The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1878-03-28

| DlaleS OlflS IN tnls city comm mana lrOm
twelve to fifteen dollars per month, or an
average of perhaps three dollars and fifty
cents per week-equal to the highest
Eastern prices. Nurses command fifteen
dollars per week but passable Chinese
cook commands from twenty to thirty
dollars per month, or an average Of about
six dollars per week. Does this look
like the Chinese servant was employed
because he is "cheaperT He is employ
ed simply because a necessity compels it.
Girls cannot be obtaineds A sprinkle OF
foreign girls. most Of them utterly worth.
less, is all that can be found for these
places. We are not discussing the cause,
we simply state the fact Let competent
girls offer themselves and the question OF
domestic help will be solved at once.
There are three great causes for the
present condition OF things The first is
found in the war. When the rebellion
broke out the general government at
once became a purchaser. 1t purchased
everything. The whole productive ca
! pacity of the nation was turned into the
army; but the nation was at war with
itself Whatever the victory might be
\ it must suffer the loss. Here is the secret
Of all our financial complications. 1t was
as If a man should take his money from
the vault and burn it to prevent its being
stolen. On the one hand the highest
| prices were paid by the government, and
on the other hand the men of the coun-
try-the producing force-were called
into the field. These two causes com
bined to produce fabulous prices. The
war closed, and at once the general gov
ernment was a seller; its stock was
thrown on the market Every branch of
industry at once felt a check, for while
the government no longer needed the
country's produce, the war had left every
other channel of outlet blockaded, and
millions upon millions of dollars worth
or property had been destroyed all over
the South. The case was now reversed
as a necessity. When the demand was
the greatest, workingmen, because Of the
great drain of the army, were scarcest.-
When there was no longer any demand,
thousands were discharged and sent home
to find work. 1t is safe to say had not
tens of thousands been destroyed in the
war the case would have been infinitely
worse than it is. For a time the uncer-
tainty and excitement continued; and
business continued a show OF prosperity
but gradually the quiet came and with it
the inevitable financial crash.
1t had still another effect The private
soldier received sixteen dollars per month,
board and clothing, and, while in the ar
my he sustained relation, in which, If
he chose, he could save all his money
The non-commissioned officers received
much more. Thousands were detailed
into clerkships; no such wages were ever
paid the day-laborer in the ordinary avo-
cations when at home The soldier came
home from this financial feast with exalt-
ed ideas OF remuneration, just at a time
when all places of labor were closing up.
The farm was no longer palatable, and
rush was made frorl the East, westward,
and mainly to the cities. As an example,
the city of Chicago, just at the close of
the war; was so crowded with men, nine
tenths of whom were seeking places in
mercantile houses, that guards were plac-
ed at the door to prevent entrance, until
a man had made known his business and |
yet the trades in this very city, were suf |
fering for want of men. While the man
interests Of the country con-
tinued in operation several years after |
the war, it is a noteworthy truth, that |
four-fifths Of the men employed were for |
eigneTs. The laboring men among the |
American population have been virtually |
on a strike since 1865. As prices neces- |
sarily went down, laboring mems ideas Of
remuneration for labor went up. Facto. |
ries everywhere were under the necessity |
of reducing expenses; this reduction was |
resisted and strikes commenced.
Here is the second cause of our trouble |
All over the nation manufactures closed |
up or were compelled to run at less than /
half their capacity, because laborers re /
fused to work at wages which could be |
And in many instances these /
were run at an actual expense /
which was ruinous. in hope that some |
change for the better would take place. /
Iron men were ruined. The great wear I
and tear of the military railroads had /
and new roads were no longer /
needed for a former traffic which had /
closed. We know iron furnaces in the 1
East which continued for months TO en- /
ploy their men when they ran behind 1
expenses every day, and yet, these labor /
ers were on the eve of a strike. Iron 4
was corded up by the thousand cords. |
1t had gone down from S75 per ton. 10 4
less than $25 per ton, and finally, was /
without a market at any price. Some Of /
these furnaces continued for a time to 1
affect small sales at such prices as could /
be had, and thus struggled on the end /
at last came, and they stood still, while 4
thousands who had refused a small re. 4
duction in wages were left without en- /
altogether.
With the depression of the iron inter /
est, came that Of the great coal interest 1
of the land, and then commenced the /
worst features of the European strikes. /
Driven from the mines, men flocked to 1
the cities. Organization commenced, at 4
first mainly among the foreign laborers, |
and the contagion spread throughout the /
nation. From that day to this the cause /
has grown more desperate. Life and /
property have been destroyed. A feeling 4
Of insecurity has taken possession of the 1
Of the land Exaggerated /
accounts of suffering laborers have been /
made by political tricksters, and men
have been inhamed into a mob, while the /
whole land groans beneath a monopoly /
mainly made up of the worst classes Of /
society, those who never did an honest /
days work in their lives, and managed /
by a few equally notorious leaders under /
the plea OF breaking down monopolies.
The third cause of our trouble, and /
that which particularly affects our coast. /
is the stock gambler. For years, the 1
mining of the precious metals, west Of /
the Rocky mountains, has attracted at !
tention; thousands have drifted west /
ward under the delusion that a fortune 1
could be picked up without work San |
Francisco sharpers have improved the /
chance, and mining stocks have been |
"bulled" and "beared" at their option |
for years. The history of these fraudu. |
lent speculations is a marvel, and in no
particular more so, than that, for a quar-
ter of a century, victims could be found |
as fast as the diabolical machine ran
empty. just now it seems to grind slow,
and principally for the reason that most
Of the bait has been used, and the East
ern supply of dupes has somewhat failed
But something must be done and on the
heels of this lost cause these same specu-