The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1875-08-05
ARE WE STARVING?


When the very lowest appeals are
made to the poor, by lying demagogues,
it becomes necessary to look for time
to facts and figures. Democrats are con-
stantly talking about hard times, and
claiming that laboring men never had SO
hard a time to make living as they
have now. Why they talk in that way,
after having full control in this State for
two years, they dare not attempt to ex-
plain. Two years ago they told the peo-
pie that if they would elect William AL
len for Governor, and elect Democratic
Legislature, all would be serene and
lovely Their success was all they could
desire, and now, after fair trial, with
two sessions of their Legislature, and
their Governor, they cry "hard times
more Justify than ever, and yet they ask
the people to take another dose of the
same bitter medicine.
We admit that times are harder in
some respects than they were when Re
publicans had full power in the State
and Nation; but the wages now paid en-
able man to support family with few
er days labor than ten years ago, and
times are infinitely better than twenty
years ago, when the Democrats had full
power, both in this State, and in the Ma
tional Government.
On last Thursday we went to Star Fur
mace, and to seI eral of the dry goods
and provision stores, to get some facts.
We found that Star Furnace Company
are now paying for common labor, one
dollar per day Flour sells at from seven
to eight dollars, best bacon l6s cents, but
ter Is cents, potatoes 40 cents. calico
from 6 to 10 cents, and other necessaries
of life in proportion. In the spring and
summer of 1866, the books at Star Fur
mace show that common laborers received
one dollar and a half per day. The
market reports in the STANDARD show
that -four then sold at fourteen dollars
per barrel, bacon from 20 to 25 cents,
butter 35 cents, calico from Is to Is
cents, potatoes from one to two dollars,
and other necessaries in proportion. 1t
will readily be seen that days labor
now will pay for at least one-third more
of the necessaries of life than it did nine
years ago.
Now let US all go back to the good old
Democratic times, when the Sovereign
States" regulated banking, and the cur
rency, and after the Democrats
had had full sway for a quar-
ter of century. In the year 1855, -four
sold for So 50-one dollar more than it
is selling for to-day. Potatoes sold for
81 25, or more than three times what
they cost now. Butter was Is cents, the
same as to-day Calico was little dearer
than it is now, being from to 123 cents.
We kept books for P. Powell q Co. from
March l, 1854, to July, 1856, and the
Company were largely engaged in the
ore business, and the average wages was
thirteen dollars per month, or fifty cents
per day. There are plenty of men about
Jefferson Furnace, and in other parts of
the county, who will remember this.
And the books of the Company will show
our statement to be correct. If wages
were reduced just one-half, it would place
the laborer just where he was twenty
years ago, when the party now bowling
to the laboring men about hard times,
had full power.
Do the people want to put the party
again in power that had brought about
such a state of affairs? Do they want
such men in power as those who plum
dered the treasury of the State in 1857,
md the treasury of Jackson county in
1852