Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-02-16
Ihe SIRE press,
An Able and Interrstiug Essay on this
Important Subject.
Thy President lIamlIn, OF Middl sDury Collese.l

fortunes have bccn built up in very lars
numbers. To elias, of millionaires VIII
carry out with amazing ability the motto O
Tic Golden Club, to "6uy cheap and sci
dear" Free Trade is the thing 1t enable
them, as we shall show, in some markets t
buy and to sell at their own prices This i
to them Il very comfortable statc.of things
and no wonder they are willing TO spent
money freely in other lands in advocacy o
their principles. But all this success of tn
great capitalists does not constitute true ma
tional prosperity. 1t docs not necessaril.
make a contentcd people. 1t does not dmin
ish paupcrsm. In England the atorinl
classes, manufacturing and agricultural, ar
no better off than they were fifty or one hun
drcd years ago. On the contrary, the differ
ence between them and the rich is create
than ever. If Free Trade has been blessin!
to England, her millions of lahorcrs have NJ
share in it. They have made no progress
The wonderful inventions of the age, thu
better modes of living. the higher enjoy
mcnts of life, pass them by in the sweat ant
CRIME Of their ill-requited toll; and if hope
ever comes to them at all, it is the immoita
hope of another life.
In proof of this assertion that Free Trad
has in no respect benefited the luborcrs OF
England on the farm or in the workshop,
| quote from one Of the most distinguished
of Free Traders in England Henry Fawcctt,
NJ. r., Professor of Political Economy in the
University of Cambridge.
In his political Economy" extensively
used as textbook in this country and in
England (page 1881, after pferring to the
piodigous increase of British exports, he
adds This increase of national prosperity
has, as yet effected no corresponding I'M
provemcnt in the condition of the laboring
classes lie then goes on to state that where
there has been an increase of wages there has
been prOportionate increase in the cost of
living, S that one barely compcnsates for the
other. He then refers TO Mr.. Brassey, who
is another distinguished Free Trader His
book on "Worb and Wages" Prof. FawCctt
endorses as of the highest authority, as per-
fecty accurate, as evincing the most careful
investigation. The following are some of
the results:
'ln the Canada Engineering Works a,
Birkeuhead thirteen different classes of work
men are employed; such as filters. turner's,
coppersmiths, etc. OF these thirteen classes
six were receiving less wages in 1869 than in
1854, three were receiving the same,
and four were receiving somewhat higher
wages
In the Government DIckyald at Shlcrness
the result was even less favorable. From
1919 to 1859 these classes mad mn advance of
siXpcnce a day, but from 1859 to 1869 no
advance whatever. "Wagcs were al solutcly
stationary Throughout these years" (p.
13i.)
Twenty classes OF laborcrs in private ship
yards on the Thames showed the slGc wages
in 1869 ms in 1851. There was n temporary
rise in 90, but dearly purchased by the dis
tress that followed
Mr.. Brasscy thinks that the building trades
are somewhat better paid but 'thc increase
in wages has not been proportional To the in
crease in the cost of living"
Prof. IawcCtt c0nfesscs Il a. sin other
trades the condition of the laborcr must have
detcrioraicd." But even in the very best paid
trades it must also have dctcrioratcd, accor.
ding 10 his own showing.
II Is point of interest, and essential to
right Judgment upon Free Trade in England,
TO know how great has been the increase in
the expense of living during these Yeas Of
its greatest development. Prof Fuwcctt O..
13i) considers it not less Than thirty per
cent The best paid laborers, who are com
parativcly few, have hardly held their own.
What, then, is the condition of the multi
tudc : What has Free Trade bestowed upon
the English laborcrs in general, on, the farm
and in the workshop! Why, it is thirty per
cent Of loss 1t is the same as a decrease of
wages during the last thirty years of almost
onc-third. His condition, never very hope
full, is now hopeless. This. O., England, is
the demonstration of the blessings of Free
Trade TO thy laboring classes which thou art
presenting TO the world, Thy hard laboring
millions can live while muscles are strong
and 1.-the, but when old age or disease
comes, then the poor house and the pauper's
grave.
Let us not be in too hot haste for Free
Trade until we have examined some other
points,
1t is said by some that the only reason why
the lot Of the English laborcr is so different
from that of the American is the abundance
OF uncuItvatcd land in America waiting for
the industry Of man to improve il. But
there are large tracts of land in England
where the soil is good, but they are devoted
to nothing but sheep walks and pleasure
grounds. ASIDE from fens and rough hills,
these are found all over England and Scot
land.
The men that we call farmers-the yeo
many of England disappeared. The
English farmer is not the owner of land, nor
does he do any farm work. lie is not la
borer. lie docs not belong to the laboring
classes, He often knows nothing about
farming. He is a capitalist He rents land
according To his means, and suh-lets II in
small patches TO tenants Or if h. has prac-
tical or theoretical knowledge he culiivatcs
his lentcd farms by hiring farm laborers. The
wolier-the tillcr Of the soil never
the owner of the soil in England. The old
English 'ycomanry" have disappeared, This
sad process Of degradation is nearly IN.
plete.
Now, this is the population that we have
TO inquire about. 1t is not the capitalist, hui
the laborlr, whose condition we wish t.
know. The lattcr-thc laborcrs- ouuumbcl
the former II hundred fold. If the capitalist
alone prosper and the labDrcr is uniformly
wrctch'd, the system under which they ur,
working ont the problem of life cILnOt be
good one.
Now, what are the wages of farm labor
or when he car get work? Fawce't tells us
from 10 to - shIlings wcek-lAat is from
SO to G2 cents II day. Dat of this he mus
provide for himself and his family, AnC
this not only during the seven days Of tn,
week, but during all the the time lac is out o
work. His income for the year cannot aver
age 40 cents day, ont Of which he must pay
rent, fuel, wood and clothing for himself nnl
family. If the family consists Of six persons
the wagcs Of the hard. working father vii
furnish six to eight cents day according /,
the times for each individual. for all tin
wants OF life, for necessities and Injuries
Every young man in America who smokes
ten cent cigar, or It's equivalent in vilcr stuff
smokes away an English aboror's life an
onc-half oil his wtc's as their life now i,
under the meridian sun of Free Trade, aftc