, 1873-04-01


will 10 ablo to offset, to considerable extont,,
tho cfioapor ratos TINT will bo afforded to tho
competing stations by other cities. But, regard
loss Of this, tho law against unjust liacrlmlna-
tion is good ono, and 1t should bc enforced.
=......--=-
COMPLETING WITH PAUpER LABOR.
There is 10 class Of American laborors who aro
brought SO directly into competition with tho
paupor labor Of Europe as tho producers of
grain; nor is there any othor o1ass Of worlkmon
In thia country wloso earnings aro 10 directly
determined by the panpor labor Of Europe. Tho
price Of all American grain is governed in all
American markets by tho price it commands in
England, and tho price Of grain IN England is
governed by the price Ut which tho grain pro-
ducod in Europe ie Bold. Tho graiu-growing
provinces Of Europe aro Southern Russia,
Southern France, Hungary, and the sclavio
Provinces, Transylvania, Croatia, and Dalma-
tia. In those countries tho condition Of tho
agricultural laboror is hardly bottor than that Of
the American slnros before tho Into var. COM
pared with their wages or oarnings thoBo of tho
mechanical trades nro extravagant and luxurious.
Tho condition Of tho mechanical and other nlan,,-
featuring ororattvcs Of Europe aro fur in ad-
vance Of tloso moro firm laborors OF nuBsia and
Hungary. and oven Of thoseof Trance and Eng
land. And yot it iB this yoritablo paupcr labor
Of these statea that hxos tile price Of every
bushel OF grain produced in the United states.
Tho fact that American farmers can compete ut
al with tho grain labor Of Europe is duo to tho
Htolid ignorance and proJulicoa which refuse all
tho aid of machinery, aud which insist upon
the entire work Of producing grain
by hand labor. In this cultivation
thoy aro but little moro advanced tlau wero
thoir ancestors centuries ago. Another reason
has becn tho want Of internal transportation.
Except in the districts contiguous to tho Danube
md the Vistuln, tho means Of transportation of
grain from tho interior Of Russia and Hungary
havo not boon worry great but within fow years
there havo beon large additions to tho railroad
system, and especially with Wow of bringing tho
whoat-growing area Of those States nearor to
marhot. In view Of tlleso facilities, a now i'm
potua has been given to tho production OF whoat.
especially in tho sclavonlc torritory and in fow
years ut most our producers Of gra,n
will find competition not only from tho pauper
labor of Europe, but from yastly-incrcaso1
production. It may be- reasonably expected,
also, that tho introduction of railroads aud q
familiarity with trade will eventually remove tho
prejudice against agricultural machinery. Some
entorprising proprietor will place modern
plo"s, and roapers, and rakos upon his folds,
and bo ablo thereby to gathor crops from two
acres whore lo now collects but ono. When that
timo comes, the American grain will find itsolf
opposed i'll tho market Of Europe by tho product
of rauper labor, and in such increased quantity
as to reduce tho price largely. Tho ,n> lent that
tho Russians and Hungnrians adopt farm
machinery, tho American farmers will loso
tho advantage Which they now possosB.
What Is tho romody7 There is but ono, and
that is to reduce the taxos with which wo havo
nearly overwhelmed tho production Of wheat,
and which has, in fact, rendered tho production
Of corn unprofitablo. Tho cost Of production
must 10 reduced by the removal OF ovory tux on
the means Of production. Tho cost of transport
tation must bo reduced by tho repeal Of all taxes
which aro not levied for rovenuo, but which con-
Bume tho creator part Of the grain product. Tie
coBt of living must DO reduced by tho repeal Of
all taxes not levied for revenue purposes, and
which swell tho coHt Of everything tho farmers
have to buy, and tho cost Of nil
things produced OF tho farm. When our
farmers can work their fields with an untaxod
plow can purchase harness and shoes for his
horaos froe Of 50 per cent tax Gnu clothe
himself and family in cotton md wooden goods
costing ono-third less than prosent prices can
provide himself with implements, lnrnbor, iron,
steel, gass, crockcfy, furniture, boots and shoes,
and wo1nen's md childron's dress goods, at two-
dollars te receives will purchase as much aa ono
hundrcdand flftyd dollars will now purchase, l,o will
bo that much battor prepared to coupete with tho
paupor 1aborora of Russia and Hungary. When
llo can aond lis grain to market at one
lalf tile cost Of transportation that is
now oxtortod OF him when lho cost Of produce
tion, the cost Of transportation, and the cost Of
living shall DO thus reduced from 90 to TO per
cont, thon and not until t1ol, will ho bo able to
comroto with tho nnnually-incroasing product Of
the paupor agricultural labor Of Europe.
Tho agricultural products of this country aro
taxed 30 per cent in order to protect fow
mechanical TRADES from supposed competition
with tho pnupor labor Of England. Tho skilled
1abor Of the United States needs no such pro-
tection, nor does 1t recoiyo my FROM
those taxoa loviol upon tho agricultural
class In its name. But the grain-growora Of tho
country, who number hnlf tho population, aro
directly placed in competition with tho lowest
c1asa Of panpor labor in Europe. Tho latter fix
tho prlco Of American grain and ovory pcnny of
tux lowed upon American grain, whether In tho
form Of increased coat Of production, coat OF
living, or cost of transportation, ia n tux levied
to doprosa tho valuo of that grain to tile prD-
ducor, and cripple him in his struggle with tho
comparatively seryi1o Oroats Of Hungary nud
Russia.