The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-02-17
LABORERs.
CONTINUED FRoM THE FIRsr PAGE.

IN 1880, and wages are now no greater
than in 1850. But even IL wages are more
now than in 1850, they are still not
what they ought to be.
American labOrers work harder, more
hours. and take fewer holidays than in
any other country. In fact there is too
much work and too much prOducted.
OvsrwOrk and OverproductiOn, together
with the unrighte0us distribution of
the products OF labor, are the CRYING
evils of the day. The aggregate prOdue-
tiOn annually is at least three times the
amount sufficient to support every soul
in the country in comfort and ease, If
the products of labor were fairly distrib-
uted among all as they should be in a
free country or republic. There Is no
question but that, II the present force
of labOreTs in this country were to work
only One-haH OF even One-thtrd of the
time they now do, enough would be pro-
duced, if the products were fairly dis
tributed, to support all in comfort and
ease.
SO far as concerns the labOrers, the
trouble or evil is, not that there is no
enough work or not enough produced,
but simply that they receive too small a
share of the products Of their labor; wa
ges being in fact simply their share of
the product of their labor, while capital
and monopoly receives too large share.
1t is IDnsene to compare wages here with
wages in other countries, or with for
mer plriOds in this country. The Ques-
ton is-dOes the labOrer here to-day re-
ceiye br his labor a just share Of the
produces of his labor?
The day was when the farmer reaped
with sickle and threshed with fail,
and Other industries were no more ad-
Yanced in labOr-saving appliances. In
those days there was comparatively lit
tie prOdtced to reward capital and Ia
Dor, and of course labor's share was very
lmall, and capitals was also small. Nor
1Oes it avail to compare prices now with
prices in former periods in this country,
and point to the fact that in some things
prices are as low or even lower than at
,OTmeT periods. 1t is very true there
vas time when, under the blighting in
ubus of the mOnstrOus tariff then in
Orce, prices were 80 high that farmers
Dr instance, with harder work and more
brittle soils, were unable to buy their
cOthes or the goods to make them, but
sun and wOVe their own goods in win
tr time; or so much aS cOOkstOVe, but
cOked In pots on the hearth; or glass
fG lighting their houses, or even the
hrdware for their houses, but had
wooden hinges and latches to their doors
All fastened their roofs without nails
BIT in spite of the incubus of those tar
pOyer Of labor to produce, and the in
erased aggregate OF the productions Of
labr, by reason 0f the invention Of new
methods and arts and lRbOr-saVing ap-
plRnces, prices gradually declined. And
still later, from 1846, when the Internal
tnc(bus on the industries of the count
ry, lnOwn as the tariff of 1842, gave way
to tie tariff of 1S46, to 1850, there was a
general decline in prices. Iron bar from
$85tO $40, and pig from $52 to 800 per
tOnand WOOllen and cotton goods more
thai 80 per cent, and all other products
executing purely agricultural products,
in lite proportion. Yet, nOtwithstand-
ing his great decline In prices, moth
ing more certain than that wages
Vastll increased from 1846 to 1860. The
condition of the labOrer in 1880 was
VastlI superior to his condition in 1846.
Not oily did he receive much more mOA
d, ey fOrhis labor, but that money prOcur-
ed him nearly tWO-fOld what the same
sum would have procured in 1846.
The question Is not, whether the con-
ditiOn Of the labOrer Is as good, OF even
better than before the war; but how
much letter should it beP Just to the
extent that his productive capacity has
increased, to that extent his condition
should be better. II, for instance, by
the use of newly discovered arts and
methods and by the invention Of labor
saving machinery and appliances, the
aggregate products of the land in pro-
portion u the labOrers employed, is dOu-
BILE; that is, If the average productive
capacity Il labor Is double now to what
it was bebre the war, the labOrer should
receive sufficient wages to procure
double tn, quantity Of the aggregated
products q the land his wages procured
In 1860. This is only just; II prOdue-
tiOn Is doubled, capital should not RD-
SOrb the Whole increase, but be content
with double share and allow labor a
double sharl and in such case II labor
does not. getits prOpOrtiOnate share of
the increased production it is simply
robbed by capital. r7 I
Does labor now receive its lust share
of its prOduct? Most emphatically no
Our Republican friends not only ad-
NIT that there has been large increase
In the productive capacity of labor since
1850, but proclaim it at all times in sea-
son and out OfseasOn. 1t is with them
the one great distinguishing achieve
ment for which they claim special credit
the constant theme OF bOasting and
eXultati0n. If half what they say is
true the productive capacity Of labor is
more than doubled since the year 1850.
And no doubt in the very shops OF @.
Aultman 81 Co., with the aid Of improve
ments, methods, machinery and appli-
anceS invented since 1850, given
amount of labor will now produce two
machines in the time il produced one in
1880.
Why then are wages being constantly
Teduced2 Why is all this increased pro-
ductiOn of labor absorbed and eOncen-
trated in the hands Of the few who roll
in wealth and luxuryl while labor, to
say the best that can be said, Is no better
off than twenty years agope.
An Eastern paper lately gave list Of
milliOpaires of New York city alone, less
than nlty In number, whose countless
millions aggregate quite az much as the
entire wealthe Of Ohio on the tax duplf-
cate before the war. In this respect the
ehange in this country since 1880 is
simply appalling; 1t is vain to search
history for q parallel.
While production, now, owing TO the
many marvellous Inventions and discOY-
cries, is much greater than before the
war, yet before the war there was a com
paratfVely fair distribution of the pro-
ductfUns Of labor among all classes
lnAIIi0naires were snbstAnt tally I'M
EDowhs tramps unseen, strikes unheard
OF. Labor was so well satisfied and con-
tent thatthe idea Of any occasion OF me-