Daily Republican., 1883-05-01
Results OF Free Trade.

the late tariff ,utnuii>sion, is in Wales
part of England, where there have
been and still are large miues OF
coal, and iron works. The letters he il
writing to the New York Tribune are a
truthful expo sure Of the results of fret
trade. His last place Of visitation OF
which he treats in his letter is Merthyr
TydviI, SAID to be probably the largest
iron works in the world. They employ
about nine thousand hands-tuur thous
and under, and five thousand above
ground. Mr. Porter says that rs he
toiltd ur the hill on which part, and
the best part of the town was located,
he had an excellent opportunity for
observing how men with large families
exist Oh sixty cents day. Without
exaggeratlng he says the houses, o,
rather novels, III which these people
lived, are little better than pig-styes-
broken down, leaky, grimy novels,
with everything crowded into one room
Ia walk Of two miles he found but one
comfortable home, one cheerful, tidy
cottag". The system Of female labor
exists here as at ali other iron works in
Vale, that Mr.. Porter visited. Speak
ing OF the girls he saw employed here,
he says they are dirty, very bold-eyed
and yet ,lualidly picturesque, with
their cheap EARRINGS and their colored
handkerchiefS. They ply their shovels
like navyies, and lift immense blocks of
stone and coal But thanks to the fac
Iory act, he says the employment of
women III the iron works is growing
less. An enormous quantity Of drink
is consumed i'll Merthyr. Notwith-
standing the fact that the men make
but SIXTY cents day, they spend a
great part Of that for beer. II asked
what the miners live on, the answer is,
beer When maldened with drink.
theSt miners tight long and tur1usiy.
They turn out into the streets, strip TO
the waist, and, not content with binding
one another with their sledge hammer
blows, they tAsten their teeth in one
another 5 ears and shoulders, and worry
the flesh ike dogs 1t need not he
wondered at that men who starvr on
sixty cents day become savage.
Hunger would turn the millest men
almost into brute. Such "a church as
we might expect to find in d locality
like this is thus truthfully described 10y
Mr.. Porter:
"Il has a dimly illuminated clock, tut
that II the only thing bright about it -
1t seems TO be Wondering away in i7s
green church yard, as the Bibles paint
ed on some OF the tOmbStomes are seal
ing OF from the green slabs. The flags
are a. damp a, the bricks of a cellar.
When the clergyman goes TO the com
mUnlon-tah!e he is quite eXiled from |
MS sparse congregation. There were
betwe''ll forty and fifty persons present
on the morning attended, Tnr faded |
organ seemed To be Shiverlng mp in the
chilly gallery ; and when the hin old
clerk i'll wiz and Spectacle, and long
Skirt"d coat took round the pewter
plate he looked lik" the last of his race.
II was worth while going to church,
however, II only to hear the I.itanv read
IN Welsh. II was Il Sea-like piece Of
music -
Now let American workingmen look
ON tbs picture Of the results Of free
trade and ask themselves why they
vote and act with a political party in
this country who are in favor Of free
tral"' It will b" years yet before the
sane genera. squaIid poverty aud mis-
cry wi, "tillct this country, but it can
not help bur come if free trade i, p,r-
sisted ill., England in the past saw
mat her commercial supremacy va, OH
y possible through free trade, and by
grinding down the laboriug 1"Dpl" to
the ,trr. Of beasts of hUrthrn. Her
mIllIOudirrs made their money by pay
ing less for thcir labor than was paid in
other countries for like labor While
the proprietors OF the iron works and
coal mines at Merthyr Tydyil grew
rich the nine thousand miners and iron
workers were reduced to that condition
Of spualid poverty and ignorance so
'ruthtul.y described in Mr.. Porter's
letters. II is true that American
workiDgn"n are not in the happi' st
condition, but they are immeaSurably
better of in This country than they are
IN England under free trade RUE. Every
in America should read
Mr. Purr"I'- letters.