The New York herald., 1875-10-18
How &c RAISE the WOrkingman's
Wages.

i himself place In the world. We should
think it no great hardship for him if he did
not yet own house, or a shop, or even a
\ chest of tools but if he had all these
things the community in which he lived
would think him an uncommonly fortunate
/ young fellow, even if he attained his major
1 ity at a time when business was not very
brisk. If Mr. Wendell Phillips and Mr.
| w. ID. Kelley should come along and tell
him that having 50 many things made him
poor, that his chest Of tools was disadyan-
tage to him, his shop misfortune, and that
his house. only part Of which he could oc-
cupy, would certainly BE the ruin Of him,
probably they would get laughed a. The
house may be too big and poorly furnished,
the young fellow would reply; the shop may
not be very busy just now may not have Q
chance at this moment to use all my tools at
once, but certainly am the better oil for
having them; | an ready to 60 to work as
soon as business royiyes; | don't have to
earn those things; my wages when | earn
any will make me more quickly comfortable,
because have already these things at hand.
Well, nation is only great big giant Of
d man, and a nation is as much benefited as
a man by having abundance Of tools for its
work Let US consider what we have on
hand. 50 many Jeremiahs are nowadays
\ going around preaching the gospel Of pow
erty and ruin that it may be worth while to
take an account Of stock, and see whether it
is fact that we are really poor. In the
first place we have not only houses,
but even more houses than we at
present use 1t cannot be said that
we have an excess Of houses, for there are
many people poorly sheltered, who will pres
emily want better houses and will fill up all
there are 1t is certainly fortunate that we
have them ready 50 that we need not waste
time in building them when they are wanted.
Then We have great abundance Of food;
crops 50 large that we shall sell enormous
quantities this year at good prices to other
nations Certainly an excess Of food is not
misfortune; more bread than a man can
eat does not make him poor. Then we have
what looks Just now like an excess Of means
Of transportation. We have so many rail-
roads that for the moment they have not all
enough to carry. Surely that is not a mis-
fortune. Nobody was ever ruined by good
road passing near his door, even if he did
not need at i given time to use it. When we
20 to work again we shall at any rate have
roads to transport our products, and shall
not have to stop work 70 build them.
Finally, We have what just now seems an
excess Of people to use all these things.
But can country have too many people?
It used to be said that every emigrant was
worth ten thousand dollars to the country
But natural laws have not changed.
When, in the old times, d colony settled
in the Western wilderness they had first to
collect and transport their members to the
place; they had then to make clearing and
build houses; then to open fields and raise
crop; then to build road to connect them
with neighbors. All this was thought
expensive and hard work. When it was all
accomplished the people gathered together,
and, not having the fear of Mr.. Phillips or
Mr.. Kelley before their eyes, had dance and
were jolly, and thought they had conquered
fortune. But it now seems they were
Just on tho verge Of utter poverty
and ruin. They thought they were pre-
pared to enter on career Of prosperity.
They had the means in their hands-shelter,
food, people, tools, a sufficient road. Well,
that is just where we stand as a nation.
We are rich in al the means Of creating and
preserving wealth. We have a superb outfit
But unlucl1ily We stand with our hands in
our pockets. Why?
nr1.a~a - ono raocDr XTe bava Lost
confidence. We have all the means Of pros
perity in the greatest abundance, and, in
spite Of what some people pretend, almost
everything is cheap Clothing, Of the kinds
worn by the mass Of the people, is now as
cheap as before the war. Almost all kinds
of food, except meat, are as cheap as before
the war, or very nearly 50. Transportation,
which is 50 vitality important an element TO
1 increase the value Of products BY facilitating
| exchange, is cheaper than before the war.
\ The wages Of skilled labor are still somewhat
higher than before the war; but common la
Dor is nearly down to old prices. Finally
house rent remains higher. Shelter IS about
The only necessary Of life which has not fallen
nearly or quite to ante-war prices: There is
an actual surplus Of all things which we need
TO make us prosperous. Unfortunately It is
not used to produce more. Enterprise is
dead. Confidence il the future is fatally
shaken Nobody dares undertake new
works. Hence there are many idle hands.
Consumption is lessened because production
has been checked. People stand looking at
each other; and men who have money and
who would, if they dared, be only too glad
to use it in new adventures, So dread the
uncertain future that they prefer to let it lie
idle in the banks or lend it at two or three
per cent per annum.
There is but one reason for this: nobody
knows how much or how little the dollar may