The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1882-09-21
OPEN AND SHUT.
The Dark Game Of Slavery and spolia.
ton That the 0ppressors Of
Labor Are Working.
The Same Trick That Serves the Currency
Robbers Ii 10 BE Played By the
Corporation Lords.
l"IIonorius,- In the Irish world.l


gan 81 the slayc-holling manufacturers
Of that hive Of misery, read the fol-
lowing significant editorial:
"rhe fact IL becoming patent ono
TINT the supply Of labor IN NIL the in
tlustrinl centers is in excess, and will
continue in excess 50 long ~ the influx
OF foreign laborcrs maintains it's pres
ent proportions. The supply is ontrun-
ming the demand. and it will have Il =
turbing influence on WAGES in the diree-
ton Of lower rates in all branches Of in
,lustry. Manufacturing in NIL branches
il temporarily overaone, and the further
absorption Of labor by any considerable
increa q in new enterprises is not prob
allie. The returns on investments NJ
ready made are not Of character to
induce an increase in the same direction.
We shall therefore see the strange
anomaly Of n country capable of alb
sorbing the work Of nm infinite number
Of laborers, with various branches of its
industries choked, rs it We're, with ap-
plicants for work. pending the proper
distribution Of the aggregated mass.
The inevitable outcome of this compete
tion for employment will be reduction
of wages in all branches Of industry.
This. in turn, will he partially if not
fully compensated for by the reduced
cost Of living, the plentiful harvest Of
the present year giving promi 9 that we
are entering on a period Of plenty that
will secure the comforts Of life to oil Oh
much lower basis Of wages"
The day upon which the above piece
Of economic wisdom was written. il was
announced from Washington that Con-
gress had appointed 4 committee. head
el by the President Of the Rhode Island
Board Of Trade and two other capital
lists, to sit in Newport. and prepare n
report Of the relative conditions of
American and European lalorcrs. When
this report is pointed it will play Il
double game. On one hand it will he
circulated among American lahorers to
induce them to submit humhlv. AMI lie
down to starvation wages. seeing how
much happier was their 10. than that Of
the European slaves. Tn the other
hand 1t will he circulated in Europe as
means of inducing the pauper labor
there to emigrate toAmcrica and compete
with the American laborer. so as to rem
der him utterly ahject and helpless.
This inianitons game has already been
successfully played for several years,
the conspirators using the United States
Congress and the taxes ground ont of
labor to carry on their mnrlcrous
scheme. While labor is sweating and
Juggling these very hot days those three
men are sitting at Newport at the public
expense, Winning and dining at fashiona-
ble tables, consulting rich bankers and
sumptuous corporation thieves. and lcis-
urelv preparing their trick to set Euro
pean lanper labor in competition with
outraged American labor. and thus keep
both in abicct slavery and poverty.
Pending the trick the Fall River
Ne,rs, of course. slyly anticipates the
game that is to he worked up. and al
ready announces that the supply OF
labor is in excess, and will continue in
excess so long as the influx OF labor
from abroad maintains its present pro-
portions" OF course the editor Of the
Fall River Ners knows perfectly well
that the manufacturers and other COR
porations to-day have hundreds of
agents securing every country in Eu-
rope. spreading circulars designed to
induce European labor to cmigrate here,
and that the Newport Commission is
chiefly designated to assist these Eu-
ropean agents in their work.
But the game has several ramifica-
tions. one Of the chief of which is to pull
the wool over the American labor,r's
eyes and make him contcnted slave.
and this il the especial work Of the
capitalistic organs.
Grcenhackers and students of the
currency question we'll understand the
game that is played 10y bankers and
money sharks the secret of devouring
every few years the property Of others
by enhancing and diminishing values hy
expansion and contraction of the power
of money. II Is well understood open.
anl->hnt eamc.which every Grecnbacker
Thoroughly comprehcnds.
But the price Of labor chiefly regu-
la..S III. purchasing power If money in
Ordinary times, Prices If land, fuel.
clothing and commodities follow closely
behind the wages Of labor. Hence. il
the manufacturer secs ahead of him a
certain power Ia lower Mares when he
ri,a -, h. has no objection for the
tim. h,in. To n high Scai. Of wages. H
asis!z.> the expanding period to a;spas"
ef san.lry properties belonging to the
corporation Al a high rate. 1t cores.
ponds with the unloading" season Of
tie hanks lnfact. the manufacturers arr
acting in harmony with the banks when
the, encourage hfgh scale Of prices for
a season, and. Of course. the food srecn-
latars and other traders are pleased.
Hnt the vital point Of the game. with
the manufacturer as well as with the
banker. consists in maintaining beyond
tn. possibility If ,louh. the fixed pow
or Ia bear down Wages whenever low
wages shall become necessary part of
til. scheme. They must have the power
to make the tide ri wages fall whenever
the time comes. for it is when wages
and consequent values are Mt low It'd.
that the great haul Of plumber is con-
sanmated. II is when the capitalistic
shark shuts down that the victims are
deyoured
As the game Of the hondholler and
the national banker would not he possi-
bile without the all of conspiring
United States Congress, SO the manu-
factnrcr relies chiefly on that brazen
conclave Of thieves To carry out his lur-
poses. Most readers will recoliact the
reports from the United States Consuls
in the several countries of Europe on
the State Of Labor in Europe pub
hshed in 1878 at the instigation OF the
American corporations with the ;.uhlic
money. II is largely due to this book.
Of which All immense number Of COPIES
We're translated and circulated in Eu-
rope. that this Influx Of laborers from
abroad" which the Fall River editor
drags INTO his game has come about.
Now that the poor emigrants have been
induced to come they are used to cut the
threats Of American lahorers when con-
yen"nt, and then citel as evidence Of
"nser supply Of labor T. reconcile labor