Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-08-14
The Labor Question.

A contemporary mentions some considera-
tions connected with the labor question
which, though utterly ignored by the leading
labor reformArs, are nevertheless indispen-
sable to fair discussion of the subject.
One of these is that we have in this country
not only our full proportion of native-bom
American working men, but also vast num-
Der of workingmen that have come to us
from the various nations of Europe. Sup
pose France should have added to its own
working people as many more from the Euro
pean countries, what consequences would
follow 1t would be impossible for them
all to find employment, and, of course, there
would be doleful talk of hard times. But
no country of Europe is invaded in this
way by the working people of the other ma
tions. All or nearly all of the emigrating
people of Europe come to the United States ;
and, of course, they make constant additions
to those in this country who seek employ
ment. Most of the Scandinavians who come
here settle on the new lands at the West.
A large portion of the Germans do so, while
other Germans add something to the indus
tries of the country by engaging in various
kinds of business. Most of the Germans
who come here settle somewhere at the
West. On the other hand, nearly all the
Irish, French and Italians, who come to the
United States. crowd into the cities and
large towns of the settled regions of the
country. The French Canadians appear to
be the thriftiest of these immigrants but
they do not seek to settle themselves perma-
nently at the West, nor anywhere else to a
large extent.
Under these circumstances, the labor
market is unnaturally crowded. The de-
mand for work means work for all these i'm
migrants from abroad, as well as for our nat
ural proportion of native-born working peo-
pie If all who come to us would adopt the
| policy of the Scandinavians, and make per-
manent homes for themselves on the unoc.
cupied lands at the West, there would not
be anywhere more workers than work, and
the present competition among working peo
| pie would cease to exist In our cities and
large towns, there is class of workingmen
chlehy ioreigh-oorn' VINO are heieher skiiieo
mechanics nor skilled worKnen IN any way
The work they can do is not sufficient for SC
many. In most cases, one-halt of them would
be more than sufficient for the work anC
yet, the next arrival OF an emlgrant snip i
not unlikely to make additions to their mum
Der Inc lack Oh thougnt ana foresight
which allows these people 10 crowd INT
places where the natural course oil aiiair
can not possibly furnish The work they eS
pect, Is astonishing, ior the evil consequence
that Hollow are more disastrous 10 themseiVe
thah 10 anybody eise' III Vhe oatholic ehurch
VniS great evil ID 81 Clearly Seen anu uiiue'
S'0ou' '""' many Vi ''s ieau'"s '"eiioerS al,
representatives are taxing measures
iesSeh IL ny u'awius 'ne'' Peopie' Vi III
glass; away ''o'n ."e oi'ieS anu 'a'se Oown
D W iesiohS "neio '"oS Va" se' Pos'e9sioh
D 'ahu' pecome iariier'' "orA io' 'ne'nSeiVe
n anu never eou' Vi WIN
Y ihere are no. many americans WHO uo III
il WORK at something Inc goiu ana sVoch gar
olerS are really no oe''ef 'nan so mar
G 'iie'es. Inc Same may oe s"'" Vi al '"o
n VINO reiuse W "o'A' Deoome ''"np'' VI ae'
e i've W 'nei' WIS ineae constitute