The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1870-12-01
WHOLE NO. 1880.
T.he NYaren ofIInhar.

wages it obtains in modern times il
seems that money, which iS only repre-
sentative in character, or simply me-
dium of exchange, is too much regard
ed, aud that what it obtains ia too often
made secondary consideration, or not
considered at all The true way TO re-
gard money is simply as medium for
the transmission and transfer of the uec-
essaries and luxuries of life; and the
amount of the latter which can be OBJ
tanned for days work is the proper
wages Of days work.
We often hear complaints of the high
prices of various commodities The
purchasing power Of dollar has great
ly diminished, yet upon close scrutiny
we shall find that laborers Of to-day can
live better with given amount of labor
than they could have done fifty years
ago. Their wages have therefore ad-
vapced, not because the lsborer can get
to-day 81 90 for work. which fifty years
ago would have brought him only sew
enty-6ve cents, but because the two dol
lars will purchase to-day more than sew
enty FIVE cents would have done fifty
years ago. 1t is not the number of dol
lars, but what the dollars will get that
must be considered.
Twenty years ago tun Of coal would
not have cost in this market, on the aV-
erage, over five dollars at the outside;
to-day it perhaps costs eight Twenty
years ago common laborer could have
got at the outside no more than one
dollar per day for his work he would
therefore have had to work five days
for tun of coal. To-day he gets two
dollars day, and can get . tun Of coal
for four days work.
Fifty years ago a man could travel in
stage coaches, ETC., say, twenty-five
days, at an expense Of, say, ifty dolIars
in money, and, say, eighteen dollars in
time to a common laborer-in all, sixty
dollars. To-day he can travel the same
distance by rail and steamer, in many
parts of the country for thirty-six dol
lars, allowing four dollars day for his
meals und refreshments, and two dol
lars each night for sleeping accommo-
dations, and two dollars . day a. the
value of bis time; and be can do this
with infinitely more comfort aud luxury
than be could perform the same distance
fifty years ago. Fifty years ago he
would have needed TO work ninety odd
days to defray the expense of thous-
AMI miles of travel by coach to-day he
can travel one thousand miles by work
ing eighteen days.
1t is true that two dollars is maxi
mum for the wages ofcommon labor
ers in cities, aud the rate of travel upon
which we have figured-two cents q
mile-may be considered a minimum,
but we should find large gain if we
took the minimum price of labor in ru-
Ial districts, and the maximum rate Of
fare on railroads and steamers.
Passing in review the list of commo-
dities and necessities of modern life,
we find, in the aggregate, labor gets
more comforts, by given expenditure
of muscular energy, than at any former
period in its history. Nothing is gain
ed to the cause of labor by ignoring
this fact. An argument for . further
increase, to be worth anything, must
take the position that, although labor
is better paid now than formerly, there
is still too great disparity between the
profits Oflabor and the profits of capital.
There is much to be said on both
sides of this important question. We
greatly doubt whether, in the nature Of
our present social organization. such .
disparity is not a necessity. The ques-
ton is one that will ultimately be set
tied by experiment, and every strike or
demand for increase on the part of lab
or is direct experiment bearing upon
this vital point. Every concession TO
such demands on the part of capital is
a virtual admission that the disparity
of profits may be lessened, without
driving capital out ofthe industry OF the
world. The limit will be reached when
CdplldIlSLs uuu lldL lu6 utSCt ctupIOy~
ment of ther money in manufacture is
less advantageous than loaning it upon
interest 10 cooperative organizations
and to commercial men.
There are evidences that in many in
dustries this extreme limit has been
closely approximated, aud that further
demands will force capital out Of the
field. .f
What would be the result of such aB
event upon the working men +! In our.
opinion it would be extremely disaS-
trous. A cooperative establishment
working upon borrowed money can
rarely, if ever, be as successfully man
aged as by single head powerfully in
terested by the risk Of a large invest
ment to do everything possible to pro-
mote success. Those who falsely CON
ceive capital to be the natural enemy
of labor had better think long and care
fully before finally resolving TO dissolve
partnership with it,--ScisptJfe Am~iodn,
"The good die young" especially
during the season Of green fruit.
Why is coffee like an az with dull