The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1856-08-09
afterwards, Mr.. Buchanan replied to Mr..
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metallic and the cost of every thing is reduced
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. No
tariff of protection, unless it amounted to pro-
hihlion. could counterfeit this advantage in
favor Of foreign manufacture. ! would to
heaven that could arouse the attention of
every manufacturer Of the nation to this I'M
por'ant subject,
Why cannot VIC manufacture goods and
especially cotton goods, Which will 90 into
successful competition with British manufac.
lures in foreign markets? Have we not the
necessary capital Have we not the industry!
Have we not the machinery? And above all.
are not our skill energy and enterprise, pro.
verbal throughout the world Land is also
cheaper here than in any other country on
the face Of the earth. We possess every adj.
vantage which Providence can bcstow upon
us for the manufacture of cotton: bnt they
are all coun,cractcd by the folly Of man. The
raw material costs us less than it does the
English, because this is an article, the price of
which depends upon foreign markets, and is
not regulated by our own inflated currency.
We, therefore. save the freight of the cotton
across the Atlantic, and that Of the n,anufac-
tired article on its return here. What is
the reason that, with all these advantages and
with the protective duties which our laws
afford to the domestic manufacture of cotton.
we cannot obtain exclusive possession Of, 1.-THE
home market, and successfully contend for
the markets of the world! 1t is simply be-
cause we manufacture at the nominal prices
| Hat.
p,llcl to sell at the real prices of other nations
REDUCE OUR NOMINAL TO TIE REAL
STANDARD OF PRICES THROUGHOUT
TIE WORLD, and you cover our country
with blessings and benefits.
The comparative LOW PRICES of France
and Germany have offered such stimulus to
their manufactures, that they are now rapidly
extending themselves. and would obtain pos.
session. in no small degree. even Of the Eng
fish home market, if 1t were not for their pro-
tcclins duties. While British manufactures
are now laneuishlng, those of the continent
arc spllnging into vigorous and healthy cx-
!Stcncc.
Now the reader will please note the
above extracts. He asks, why we can
not manufacture goods so as to compete
with the British! lie says we possess
every advantage: we have the capital
the industry-thc machnery-the skill,
energy and enterprise-the cheap land.
And what is wanted is to reduce our prices
to Il hard money standard--to the low
prices of France and Germany--to the
real standard Of prices throughout the
world. The prices of WHAT OF what
but the prices Of labor, for he shows that
we have the advantage in everything
else. And look you! He would to
heaven he could call the attention of
every manutnciurer-he is not troubling
himself about the laborcrs-the opera
tives-but over and over he wishes he
could awake the manufacturer to his
interests.
And in all this speech Mr.. Buchanan
did not once complain that Mr.. Clay did
him or any of those on the same side
injustice when he charged that their
"opcn and avowed policy was to reduce
the Wages of Labor" On the other
hand, in the course ofhis speech he says,
"If, therefore, you should in some degree
reduce the nominal price paid for labor by
reducing the amount Of Your bank issues with
in reasonable and safe limits, and establish
ing metallic basis for your crculatiOn
would this injure the laborcr. Certainly
not:"-
thereby admitting that Mr.. Clay repre-
scented them properly.
TO this speech of Mr.. Buchanan, Mr..
VIM. D. Mcrrick, of this State, on the
23rd of January, the next day,) replied,
and it was Mr.. Merrick who made the
expose and the argument which fixed the
well-carncd title of sTen-Cent Jimmy"
on Mr.. Buchanan. The Buchanccrs of
Maryland should take Mr.. Merrick as
good authority, for he is now, on account
of his Catholic faith, arrayed on the side
of Buchanan. Mr.. NJ. introduced an
official table prepared by order Of the
British government, in which the wages
paid in the various European countries
were accurately put down. And i'll
proceeding with his reply to Mr.. Buchan-
an, he said -
Now, sir, am greatly in hopes our people
will read and ponder over this table. they will
there see that in France yeariy wages for an
able bodied man range from IS to $50 shill-
ings and day laborers get in that country
from Al TO Is pence per day, and whenever
| they get as much as pence, they have to
find themselves. In Germany wages are still
lower, and range by the year between 50 and
100 sl,illings, and day laborcrs receive from
~ to pence per day, and find themselves in
food. In South Holland farm hands get by
the year from 200 TO $50 shillings, and day
aborcrs from to 4 pence per day and are
found. And so on, sir. Whoever will take
the trouble to examine the table. which is
official and authentic, will see that, in all these
countries, which are held up to US as such
bright examples of hard money countries
France, Germany, Netherlands, Italy wages
by the year for able bodied sound, healthy
men, nowhere exceed $50 shillings; and. in
many instances, fall as low as 40, so, and GO