Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-23
WORKINGMEN,s STRIKES.

Strikes are becoming frequent in the
manufacturing districts, and it is worth in
quiring whether the working-men engaged in
manufactures are justified in demanding in
crease OF wages, or in resisting the decrease
some of the manufacturers are striving to
effect. Greatly under the profession of de-
string to protect the American workmen
from suffering loss by the "pauper labor of
Europe" heavy duties are levied on many
OF the necessaries OF Life to support the
system of protection. These duties increase
the expense of living. Ii by these duties an
American workman who earns S25 week
where the same kind OF workmen in Europe
gets but dollar, is compelled by the pro-
tective system to pay twenty cents a day
for what he needs over what he would pay
without the protective system, it is plain
he is no better off than 'the pauper laborer
of Europe" 1t is therefore not the number
of coins or bank notes paid him that shows
his true earnings, but the number in proper
ton to their purchasing power. In free
trade country it is manifest the laborer's
wages will, on the whole, buy more untaxed
supplies than the same wages when expended
manufacturer is to protect American labor,
he will show the same desire to protect it
when no questions of the products of foreign
labor are concerned, as where they are. In
other words the manufacturer will pay the
laborer as much as he can, not as little as is
possible. That the workmen have reason to
believe the employers do not act upon this
principle is shown by their striking to main
tain or raise the scale of their wages. Are
present circumstances, as they affect the
workman, such as justly to induce him to
demand that, at least, his wages shall not be
reduced, or that they should even be raised.
If the workman earned enough last year to
just live and support his family comfortably,
and those wages are reduced, other things
remaining equal, then, it is manifest, he is
justified in resisting a decrease. If it costs
more to live this year than last year, then,
other things being equal, he has a right to
demand an increase of pay in proportion as
that pay has less purchasing power than it |
had year ago. This affords us a criterion |
to judge, when no outside events occur to
change relations, as to the propriety of |
workmen resisting a decline, or asking an
advance at any given time, how does it
stand at present The New York Public,
excellent authority as will be acknowledged,
in its last issue had a table of comparative
market prices of various articles, showing
the difference between the present year up to !
this time and last year at the same period. !
Taking grain, meats, dairy, sugar, all food, |
clothing, metals, and lumber, we find the table |
gives the following total figures: On the last |
week in January where these articles cost |
$132 81 in 1881 they cost Sl42 SO in 1882; |
last week in February, S130 SO, against |
SAP % in 1882; week ending March eth, !
Sl3O "A, against $40 81 in 1882; March
18th, 1929 p, against SAP % in 1882. These
serve as specimens, and show that prices
have advanced since the latter end of last
winter and to that extent explain the ground
taken by the strikers. If ''other things" are
not equal to what they were last year, and |
have so far eaten into the capitalists profits
that he is impelled to call upon the work !
men to bear their proportion of the losses,
then, OF course, the capitalists are justified
in doing so, even though the workmen's
wages fail to buy as much az they purcha sed
this time last year, but high protective
tariff and high prices for goods certainly
appear to fit in i'll with lowering wages.