Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-06-13
The LABOR PRo slEa.
An Excellent Contribution to tho sstuta-
ton ON the subject.

| it 90 continue to &c. The reptile Of Socia
ism may now and then De heard in II
land, but Its fangs Ero already pulled an
its hiss can do us no harm.
The above sentiment is taken from
Baltimore papeI Of q recent date TIL
country has been largely governed sine
the adoption Of the Constitution, on th
seneelsss and bsssless theory of making
America "a refuge for the oppressed, an
q Mecca for the eroWding hordes, not onl
of Europe but Of the whole world at large
And, apparently this spread eagle systeu
has not occasioued our statesmen any IN
easy feelings as to its effect, # oyerdont
on our America poor and oppressed.
Now let US see, how We stand after man
wears trial of the bene6cient guardianship
of the worlds poor, 30 often made "th
glory and boasL" of America IN "osations,
and Addresses" of our alleged statesmen
Commissioner Wright Of the Bureau o
Labor Statistics in his report lately pu
down before the public says that the mum
Der of men idle for lack OF work IN 1888 wa
in round numbers one million, and the
number employed about four millions
The number of msnutscrories, etc depend
ed on largely to absorb our working pop
Ma ion, also idle for that year was about
seven per cent of the whole. II Is evident
therefore that the number OF factories, etc
idle, had they been in operation, could moi
have furnished employment to the immense
number of idle hands, vi IA empty stomSchs
attached, mentioned in the report
The official report Of foreign lmmlgta'
ton as reported from Nav York, Bo5too,
Huron, Detroit, and Philadeipbis for the
past five years are as foiloUs:-lSSO, 49,
257-lS8l, 669, 33l-l832, 75S,992-loo5
$50, ll4-lSS4, 1882
Here we have grand total OF mose than
three millions OF poor and oppressed peo-
pie within the sholt space OF FIVE years uu'
loaded upou-whsm2 There can only be
one answer TO the question when practical
results are considered, they are uulosded
from the shoulders of the working popula-
tons Of other countries upon which the3
have the claims concurrent upon nativity,
upon the already too heavily burdened
muscles of America own Door aud op-
pressed" and upon whom they have no
claim whatever. Now we win see if we
can apply analysis to The great Labor
problem The same report says "Ot the
total immigration thirty.eight ana one
tenth per cent were females. 1t follows
that sixty-txo and nine tenths per cent or
sixty.three in each huurel were males
So many men leave all ports OF the world
to come TO America without wives or te-
male ties of any kind it probably would be
safe to estimate the number OF adult males
or at least those old enough to take the
place OF man in factories, minea or On
railroads aud farms st one In four OF the
total immigration 10 the five years IN quea-
ton. This estimate doubtless being rather
under the number, than above it we would
have to contemplate seven hundred and
men all poor and oppressed
dumped into the overcroweed labor mar,
krt Of the country 10 the short space OF
five years, and without money and hun
dreds Of thou sHds unable to speak, or IN
derstand our language, expected TO make
their living By labor, On the part OF the
generous government which so kindly
throws the gates wide to them; an expcc'
ted by the various labor organize: IONS to
Join with them on strike, ION the other
handy for living wages.
In this dilemma what is the mdst natu-
raj thing in their poverty to do2 Tfey take
some man 8 vacated position who p for the
time being ION strike" and go to work, as
that man would do were their positions
reversed.
The result naturally, ia, lowered wages
and increased cost Of living. The injury
to the working-men Of America, directly
tracesble 10 excessive foreign immigration,
extends through many other phases than
mere competition for the disProportionate
labor OF the country, but wish to call the
notice of the public to class affected by
directly opposite results from the same
cause, and naturally that class are in ia.
yor of continuance OF the "gsory and
r, Guge" policy. =,
The protection of American industry
We hear of it every time it be ONES neces-
sary to formulate party platform. So far
as the mere laying Of duty on foreign
imports goes, we have for many years now,
enioyed a sufficient protection. But into
whose hands hsS the financial result OF
that duty for protection finally come? The
manufacturers Of the article on which the
duty Ia laid. Why 60? Because the in
telligenf American Vorkingpsn knowing
tho duty put on for his benefit should yield
him two dollars day, in his attempt TO
srcnre that amount is iorstslled and unde..
bid By the foreigner who finally takes the
Mace at one dollar q day, leaving the sur
nlns TO sppssr in the dividend OF the EN-
ployer as profit on the operations OF the
year. ,.L,,.
The tenant farmer, also, finds it harder
10 rent a farm on base at which be can
live, each year, for the reason that some
one Of the many applicants Of foreign ex
traction will agrees TO pay more than he
finds BY experience he can give and have
and have Guy return for his labor.
Take a look at the miners situation next
A few years since the miner had only to
pick and choose, as to where he would like
q lob and get it. Wages were high, as such
psrilous yocations should always furnish
A common miner expected net less than
three dollars q day, and those Of more
ability nearly double that amount, aud a
day of eight hours OF work was enough
At present and for several years past nc
one will deny that Of all occupations that
of the miner is the poorest paid and mos
oyercrowded, aud is characterized by the
greatest number Of Intellectual strikes.
have official figures By me which show tina
the miner, also has the largest percentage
of competition from foreign labor to con
tend with in table Of thirty six trades ex
cept the solitary svocation of Baker. fUy
fire per cent or SIS in each hundred miner
are foreiqnerS. Is it o matter of Wonde
we have labor troubles in American Is i
not a matter of wonder that any one shoul'
regard the interests OF labor in Americj
as a problem9 There is an easy solution
| to the Problem if there be one. Shut til
| GdteSi AMERICA.
Warren Tp., Jefferson Co., O., June 3.
|
BRILLIANT.
All the cold iron machines are on at tn
Brilliant mill