Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-04-16
VIM. d. McMAsTER, Editor & Pro'r,
from our regular correspondent:
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, D. c., April y, 'Sl

The Danville investigation by Sena-
tor Sherman's special committee, is at
tended at intervals with some interest
ing tits between members of the COM
mittee and the witnesses, and some OF
them are something more than eXcit-
ing. The evidence of Mr.. Dezendorf
last Tuesday, and that of citizens Of
Copiah county last week, will furnish
Mr.. Lamar with all the pabulum re-
quisite for an interesting speech. He
has been watching these Investigations
with eager interest, and he doubtless
intends to give us the results of his OBJ
servations. He finds that most Of the
Northern people are ignorant of the
real condition of that sentiment in the
South among the negroes that inter-
prets Democracy to mean that slavery
is to be restored and negroes again re-
duced to bondage. The Democrats in
Mississippi, while in numerical mi
nority 10000, go on year after year
securing victories, to the surprise OF
those who take it for granted that the
10000 negroes, in excess of the whites,
are all Republicans, and that Demo-
cratic success must therefore come
through fraud. This theory is not by
any means correct, for the negroes are
not organized as are the whites, and
they are apathetc at elections unless
impelled by some strong SENTIMENT
They conceive that their interests and
those Of the men who. possessing the
wealth, learning and the governing cx-
perience and conservative opinions,
have striven for the control of power,
the collection and expenditure of taxes,
and the maintenance of good ORDER
In the elaboration of these points, Mr..
Lamar will invite a long and it may be
a most interesting controversy.
The end, aim and object Of the
Democratic party is to protect labor
from the reaction Of enormous and
grinding monopolies. The argument
that is urged against tariff reduction is
that it will tend to reduce American
labor to the condition of the 'pauper
labor" of foreign countries, which if
true should put an end to any debate
on tariff reform. But, see if it is true.
To-day the spinners of Fall River, to
5000, are working on two-thirds
time, every loom in England is running
full time, and while our cotton manu-
facturers enjoy the protection of an
average of fifty per cent duties, the
wages of American operatives are no
higher than those of the English spin
ners. Mr.. Shaw, the consul at Man
chester, England, in his last report
says: Operatives here are the best
paid and most comfortable working
class in England, and their influence
and wealth are increasing at a rapid
rate" Mr.. SHAW is Republican,
and yet he gives this unbiased evidence
in regard to what we are pleased to
call "pauper labor" in free trade Eng.
land. The Manchester operatives are
happy and contented, while the Fall
River spinners are fighting, and fight.
ing continually, against reduction o.
wages that has aggregated in three
years more than sixty-sevcn per cent,
and more now threatened. The con-
trast is one worthy the study
of the politician as we'll as the
political economist. When properly
studied out, it is possible that thu
American operatives may desire t.
shake off a system that robs them o
their earnings under the swindllng pre-
,o,.o % n,oI.o.:,,. .lo,,, N