The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-11-11
,,.,.lhy Oh 'rcsc ehc ~ labor"
we arc a'''"" ~ TTruf6f,l James.

question of expediency with unanS"ei"''s
argument, As strong as is the argument III
this point, that upon the moral we" W ""
introduction Of these inferior races . ''
fold more powerful. +.rc
This narar was perhaps the h7S' !" '."'
ground againet the Introduction OF 'h' W. -,
nese cheap labor into inns co"n',!'
have considered the question 'h''n'S ~ ~.
moral and political aspects. "o'ei"o'
~, ,,re.ents II in one which we nave only
90. rar.rred to: that of the bad erect
,non industry and domestic prosperity, OF
dsrsdinc and cheapenlng labor by the "'o
~ inferior races introduced into TINS couh-
,rv No country can be very powerful 10
government enduring, where labor Is de'
nr.ded-yhere labor is reduced 10 POM
,,a. dooms the laborer to want and re-
nres,es his energy and his ambition. Labor
is the foundation and support OF the state,
and II must be kept healthy. strong, nigh
sn;rited, and ambitious, to ensure the high
est dignity and power Of the State.
mart of Mr.. SEYMoUR's address is SO
conclusive upon this point that we copy II
below:
.Cheap labor does not add to patton
wealth, neither does it cheaper prouuclloh'
as win show. Look over the map OF the
,ror,d and YOU will find universal poverty
where labor IS most poorly paid. In Africa
ron can buy mans labor for lie Tor
:trinr Of beads, but they are too poor to get
the strings Of beads. In Asia the iahorer
tets a little better pay but how little Is IL
Wealth and how smill is its commerce com
nared with its countless millions OF people.
Men who wear scanty cotton clothing call
not uphold arts or industry. They cannon
give life and prosperity TO the workshop
to the counting-oouHe, OF 10 heet> o. fesSei,
upou the ocean. Ii you compare ASIA ana
Africa with Europe, you viii ma ina
while the laborers of England. OF Ger
many. of France. and other countries are
much better paid, the national wealth |:
greater. and that they are sending then
Products TO the very regions where tue
I,ay Of labor is ut the lowest ebb. The labor
IF Furope, whose wages are so much
HIGHER than those If the other continents
have named, can still produce all the pr"
ducts of art for much less price, ana can
and does sell them to those countries whete
labor starves for want of pay. But we mus.
turn TO orr own country 81 learn how tru
il is that labor must be wei! PAID to civ"
wealth and prosperity to Land. IL tn
l,horers and mechanics of the United State
were nut upon the same pay gwen TO tht
Chinpman we should have universal bank
rurtcy throughout the bounds OF our coun-
try. Three-ouarters OF the stores Of this
CITY would be closed. Why Is it that town
with ten thousand people here does more
business than n city Of hundred thousand
In Asia: 1t is due to the tact That our me
chanics are able to.build houses TO furnish
them with the comforts Of life: to clothc
them.elves and their families, not only in
way which protects their persons, but "lsr
yratiies their tastes which enables them
to support the arts and industry in oil it
form. Why are the people OF these
United States able to pay percentage
of taxation which would crush an!
other nation? 1t is simply because
the wages Ct labor here enable mcn
10 consume all those varied articles which
pay duty to Government. Go where you
win, the world over, and you will ind the
greatest general wealth, the greatest pros.
perity and the greatest happiness ,Wherevou
ind the greatest wages for labor. Men con,
found cheap labor with cheap production.
These are not only different, but at times
they are opposite things. Sometimes cheap
labor Is an element in cheap production,
hut that is not the rule. We see the fact to
be that where labor is the highest produc.
ton is the cheapest, and sends its work OF
art and of skill all over the world. III,
reason of this is. cheap production l. tn
result of intellect as we'll rs OF labor; CT
mind as well Is Of toll. 1t j. wrought on!
nv those who are in that condition Of com
fort and respectatility that their MIND
are educated and alert. Starving labo
never vet invented machinery TO till tue
ground and gather III its crop; 1t neve
Yet worked out those wonders in mechanic
which have borne our country on to III
GREATNESS. Men Can cheaper their produc-
tons and add to their earnings when the.
call to their aid science and learning. but
these two cannot live where labor is pincheo
down TO the point of starvation. If man
invents u machine which enables him t,
make more, he can yet sell for less ant
grow rich. But force him to sell for les
by the competition of the Chinaman, which
does not Increase his power OF production
and he starves. And when the lahore
sinks, the whole structure OF society, o
which he is the basis, sinks with him. Ihl
may be laid down as law: That cheap pre-
duction and general prosperity are the II
suits of high civilization and general inte1
Iigence that these can only exist among
people where the great mass Of the work
ingmen are we'll paid and placed In tina
condition of respectublity where thei
minds are fed as we'll as their bodies"
AL this is true, philosophically and pc
liticaily. The subject is one interestin
alike TO the workman and the profession;
man. II the society OF traders and Drofes
sional men combine to degrade labor, the
combine for self-deStruction. For they Il
depend upon labor for success, and tn
more vigorous, contentcd, and hopeful, an
the better sustained by sclf-respect the |;
borers are the higher the degree Of succe.
OF all other callngs and pursuits. We tru
that all will combine with the workingme
to put stop to the importation Of any
the inferior races. We are sufficiently curse
already by the greed Of nun, by the III
scrupulous love Of money-gettins while
induced Northern people to engage
the brutal slave trade upon the higl
seas. This nation should set its r.
solution and its force against every for
OF this money-getting through the intr
duotion of cheap labor-cheap because pc
ormed by men lower in the scale of hi
mainly than our own Caucasian race. TT
evils OF this thing already upon us, it wi
take generations to eradicate. To II
crease them by new importation of tn
abomiuable Chinese would be nations
s,icide. The grand community of M
ehanics and laborers Should rise up as on
man against il; and it would be has
treachery In the balance of society not
stand by them, heart and hand, in their nc
BILE effort to save the country from an Il,
crease of the worst of social and polite,