Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-10-29
BUCHANAN AND Low WAGES.

BUCHANAN AND Low WAGES
On the 22nd January 1910, Mr.. Buchanan
made a speech in the United States Senate,
(vide Congressional Globe, for Jan. 1910, PIP.
1856, or Niles Register vols. 81 and 6S,) in
which the following passages occur
"In Germany, where the currency is purely
metallic, and the cost of everything is REDUC-
ED to hard money standard, 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 1T
for hundred. Does not every person per-
ceive that the redundancy of our currency is
equal to premium of one hundred per cent.
in favor of the manufacturer.
ON tariff of protection, unless it amounted
to prohibition, could counteract these advan-
tages in favor of foreign manufactures.
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 ad-
vantages and with the protective duties which
our 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 TO THE REAL STANDARD OF
PRICES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, AND YoU Gov
ER OUR COUNTRY WITH BLESSINGS AND BENEFITS.
s.The comparative Low PRICES of France
and Germany have afforded such a Stimulous
to their manufactures, that they are now rapid
Iy extending themselves, and would obtain
possession, in no small degree, even of the
English home market, If 1T WERE NOT PoR
l. n,Sts
ufactures are now languishing, those of the
continent springing into healthy and
Aigorous 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
saws ssreduce our nominal standard of prices
throughout the whole world, and You cover
the country with blessings and benefits. p
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 that subject,
Porter's Progress and Wade's History of the
Middle and Working Classes, two recent pub
lication's, containing statistics collected by
the British Government, the standard of pri-
ces for labor in Europe, is as follows =
Wages in France.-Calais common laborers
I'D, per day, with board, and without dwell
ling Boulogne, sd. per day, do. do; Nantes
3d. per day, with out board and without dwell
ling Marseilles. 4d. to I'd. per day. with board
and without dwelling. The food in some dis
trictS 'sconSists in rye bread, soup made OF
Inillet, cakes made of Indian corn, ana
tfen some salt provisions and vegetables, rare
lv, if ever butchers meat" In Others, ,s'wheat
en- Tread, soup made with vegetables, and I
little grease or lard twice a-day, potatoes, o.
other vegetables, but seldom butcher meat.
Stceden.-ssThe daily wages of a skilled ag
riculturist are I'd. or Sd. while the unskilleo
obtain no more than Sd. or Id. and boarc
themselves. Agriculturists in the southern
provinces live upon salt fish and potatoes; IL
the northern provinces, porridge and rye breac
form their food.''
Observation-Disclosures are paid at the rate o
Sd. per day, in the country" without board.
Belgium.-ssA skilled artizan may earn, il
Summer, Is. 2. to Is. 3D.; in Winter, from
lOd. to Is. ID. unskilled, half as much, with
out board live upon rye bread, potatoes, ant
milk.'' Agricultural laborers have less.
Germany.-ssDantzig, laborers, 4td. to id
rer day, without board Muhlburg, id. pc
day, without board; Holstein, I'd. per day
without board.'
Netherlands Holland laborers, Sd
to 4d. per day, with board; North Holland
cod per day, without board; Antwerp 5d. pc
day, do; West Flanders, 96s, to lo4s. pc
per year, with board"
Haly.-"Tricste laborers, I'D. per day,with
out board do Cd. per day with board; 1stria
Sd. to l0d. per day, without board do 4d. t
Sd. per day, with board Lombardy, 4d- to q
a day, do; Genoa sd. to Sd. per day, do, an
without lodgings; Tuscany, Cd. per day,with
sont either"
Sarony.-eIn 1887 man employed IN HI
own loom working very diligently from Mon
day morning to Saturday night, from o'cioc
in the morning until dusk, and even at time
with a lamp, his wife assisting him In hnisnin
and taking him the work, could not posSioi
earn more than 20 groschen (about 6o cents
per week. Nor could one who had chlldre
aged u wears and upwards, all working at IN
loom as we'll as himself, with his vile employ
ed doing up the work, earn in the whole NOR
than 81 weekly"
These are facts which speak for themselves
This is the doctrine of James Buchanan, /
1910. Ten cents is about the average stano
ard of European labor. And 1t is 10 III
standard he wished ours to be reduced. Ho
do you like it, We honest laboring men
Pennsylvania
printer out West, whose first son happe'