North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-05-16
Word or Two with the Toilers OF the
North

ding" now-a-days-the wages of day, ofa
week, seem to melt away like the dew be-
fore midsummer sun. You break a
greenback ten, it is dissipated, vanishes.-
Dollars are transformed to cents, and your
money seems to 60 but such very little
way.
In some places, combinations are being
formed, and increased pay demanded for
labor, for men say, and say truly, that they
must live, and mechanics and all who sell
the labor of their hands, fight a continual
battle with capital.
And new movements and experiments
constantly arise and are tested. From the
Mississippi to the Atlantic shore, thousands
have proclaimed that eight hours must be
considered Ii fair days work, but at the
same time they protest against reduction
of wages. which have doubled and trebled,
in some instances, within the past five
years.
Yet there is more complaint than ever.
Families once comfortably supported on a
dollar and a half day, now struggle to
keep ''the wolf from the door, with three
of Mr.. Chase's pretexts for dollars.
There is suffering everywhere in the
great cities, and vet as people,we arc en-
ioying an apparent prosperity. We have
had no great financial crisis to press still
harder unon the laboring classes, AS in
1857.
Our western towns are overrnn with
young men seeking work, anxious and will
ling to turn their hands and apply their
brains to almost any honorable avocation,
and vet failing to find the desired employ
ment. They are white men, however, of
that race whose fathers fought and strug-
gled for seven long years to give their sons
a government and country of their own.
Taxation burdens the people of the coun
try and presses hard upon the industrial
classes. business men are taxed on every
thing they do, or whatever they transact !;
stamps stick and adhere to all papers, check
and bills.
The nrmbea and diversity of the taxes
are legion. There is hardly thing that
escapes taxation, and on many articles they
are levied two, three, a half dozen times,
under as many forms and pretexts.
You canuot scratch a match but it will
say tdA W NOus VI cat lhShi NllhOut
paving tax for the privilege, or wear a
coat until it has been doubled in cost
through the taxgatherer's art
1t is anything but amusing, is it not P
You realize in all the relations of life, at
home, abroad, in your places of business,
everywhere, that it is a fixed fact from
which you cannot escape this year, the
next, or even during your life.
1t is about time you seriously consider
ed why this is the case-why you are to
" groar aud sweat under a weary load,'
You and your children after you. II IS the
price you are paying to make The negro
yo'r equal-to bring you down to the level
of scrvilc and inferior race-and :he
men of the " Rump" Congress, are hourly
riveting your chains tighter and frmer
They found the negro useful animal,
adding to the wealth of the country, while
bencftting himself and Others, they have
converted him into useless, unproductive
pauper.
They found the country at peace-they
gave us war; without debt or taxation
they gave US both pushing on in a career
of boundless prosperity and unlimited gran
deur, they stopped its progress, and sullied
its glory with blood and havoc.
They found Union of States they are
fast Transforming into despotism.
They want more war; they pant for
battles and slaughter; they are eager to
look again upon the desperate conflicts of
armed men.
While you, laboring men, are ground
down by taxation struggling for life and
bread for yourselves and wives and little
ones, at the same time YOU are supporting
a pampered and favored class in idIeness--
and g0u haue got tc do i-your masters
have willed it and you cannot avoid or
dodge the responsibility.
In the State of Georgia there are to-day
for 'y-hree thousand negroes fed at ,he ex-
pense of the Government They have
been so fed for weeks and months.
In the whole South the number exceeds
four hundred and ttirty-four thousand!
The cost amounts to millions of dollars
every month, hundreds of millions yearly
and vou:mcchanics and toiers of the North
and West pay the bills. Oh, you are a
patient. long-suffering, dull and willing
people. and your masters at Washington,
as they heap the burdens upon you, laugh
at your folly and enjoy your humbleness
Then the bureau agents and government
employees, tax collectors and internal rev
enue commissioners, squeeze from You 9TH
er millions, living in luxury and ease while
YOU are crushed to the very earth.
Day by day as you grub and toll about
YOUR various occupations, unable to spare
a day, hardly an hour from your labor, the
galleries of Congress swarm with negroes,
listening, with open mouth, and in lazy
attitudes, to the proceedings, the debates,
and business OF their friends ofthe 'Rump.'
Negroes saunter about the streets, they
lol in the sun. they eat bread wrung by
your aard toll, and are nightly sheltered