Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-07-09
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, pp.
1856, or Niles Register vols. 67 and 6S,) in
which the following passages occur =
f'In Germany, where the currency is purely
metalic, 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 it
for hundred. Does not every person per-
cclve that the redundancy of our currency is
equal TO premium of one hundred per cent.
IN favor of the manufacturer
''No tariff of protection, unless it amounted
to prohibition, could counteract these advan-
tages In favor of foreign manufactures. l
would to heaven that could arouse the atten-
tion of every manufacturer of the nation to
this important subject.
.sWhat 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 STANDARD OF PRICES
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, AND YOU COVER OUR
COUNTRY WITH BLESSINGS AND BENEFITS.
''Thc comparative Low PRICES of France
and Germany have afforded such a stmulous
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 healthy and
vigorous existence
Having thus given Mr.. Buchanan's own
smooth and polished language, let us sec 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 benefits.'-
n ow, 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 as follows -
Wages in France.-Calais common laborers
I'd, per day, with board, and without dwell
ling; Boulognc, 5d. per day, do. do. ; Nantes,
od, per day, with out board and without dwell
ling; Marseiles. i'd. to I'd. per day with board
and without dwelling. The food in some dis
tricts ''consiSts in rye bread, soup made Of
miliet, cakes made of Indian corn, no.c and
then some salt provisions and vegetables rare
ly, If ever, butchers meat" In Others s.wheat-
en- bread, soup made with vegetables, and a
little grease or lard twice a-day, potatoes or
other vegetables, but seldom butchers meat,
hti d22 ilGyr w11Ietne unskiled
obtain 10 more than 3D.. or i'd and board
Agriculturists in the southern
provinces live upon salt fish and potatoes; in
tho northern provinces, pOrridge and rye bread
form their food.''
observation-disclosures are paid at the rate of
Sd. per day, in the country without board.
Beigium.-ssA skilled artizan may earn, in
Summer, Is. =. TO Is. sd. in Winter, from
l0d. to Is. I'd; unskilled, half much, with
out board live upon rye bread, potatoes, and
milk Agricultural laborers have less.
Germany.-'Dantzig, laborers, 4.d. to I'D.
Ger day. without board; Muhlburg, I'D. per
day, without board; Holstein, I'd. per day,
without board.''
Netherlands.-South Holland laborers, Sd.
to i'd. per day, with board North Holland,
20d. per day, without board Antwerp 3D.. per
day, do; West Flanders, 96s, to lois. per
per year, with board.''
HGly.-'sTrieste laborers, I'D. per day with
out board; do. Cd. per day with board Istria,
Sd. to 10d. per day. without board do. i'd. TO
sd. per day, with board Lombardy id. to Sd
a day, do; Genoa, sd. to Sd. per day, do, and
without lodgings; Tuscany, Cd. per day with
out cither.''
Sarony.-ss1n 1887 a man employed in his
own loom working very diligently from Mon
day morning to Saturday night, from 5 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 60 ccnts)
per week. Nor could one who had children
aged II years and upwards, all working at the
loom as well 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. in
l84O. Ten cents is about the average stand
ard of European labor. And it is to this
standard lie wished ours to be reduced How
do you like it, We honest laboring men of
Pennsylvania
There is a blackguardism
in politics specially In vogue among the loco
focos, which induces them to denominate all
efforts against the extension of slavery as
E'niggerism." In our city, it was not indigo
nous, but was imported here from Virginia by
miserable spiritual rapping, vagabonding fell
low, who is now telling Pennsylvania demo-
Gratis how they must vote to please the slave
power. But the only real specimen of ssnig-
gerism." or negro worshippng we have seen
is to be found among the laws framed hy the