Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-02-09

For the CHRONICLE. Ef4-fl. at-e-., u - :
Some people vainly imagine that the
United States should be a strictly agH-
cultural community, depending alone
upon its agriculture for independence
and prosperity. Such an idea SUITS,
remarkably, our merchants of the sea-
board cities and importers of foreign
goods, but is inconsistent with the bAf
interests of the laboring masses, sS1za b.
er they be mechanics, manufactufcrso sor
agricuituralists. A proper division of
labor is essential to the prosperity ,inde-
pendence, and happiness of any people.
In very densely settled countries, and
under monarchal forms of government,
this diversion cannot be SO easily MAIN
tanned, as in more sparsely settled COM
munities, which are under republican
forms of government, and where the
people have their own independent
ideas and views of political economy,
which they reduce at pleasure toSthe
consistency oflaws, for their own inter-
nal regulations. ~ - -. =. - 80
With soil and climate almost une-
qualed for the production Of the neces-
saxies and comforts Of life, and with the
- material in abundance for nearly
al the works of art, the United States
are admirably adapted to the develop
mentI of agricultural and mechanical
science. In order: that healthy divi-
sion of labor should be maintained in
this country, it has been found neces-
sary that many useful branches OF
domestic industry should receive that
protection which is incidental to tar
iff of duties levied on foreign, articles
coming'in competition with such indus ~
tries in this country A well regulated
tariff on foreign imports is thus made
to answer the double purpose ofraising
the required revenue for the support OF
the Government, and of affording such
protection to home labor as will insure
the development of all our domestic in
dustries, and tend to produce proper
division of labor in the country. But
the question is asked, why do our
manufacturing establishments need
this protection, why can they not man.
ufacture as cheaply in this country. as
in Europe, seeing we have the raw ma
terial and an abundant supply of coal,
and water power to propel any amount
of machinery? Simply because labor
is higher here than in Europe. The
causes for this are various. Our labor
ers, who are mostly ourselves, art
better fed, better clothed, and are mOrt
intelligent; in short, live better gener
ally, than thelaborers of the Old World
And this is perfectly natural, for il
this country of republican simplicit!
and equality, the laborers are the con
trolling powerin the land; they make 4
unmake Presidents and Cabinets, Leg
islative bodies, and judges ofthe courts
and say what the laws shall be. L
there any reason why such aclassshoult
not eat meat every day if they saw
proper, and live well generally?
In Europe the laboring classes ar
not on terms of equality, either social.
!, or politically, with the governing class
and being mostly in densely settle'
districts, many of them are compelle'
to labor at such wages as will afford
: bare subsistence, .on the commones
, fare; the factory hands being limite'
.. in the use of meat to once or twice pc
week. This is mentioned only as
, sample of their cheap living. The av
erage wages of labor in Europe is doubt
less more than so per cent lower tha
! in this country. With such an advan
: tage in wages, and no protection t
home labor, Great Bfi{ain could me