The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-06-16
stTan Cent Iimmv.

in 1910, and was applied to Buchanan. and
very justly SO perhaps, to express the con-
tempt of the people for the position he assumed
in q senatorial speech on the 22d of January
that year. We do not regard with favor the
application of nicknames, but the unhappy
victims of disgraceful nick designations are
often themselves to blame for ridiculous
distinctions of this nature. We think Mr.
Buchanan has no one to blame so much as
himself for the title of "Ten Cent jimmy
He assumed a position in the speech alluded
to, in favor of system which if carried out
would reduce the wages Of the laborer to ten
cents per day. He took the broad ground that
the prices of manufactured article sin this coun-
try, as well as the wages Of labor were entirely
too high, and should be brought down to those
Of the hard money countries of Europe; and he
advocated, the passage of the sub Treasury
bill, with its specie clause, because it would
have that effect He assumed the position in
speech afterwards, intended to modify the
first that the manufacturers Of this country
labored under the disadvantage Of having to
manufacture at the nominal prices of this
country, where laborers receive good pay, and
sell at the real prices of other nations. He
appeared anxiously DESTROYS that by the adop-
ton of metallic currency, and the reduction
of wages to the prices paid in the old countries,
we might place ourselves in position to COM
pete with the manufacturers of EuroIe e, or to
use his own language:
"REDUCE OUR NOMINAL To TIE
REAL STANDARD OF PRICES TIIRO'OUT
THE WORLD, and you cover our country
with blessings and benefits"
Now the beauty of this advice, and the ap-
priateness OF the nickname "Ten Cent Jimmy"
may be gathered from the following standard
of wages" of the old countries, as published
about the time Buchanan made these speeches:
WAGES IN FRANcE.-Cala4s, common labor
ers 716d per day with board and without dwell
ling; Bouglogne, sd per day with board and
without dwelling; Nantes, Sd per day without
board and without dwelling; Marcilles, I'D to
I'd per day. with board and without dwelling.
The food in some districts consists in rye
bread, soup made Of millet, cakes made of In
dian corn, noa0 and then some salt provisions
and vegetables, and little grease or lard twice
pOIdtOeS VI OtLlcI fcSSIdUlTSf Jul UutCl-
er's meat seldom.
Misunderstanding, Iaborers 4334d to I'd per
day without board; Mechlenberg I'd per day;
Holstein, Cd per day without board.
BELGIUM.-A skilled artisan may earn in
summer is I'd to Is sd; in winter, Is I'd; I'M
skilled half as much without boad live upon
rye bread, potatoes and milk. Agricultural
laborers have less.
ITALY-Trieste, labor at I'D per day with
out board do sd per day with board; Istria,
Sd to 1Od per day without board; do. 4d to Sd
per day with board; Lombardy I'D to Sd per
day with board; Genoa, sd to per day with
board. and without lodging; Tuscany, Cd per
day without either.
SAXoNY.-In 1887 a man employed on his
own loom, working very diligently from Mon
day morning to Saturday night, from five
O'Clock in the morning until dusk, and even at
times with lamp, his wife assisting him in fin
ishing and taking him the work, could not
possibly earn more than twenty groschen
about 60 cents per week. Nor could one
who had three children aged twelve years and
upwards, all working at the loom as we'll as
himself with his wife employed doing up the
work, earn in the whole more than 81, week
iy.
How do our laborers like "Ten Cent jim
my's' ideas? If they vote for him and he is
elected they would have no right to complain
if Jimmy should recommend in his first mes
sage some of his ten cent a day ideas. But
to illustrate further Buchanan's preference for
low wages for the laborer and mechanic. In
the same speech last quoted from ne says:
"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 English
home market, # at aoere not for their protecting
duties While British manufacturers are now
languishing those of the continent are spring
into vigorous and healthy existence.
Our contemporary of the New Albany Tri-
bune, thus alludes to this little matter: So it
seems that Mr. Buchanan was not even will
ing to take England as pattern after which to
mould the standard of wages in this country
Like the United States, she was too much
cursed with the evils of an inflated bank cur
rency, to compete successfully with the CONT
nent in cheap manufactures; and in seeking
standard of wages for Our limitation, he passes
over England, and exultingly points to the
hard money countries of Germany, France.
Italy and Saxony, and desires us to adopt the
same line Of policy. What else can he mean
when he urges reduction of 'our nominal
to the real standard of prices throughout the
world" as means of covering cur country
with blessings and benefts?" He means
that, or his speech is wholly without point,
and means nothing. There is no escaping
frOIp this conclusion