Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1856-07-17

is something new under the sun, t
! hear the Senator and bis friends at
tribute to US a desire to elevate tn
wealthy manufacturer, at the expens
Of the laboring man and mechanic
From my soul respect the laborinG
man. Labor is the foundation o
the wealth Of every country, ant
1.-THE free laborers of the Nortl
deserve respect, both for their probi
ty and their intelligence. HEAVIER
forbid that ] should 90 them wrong
lOf.al the countries On the earth, We
fought to have the most considera.
tion for the laboring man. From
the very nature Of our institutions,
the wheel Of fortune is constantly
revolving and producing such mu-
tations in property, that the wealthy
man Of to-day may become the poor
laborer of tomorrow. Truly wealth
often takes to itself wings and flies
away. A large fortune rarely lasts
beyond the third generation, even il
it endure SO long; we must all know
instances of individuals obliged to
labor for their daily bread, whose
grandfathers we're men of fortune.
The regular process Of society would
almost seem to consist of the efforts
of one class to dispatch fortunes
which they have inherited, whilst an
other class by their industry and
economy are regularly rising to
wealth. We have all, therefore, q
common interest, as it is our COM
mon duty, to protect the rights Of
the laboring man; and if l believed
for moment that this bill would
prove injurious to him, It should
meet my unqualified opposition.
Although this bill will not have
as great an influence as could de-
sire it, yet, as far as it goes, it viii
benefit the laboring man as much,
and probably more, thin any other
class ofsociety. WHAT'S it he ought
most to desire? Constant employ
ment, regular wages, and uniform
reasonable prices for the necessaries
and comforts Of life which be re-
quires. Now, sir, What has been bis
condition under oursystem Of expan-
sions and contractims? He has suf.
fered more by them than any other
class Of society. The rate of his
wages is fixed and known; and they
are the last to rise With the increas-
ing expansion, and the first to fall
when the corresponding revulsion oc-
ours. He still continues to receive
his dollar per day, whilst the price of
every article which he consumes is
rapidly rising. He is at length made
to feel that, although he nominally
earns as much, or even more than he
did formerly, yet, from the increased
price of all the necessaries Of life, be
cannot support his family. Hence
the strikes for higher wages, and
the uneasy and excited feelings which
have at different periods, existed
among the laboring classes. But
the expansion at length reaches the
exploding point, and what does the
laboring man now suffer? lie is for
a season thrown out Of employment
altogether. Our manufactures are
suspended; our public works are stop
ped; our private enterprises Of
different kinds are Abandoned; and.
whilst others are able to weather the
storm, he can scarcely procure the
means of bare subsistence.
Again, sir, who do you suppose
held the greater part of the worthless:
paper of the one hundred and sixty.
five broken banks to which I have
referred? Certainly it was not the
keen aud wary speculator, who snuff:
danger from afar. If You were te
make the search, you would find
more broken bank notes in the cot
tage of the laboring poor than any
where else. And these miserable
Ishinplasters, where are they3 Aftel
the revulsion Of 1887, laborers were
glad to obtain employment on any
terms; and they often received i
upon the express condition that the,
should accept this worthless trash
1 in payment. Sir, an entire suppress
!, sion Of all bank notes Of q lower de
nomination than :hs value of on
week s wages Of the 1aboriDg man
absolutely necessary for bis protee
ton. He ought always to reoeiv
his wages in gold and silver. Ola