Daily Republican., 1881-10-22
SATURDAY, OCTOBER ~. lss
New Csssle Free Ira sders.

Our young friends, editors of tht
New Castle Evening Star, like Other
independents OF their class, have nc
settled principles on political subjects,
but think it q virtue to be in a position
to hit a head wherever they see one.
Their latest kirk is to take a tling al
our Protective tariff system, which
they say does not protect. They are in
favor of q Protective tariff, but have
lust discovered that it does not protect,
because laborers in our little sister city
scarcely out OF her swa1dliNg clothes,
do not get more than dollar a day.
We were not aware before that wages
were so low in New Castle. They
should not be so low, and We are rath.
er of the opinion that it is their own
fault if they get no mora. Ii ouryoung
friends will migrate them overto vii
mington where IA Protective tariff, pro.
tects, we will insure them ST. % day.
if they are good lahorers. at such work
as digging cellars and tending masonS
and bricklayers. There may be men
here who get bu: one dollar u day, but
that is because they are not full hands,
or because they make no effort to get
more. The standard wages per day fer
labor in our city, are Sl.t0 ior cellar
diggers the commonest, kind Cf IN.
skilled labor; $500 and s. 80 for car
penterS, the same for piastererS, $50
and S215 for Stone ma5ons, s. 80 for
bricklayers, and machinists from S3.0O
to $500. Men and boys who are not
full hands get less. Perhaps the latter
is the class to which our young edltori.
al friends with characteristic sympathy
addressed their dissertation against a
Protective tariff that they say does not
protect. Our friends should think twice
before they speak once upon this sub.
jeCt. Grant that there are here and
there laborers in their city who only
get dollar day how is it With the
great mass of those who live by labor
What do mechanics and even laborers
who are full hands get? Taking an
exceptional case of one who only gets a
dollar day, while u dozen other work
men get twice that much, as IL basis of
an argument is rathera weak invention,
not AZ all creditable TO the information
and talents which we know the editors
of the Star to possess.
We have a distinct recollection of
New Castle when it was dull, slug
gish borough, that projected no new
enterprises. Her people were of the
good class, but wealth ruled, and those
who possessed it were satisfied wl,h six
per cent uaid mi-annually. The
Commons farms paid the taxes and
government and other public improve
ments furnished the only labor that
could be had for those who wanted 10
work. Even our enterprising public
servant and citizen, William Herbert,
was CONTEXT to earn an honest but skimp
living in little corner grocery The
sounds of industry were then almost
strange sounds in New Castle. Now
how different. New Castle resounds
with the clanGor Of machinery, and the
musical hum Of thousands of spindl,s.
The sleepy, dull borough Of twenty
years ago, has awoke from her Rip-van-
Wrinkle slumher. She is city now,
with great machine shops, cotton facto-
ries, public halls, ard she is spreading
ont her arms of industry in all direc-
tions What has done this 4? Certain
ly not battering down the walls of pro-
lection and permitting foreign countries
by the aid of pauper labor to supply
the pipes and tubes which the Tasker
works are turning out, and the muslins
and sheetings which the cotton mills
are putting into the markets. For fear
that our young contemporary may mis-
lead some of the people of New Castle,
we would ask the labUrers and mecha..-
les of that young and thriving city to
make comparisons between the wages
paid in free traGc-rat!uus and those
paid in countries where home indus
tries are prDts cted This will be enough
TO satisfy them. II there are any good
labOrers over in New Castle who are
eking out a miserable existence on a
dollar day and paying twelve dollars
month house rent, we would advise
them to pack up at once and come over
to Wilmington where street sweepers
get dollar and half aday.
'IHE EXECUTIVE officers of tla BOARD