The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1856-07-12

protecting duties. Whilst British manuiac-
lures are now lansuishing, those of the con-
tlncnt are springng into IL healthy and Wig
| OrouS existence"
Mr.. buchanan here expressly avows the
wish 10 reduce our nominal prices Of labor
to the real standard Of prices throughout the
world That is that the mechanics and
lahorrrs of the United States should be re-
quircd to work at the same wages per day as
were paid for similar labor throughout Eu-
rope. In order, then, to ascertain the pre-
else reduction he would have made, we must
examine what prices Were paid in Europe at
the time he made his speech. These Were
civ Ell by the Hon. John Davis Senator from
Massachusetts, in his reply to Mr.. buchanan,
and are thus summed up:
| HaeeS in France Calais common labor
crs - per day, with board and without
dwelling; Boulogne, sd per day, do. do;
Nantez, Sd per day, without board and with
out dwelling; Marseiles, id to ID per day,
with board and without dwelling. The food
in some districts consists in rye bread. soup
made of mill,t, cakes made Of Indian corn,
nor and then some salt provisions and yege-
tables, rarely, if ever, butchers meat" In
others, .'wheaten bread, soup made with
vegetables, and little grease or lard. twice
day potatoes, or other vegetables, but sell
| uolh butcher meat.
Sucdcn.-''The daily wages of a skilled
asliculturist are I'd or Sd: while the unskiled
obtain no more than Sd or i'd, and board
themselves. Agricultursts in the southern
provinces live upon salt fish and potatoes: in
the northern provinces, polridge and rye
bread form their food"
DIc"H -" Labcrers are paid at the rate of
81 per day, In this country" W ithout board.
| lei, Il
summer, Is Cd to IS Sd: In winter, from l0d
to Is I'd; unski!led, half as much, without
board; live upon rye bread, potatoes and
milk Agricultural laborcrs have less.
Gcrmuny. Dantzig laborers. AID. to I'd.
per day, without board; Muhlburg, I'd. per
day, do; llolstein, I'd. per day, without
board.
Nc'herlonls.-South Holland laborcrs, Sd.
TO Id. per day, with board; North Holland
I'd. per day, do; West Flanders, 0Gs. to lois
per year, with board.
Hoiy.-Tricste laborers, I'D, per day,
without board; do. Cd. per day, with board;
lSlria, Sd. to l0d. per day, without board;
do. Id. to sd. pcrday, with board; Lombardy
Id. to Sd. per day do: Genoa, sd. to Sd. per
day do. and without lodgings; Tuscany, Cd.
per day, without either.
S0rony.-"ln 1887 a man employed in his
own loom working very dill gently from Mon
day morning to Saturday night, FROM 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 groSchcn tabout
60 cents per week. Nor could one who had
three children aged II years and upwardsall
working at the loom as well as himself, with
his wife employed doing up the work, earn
III the whole more tian Il weekly"
If American mechanics and lalorcrs were
compelled to work by such STANDARD of
prices" as the above, they would be reduced
TO "shortcr commons than are melted to the
plantation negroes of the South and, in
stead of being enabled to live respectfully in
| their own dwellings, and have their offspring
| educated for future usefulness, they would be
forced to be content with room or perhaps
half Il room, with little more than dr., bread
| for themselves and families. whilst their
children would be unclucatcd and in tattcrs
and without the slightest prospect of rising
above their degraded position in after life.
And this man, who would thus dehasc free
American citizens to a condition below that
of the slave. now aSpiics to be- the President
| OF the United States. and looks to mechanics
and laborers to elevate him to that distil-
Suishcd position. Does he suppose them to
lie destitute of common sense or human feel
ing. that he thus, after having used his best
endcavorS to reduce them to perpetual pcnu-
ry and want, calls upon them to rally under
his standard! Can he believe that party at
tacllments will induce men to support a man
for President who has thus excred himself to
| nillct upon themselves and families the most
serious and degrading injury? Ten cents per
day for labor is about tie average price paid
III Europe, and 10 that scale Mr.. Buchanan
would have wages reduced in the United
States. But he cannot effect his object.
Mechanics and laborcrs in this country are
not under the dcspotc control Of lords and
taSk-masters but are frcclncn, having votes
in the choice of their rulers and they will be
careful not to confer power on a man who
has thus exhibited so strong an inclination to
abuse it to their injury.
With the above facts before them, all men
can figure out the real meaning of Mr.. Buch-
anan, when he speaks of reducing the prices
of labor to the real standard of prices through
out the world" There is hut one intcrDrc.
tation to be given to his languagc--an that
is as we have already stated, that the me-
chanics and .lahorcrs here shall work for the
| sam lid in Europe If the
link that they
and that
ley.