud to Is. I'd; unskilled, half as much with
out board live upon rye bread, potatoes, and
milk" Agricultural laborers have less.
GeTnany.-ssDantzig, laborers, I'D. to I'd.
per day, without board Muhlburg, I'd. per
day, without board Holstein, I'd. per day,
without board.''
Netherlands.-South Holland Iaborers Sd.
to 4d. per day, with board; North Holland.
2od. per day, without board; Antwerp 5d. per
day, do; West Flanders, 96s, to lois. per
per year, with board-''
Hdiy.-ssTrieste laborers, 12d. per day with
out boards do. Cd. per day with board Istrfa,
I'd. to lOd. per day, without board do. Id. to
6d. per day, with board Lombardy, Id to Sd
aday, do; Genoa, sd. to Sd. per day, do, and
without lodgings; Tuscany, Cd. per day with
out either"
Sdr0Hy.-ssIn 1887 a man employed in his
own loom working very diligently from Mon
day morning to Saturday night, from O'Clock
in the morning until dusk, and even at times
with lamp, his wife assisting him in finishing
and taking him the work. could not possibly
earn more than 20 groschen (about so cents
per week. Nor could one who had 9 children
aged IL years and upwards, all working at the
loom as we'll as HIMSELF with his wife employ
ed doing up the work, earn in the whole more
than 81 weekly"
These are facts which speak for themselves
This is the doctrine of James Buchanan, il
1S40. Ten cents is about the average stand
ard of European labor. And it is to thi,
standard he wished ours to be reduced. How
do you like it, ye honest laboring men O
Pennsylvania?
TERMS.
Tho JOURNAL is published every Wednesday