The Republican journal., 1869-05-06

consumed, for example, being disproportionate
to the quantity of sugar, coffee, and fre-Wood
the advance would be found to stand at even
a much higher figure.
Mr.. Wells points out to Mr.. Kelley, as
further confirmation Of the correctness OF
what he maintains, that rents OF tenements
for laboring men in Mr. k.'s own district,
have been advanced out of all proportion
to the wages which these laborcrs receive.
THUS:
! 1t will therefore appear, from an inspection
| of this table, that those houses which rented
at the lowest rate, and as such were occupied
| by ordinary mechanics and laborers, who con
stitute the bulk OF the population of great
city, exhibited an average increase of rents of
over one hundred and thirty per cent, in 1869,
as compared with 1860; while only in q single
| case, viz that of the poorest tenement, which
rented for eight dollars per month in 1850, and
at sixteen dollars per month in 1863, was the
increase less than 120 per cent? On the other
hand, the advance in more expensive houses
was still greater averaging over l35 per cent. !;
one having advanced from $50 to $50 per
month, another from S25 to S75, Taking the
whole list, which is said to represent fairly the
rental value of the houses of the working
classes of your district, the general advance
in rents was over 100 (l30.69) per cent, in 1869,
as compared with the rents paid for the same
tenements in 1860.
Another interesting fact developed in this in
vestlgation is, that rents, in the district of
Philadelphia; have advanced in the value Of
real estate. Thus the increase in the value of
the twenty six houses enumerated was, in the
aggregate, from SCI 200 (gold) in 1860, to Sl00-
900 Currency in 1869 an advance in eight
years Of G5 per cent; while the rents of the
same property, as above shown, advanced dur
ing the same period an average of 100 per cent.
In other words, the capitalist, owner of the
houses, receives from the laboring classes in
the city of Philadelphia III the district repre-
sented by you in congress, Il return for his in
vestment one hundred per cent greater than
what was net.ed to him on the same invest
ment in 1860. 1t may be that this excess in in
terest is balanced, to considerable extent, by
increased taxes; but that it is so to the full ex
tent is not probable.
Now, if the statements contained in this ia
BILE are true, and the name and business stand
| ing of the gentleman furnishing them are Il
sufficient guarantee that they are, then it is
certain that, in your district at least, another
| of the accessories of life-viz: habitatiOnS-
cannot be obtained by the laboring classes for
so small an advance on the cost Of 1860 as fifty
| per cent; and, furthermore, that, in this re
spect, the poor Of you city have grown poorer,
while the rich, on a given investment, have
largely increased their incomes.
What is true cf Philadelphia is true Of
every other city il the country-cminently
true of Chicago. But not alone rents and
wages mark the decline of the laboring
mans prosperity. There is vast increase
| of pauperism and its invariable attendant,
crime, due to the lack Of employment, and
the insutficiency of hire to furnish a COM
Portable livelihood, especially for men with
families, upon whom the pressure bears
with great force. The carefully boarded
and hard earned stores of the poor, in the
savings banks of the country, are falling
Oft, or at least, they bear no proper proper
ton to the increase of population and the
depreciation OF the currency in which labor
is paid. Drunk enness and prostitution are
increasing at fearful rate ; in the populous
cities the tendency toward these two forms
OF profigacy are so alarming, that good
men are in despair lest the moral sense of
the people shall prove powerless to exercise
even its accustomed influence upon public
affairs, and government and people be
handed over to the councils Of the grog shop
and brothel,
We indicate a few only OF the conse-
quences which flow from the way in which
our national affairs are managed by the men
into whose hands they have fallen, and who
as bankers, drawing interest on their own
debts to the people, and as protected manu-
facturers, dipping their fingers into every
mans pocket, are sweeping into their boards
the aggregate sums of which labor is de-
frauded. We see how great their gains are.
If the average cost of living in IS per cent
higher than in 1SG0-6l, while wages Of
skilled and unskilled lab or have increased,
on an average, only s. per cent, somebody
gets the difference. How potent is unjust
law for the oppression Of the mas ses
The reader will bear in mind that both
text and comment above are from radca
sources