The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-04-24
ASTORIA, April 9, 1869.

ASTORIA, April 9, 1869.
To the Editor Of the woRKHeMAx's Advocate.
Setting aside the patent method Of living
on the labors Of dead ancestors, (Which may
answer in despotism but has often proved
fatal to republics, there are only three ways
in which human beings can live, viz: by
working, by begging, or by stealing. In
other words by producing, speechifying OF
distributing. Two OF these classes are sat.
isfied with things as they are, but the pro-
ducers, who are and Of necessity must be
far larger in numbers than both the others,
appear both here and throughout the civil.
lied world, to be dissat SIZED with the pit.
lance legally allotted them out Of their labors
for the common welfare.
Let US see if they have any cause to just.
fy their discomfort with things IS now ar.
ranged. begin with the worst paid but
most necessary, first, viz: the agricultural
laborers. In 1865 the farmers Of Virginia,
at a meeting held ct Louisa Court House,
fixed the price of faru lsborers at five dol.
lars per month. Allowing ten dollars for the
cost Of food, the sum would be fifteen dol
lars per month. Taking the year through ]
do not think that the average pay OF north
ern sgriculturists would more tan double
this amount. or course TINS -stimate ap-
plies only to the wages class who are NOT
owners Of land. The number Of gricultursl
lAborers is supposed to equal that of oil
other producers.
Probably the next i'll paid body Of labor
erers 10 this country are the factory work
ingmen generally; then follow the miners.
II we estimate the wages Of these classes,
and the laborers who dig our canals and
make our railroads, and do the ard1ous toll
Of our cities, at q dollar day throughout
the year, | think such would be q very lib
eral view OF their gsins. Probably the min
ers slightly exceed this sum.
Next in order come the mechanics and
artizans proper, who till now have refused
to cooperate with the aforementioned class
% of laborers, and the bitter result Of such
divisiCc has been that labor has been ruled
out OF It's rights in the allotment Of the re-
wards Of life. II we o. innate the average
isy Of mechanics Mt two dollars per day
throughout the year, we shall not err much
in oS. calculation.
Immediately following these come the
classes who draw the prizes In the lottery
OF life. Wholesale and retail distributors
whose gains may be measured BY their abil-
IL $ to defraud, either in the weight or puri-
| t. of the commodities In which they deal;
spectators and railroad operators, rulers
not only Of the Jaws but not unfrequently Of
lose who make them, end often owners oil
those who apply them, NJ has been frequent
| ly show iatteriy in The Erie litigation. These
rarely condescend 10 collide 70 enhance the
prices Of anything less than the prime neces-
sities of existence, viz food or fuel, lay
ing cities and states under embsrgoes, and
calculating their gains by the million, which
their power has enebled them to wiring out
Of the myriad homes Of the people.
Next in order e3me the money changers
and gamblers, who iniest our cities, who
live on the fat Of the land without making
any return 70 the world for the labor cost Of
their existence. Merchants whose Office 10
10 exchange the iabors OF nations, but un-
der whose rule the condition OF the millions
Of human bangs engaged IN such operationss
Gas shown in the case Of the ship James
Foster jr.,1 Ii not . lot TO be enyied. Wheth-
er tn. James Foster jr. ID al exceptional
case. let the millions Of immigrants who
have crosssd The Atlsntic-answer.
There ere two other considerable classes
which W viii pps together, lawyers and
politicians proper. Mr.. Spsagus's review Of
The composition Of the United States Senate
justii1ss fhis unions With slight alteration,
the old nursery rhyme would give . good
daaerint7no az kha 9nu1a.