The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-09-04
Then we have table of the prices of
the neCessaries of life.

A review OF the reports received from
Belgium show that the working people
of that country are happy aud content.
ed, Notwithstanding that their lives are
continual struggles for meager subsist.
eHce; That they are frugal and indu1tri
oGs, and live within their means; and
chat feeling of reciprocity exis be.
tween the employer and employed.
ut is thought that this reciprocity OF
FEELING 10 made necessary in order to en-
ahle Belgium to compete with English,
French and German manufacturers in
foreign markets, and thus secure EN-
ployment for their own workingmen. A
few. years of misunderstanding between
capitalists and laborers, such as periodic.
ally convulse England, would parayz
Belgium, and ruin both employers and
employees. We're il not for this reCip.
rocal feeling which untes labor and ca D.
ltal, Belgium would he scarcely known
as commercial or manufacturing Coun-
try"
The pith of the above extract may be
seen at glance, but the concluding par
agrapbs of Mr.. Evar SIS review of Con-
sular reports are directed point blank to
the reduction of workingmen's wages
all along the line. He dismisses the
subject as follows:
"The question which now peremptor
| lily challenges all thinking minds is how
to create a foreign demand for those
manufactures which are left after sup.
plying our home demands. We cannot
stand still, for the momentum of increase
will become so great that it will push us
outward anyhow; to push rs safely and
proftably is of 80 much importance as
to almost overtop all other public qups
tions of the hour, This question appeals
equally to the se6shness and patriotism
of all our citizens, but to the laborer it
appears with tenfold force, for without
work he cannot live; and unless we can
extend the markets for our manufactures
he cannot exprct steady work; and nn.
less our manufacturers can undersel for
eign manufactures we cannot enlarge our
foreign market. The first great truth to
be learned by the manufacturers and
workingmen is that days of sudden for
tunes and double wages are gone"
1--WE must realiz4 the fact that ocean
steam communication has annihilated
distances, and brought the nations face
to face. This drawing together of the
nations means equalization in trade, wa.
ges, profits, etc, the advantage being
with those who soonest accept the situa
ton, and show the most sensible contin
nance in the new paths of success. The
Consul at Newcastle upon Tyne shows
that that city is commercially nearer to
| New York than to London. If steam
communication can thus bring one of
the leading cities of small island like
England nearer 10 New Y York than to its
own capital it can work eqnal wonders
with the leading seaport cites of all En
rope in their commercial intercourse
With the seaport cities of the United
Safes. This is question of great i'm
pOrtanCe to both laborer and capitalist,
for it must revolutionize all past theor.
les of trade and commerce, by establish
ing international equalization.
IN the near future the workingman
Of New York cannot expect twice or
thrice the wages of his fellow. worker in
Europe, while all other things-fooj, rent,
clothing, etc,-are on an equality; nor
can the coal miner Of Pennsvlvania ex-
pect twice the wages of the Northumber-
land miner, while coal from Northnm
herland mines can be landed in New
York at less than the price of Pennsyl.
vania COAL"
In one point Mr.. Evarts is correct
we need to create greater foreign de
mand for manufactures, but he makes
serious mistake in assuming that the
way to do this is 10 cut down our work
mans wages to an equality with those of
Europe. We have already. secured an
entry into foreign markets, and furnish
goods to com pete successfully in price
and quality with anything turned out in
Europe.
What has given us this entry, and the
wonderfully rapid increase of foreign
demand for American manufactured
Clearly, not low wages, for these consu.
lar reports show our home wages to be
at least double those paid in Europe. We
must look for some other reason for our
remarkably suCcvssfnl and growing trade
abroad. Yet our worthy Secretary of
State would have us understand that low
wages is the great desideratum to enable
our home manufacturers to compete fa.
vorably with those of Europe. If he
had made pilgrimage through the shops
and mills of any Of our great manufac-
turing districts, with careful observation
be might have discovered the cause of
our successful competition abroad. It.
exists in the workmen themselves, and
is developed by the American system of
rewardiDg labor and invention, Let us
compare the workmen of Europe with
those of America, The former, as a
class, are pretty clearly shown by the
consular reports to be mere drudges, but
are "happy and Contsnted." having small
hopes of lettering their condition. They
are kept down by the meanest wages tJ
snch condition of perpetual poverty,
that they are enabled scarcely to obtain
anything beyond the plainest clothing,
fIod and shelter. The foreign skilled
workmen read books and newspapers
very little, least of all those devoted to
mechanical subjects. To such state of
menial servitude have they been reduc.
ed, they feel ecarcely spark of ambi.
ton or encouragement to adapt special
means to an end, or to improve methods
Of manufacture. They plod along ir the
old beaten track, "happy and content.
ed" and, as Mr. EVarls might say, If
ignorance is b iss, Ills folly to be wise"
Right here is where the American work
men rise head and shoulders above trans
atlantic members of their craft. They
do not exist in ahject eqnalor, nor main
tain constant struggle for the bare nee.
essaries of life, but have means to beau
tify treir homes, dress we'll, educate
their children, obtain and read books
and newspapers, thus acquiring intelli'
genCe and information to advance them
selves in their occupations.
Would our scholarly Secretary of State
wish to reduce American workmen to
/ Al - Al - "A