, 1873-06-24

and the avorago yoar1y wages Of each hand, in
all branches of manufacture in 1850. 1860, sud
1870, we're ~ follows:
gts, ssss gsats ssys; siYys;; pc: s1ssss 4sa1
1ssS 1s's a3sssssss sss as5Ss as55sss sssss sa9ss
1870 IN gold, avoraRo rae ecnaus year, 126H sol.27
Increase under FREQ tradc $2s7.s2 to s2sa.o4 or Il
1nereaso under protection, s2sa.os to seo1.27, or
20-l0o per ccpt.
Now, 1t ia eminontly disgusting to tho pro-
tected American 1aboror to find that, during ton
years Of FREQ trade. his wagoa advanced over "a
| per cent, while during ton yoars Of protection
| they have advanced only about per cont. Tho
| poor man frat doubts tho correctness Of tho in
formation, but searches tho census volumes and
finds tho facts Just as wo havo statoa thon.
Then ho questions whether the rato Of premium
for gold ia corroc, but official records show him
that 1856 was tho average price during tho
twc1vo months ending May 81, 1870. during
which tho wagcs were paid and used.
Then ho doubts his reaHon, and won-
dera whether "protoction" has really rob-
bod him Of about two-thirda Of that
increaao of wagea which, If bonoyolent gov
ernment bud lot him alonc, FREQ trado would by
this time hay& given him. 1t behoovos Messra.
Caroy, Kelley, aud Maynard to explain this ugly
fact immediately. Do they think the workmen
such idiots tlat they will vote for syBtom which
roha thcm OF tlloir natural incroaao of wages7
But while they are busy explaining, tho work.
man may happon to romombor that tho pricos Of
q great majority Of articles bought with Lis
wages, and tho cost of living, have increased
Since 1860 much moro than the 251S per cent
which measures tho depreciation Of currency.
Knowing that coata him moro in gold to liyo
and to support q family than it did boforo the
war, It occurs to him that this difference
in the purchasing powor Of the wages Of oil
manufacturing employees must moro than con-
sumo tho pitiful per cent Of increaso which
protection has given. Doing dovout protec-
tioulstt a1tu ua'44e a..', warned that tho
Special Commissioner Of the Hovonuo, b1r.
Wells, had been thought with British gold." ho
did not pay much attention to tho statistics by
which that person tried to prove that tho cost
Of living had increased GO per cont. Dut-alas !!
for tho tria1s Of tho faithful l-another Off
cial, oven now in charge Of Bureau Of tho
Treasury Department, himself dovout proteo-
tionist, has nevertheless printed report,
dated in 1870, on tho cost Of labor
and subsistence In tho United States,
which proves pretty much tho Same thing
: and finally, the Superintendent OF the Census,
| who has not yet been accused Of taking British
gold, has declared in hspubliHhod volumes that,
according to the best informationha can got. tho
average increase in tho prcoa Of oil products ot
manufacturing and mechanical labor has been
&c por cent. With great sadness tho American
laborer is forced to confess that ls experience
in purchaaca and his empty pocket strongly con
: firm the testimony OF thoao persons. Aud yot
1t this bo truo, tho wagoa Of 1870 arc actually
worth less than tho wages of 18G0l To tho col,
filling and mucll-protected laborer, it is shock
Ing discovery that the e977.5o III currency, the
average wages Of ill manufacturing laborerB 1t
: 1870, was oqual in purchasing power tt
only s242.04 Of tho wages OF 1860, aut
= yot "British free trade" then gave III
:, average Of e258.o4, or $4,000 moro in actua
:. value, or purchasing powor, than projection
> gives What robbed Of 16 1t per cent o
> his wages by the blessed systom Of protection
Why, ton years Of FREQ trade gavo him mo1o tha,
IL POT cent incrcaso in roal yaluo, because aver
;, ago prices were lower in 1860 than in 1850. III
etoad Of that, does his patornal system give hin
=, I. loss Of 16 per cent BY this timo. tho piou
protoctionist laboror begins to get initiated All
wants to know what in tho mischief his benovo
tent rulera mean Processing such anxiety t.
= = bottor l,is condition, have they not only robbot
- him Of all tho natural increase OF wages, but o
= one-aixth OF their value in 1850 beaides? Th
laboror aforesaid will be blessed IL lo will stnus
- this SORT Of thing
y Docs not anybody got any benefit from thi
= syston2 The griHt-nlills yield larger produo
in value than any other branch OF manufacture
" according to tho census and yet the men GIN
y ployed thero. according to tho official report
- average 1owor wages In currency than they ro
> coiye1 in 1860 In gold, aud 10 do tho mon ON
~ ployed III saw-lnils, and 30 do the llaoksmtha
- while tho carpenters average for 1870 just q
~ many paper dollars AZ they did gold dollarB Il
; 1860. Tho coopora, tho plaatorors and til
:. paintorB, 1t appears, receive In wages @ muol
!" smaller proportion Of Tie valuo Of tho product
- or work done, than they did under FREQ trade
: Who hold tho prizoa when 30 many hay
+" ~ drawn blanks In this big lottory7 Who are til
~ pets Of protection-tho favored fow who monop
y oxo tho bonodts, while tho rost pay lighe
prices and got lower wagos3 Tho salt-boilors
J; Yes, thoir wages hayo much more than doubled
4 iu 1860 they received oonts, aud in 1870 q
conts, I. buB1el. Tho glasamakars, sugar-rehn
20 ots, aud workers In somo iron aud woolen eBtat
r. lishmonts have gained largely Dut, taking OH
to those employed In these, in cotton, silk, rubber
~ paper, aud copper establlshmena,- ,-only 43s, A
10 perHona out Of 2,0b3.00Q, or about ono~aftA.-w