St. Landry democrat., 1886-10-23
Working Men.
WILL FIND INSTRUCTION IN A CAREFUL
STUDY
OF A FEW FIGURES WITH WHICH
BLACK JACK PUZZLED HIMSELF AND
AMUSED PITTsBURG AUDIENCE.
j. s. Moore, in New York Times.

saying: In6 greatest OBJECT IN TIT
universe is good man struggling will
adversely" This suggests. that thu
Senator Logan in his Pittsburg speecf
gives full evidence of this. The Sena
tor has called figures to his aid to show
the wickedness of the "Democratit
English free traders" in disturbing the
present tariff system, and in an out.
burst of enthusiasm he said:
The advance Of wages from 1860 tC
1880 is $50 per cent; increase in number
of hands employed, 10S per cent. The
excess in the amount of wages paid at
present above the amount they would
receive at the rate paid in 1860 is over
S160.000,000.
Now, in order to understand the
above, it is necessary to explain. first,
inasmuch as our population has in
creased from 81 ,443, 1888 in 1860, to 5O,155.
7S3 in 1880, it is by no means wonderful
that our employment of labor shonld in
twenty years have increased 1OS per
cent. AS an actual fact we increased
the employment of labor during fen
years. under a revenue tariff from 1850
to 1860, as follows: Tn 1850 the whole
number of men employed in manufact-
uring Industries was 966969, while ten
y
tariff, the number had increased to 1.311, :,
246, or nearly 40 per cent in ten years.
and no doubt. had the revenue tariff
been IN existence ten years longer. the
increase would have been full as great.
Now, as to the Increase of wages.
The simple fact is as follows: The av-
erage pay per capita in 1860, according
to the statistics, was, as near as possi-
ole, 1890 per year, and in 1880 the av-
erage was $349, or an increase of 90 per
cent. Senator Logan's struggle with
figures would give the impression that
the wages advanced $50 per cent, but
what he really means is, / suppose. that
whereas we paid in 1860 1878 87S, 900 in
wages, we paid in 1880 S497 953, 900.
Having thus far made figures more
comprehensive. | will give a test case
to show that the laborer or mechanic is
worse off at present under onr barba-
rous tariff than he was in 1860 under a
revenue tariff.
Now, Senator Logan spoke in Pitts
burg, and will therefore take labor
er who works in ''forge" or Trolling
mill" This class of labor was paid with
and in 1880 the same labor was paid
S414 per annum. Well, then. if the man
engag ged in this labor was single man,
he had to board and lodge in either pc
riod. 1t so happens that only few
days ago the Census Bureau issued the |
twentieth volume, whicllDshows the cost |
of the necessaries of life-house rent, |
board, etc. If Senator Logan or any |
other orator on the high tariff will con-
suit volume 90, page ITO, line SO of the
census report he will find that in 1861 |
board per week for men in Philadelphia
was 50 and for women S1.75, and in 1880
nd
women's board SO so.
In Sharon, in Pennsylvania, the board
per week for men in 1860 was So so, and
IN 1880 it was $3.50. These being sta
tistical facts. which can be verified by
consulting the volume, page and line
which give, shall just make little
calculation and See how far our friend
working in forge has benefited by dint
of the high tariff In 1s6O-61 this work
jngman had to pay 1856 per annum, at
So week, for his board. His earnings
in 1e60-61 were, as stated, were 1888.
II we deduct the 1856 for board from
left for all other necessaries. Now.
then. let us turn to 1890 Board. as I
stated, was S. week in Philadelphia
his board, therefore, would have been
$3.50. His years earnings, as have 1
shown. were $414. If we deduct $3.50
from S414 we get a balance of 1854, or
$r3 less than under the revenue tariff
of 1860.
Now, need hardly say that this in
crease is still more patent in clothing,
blankets or any other manufactured '
goods that are enhanced by our tariff
system, and as an actual fact the work q
ngman has, as we all know, to pay t
more for his luxuries of tobacco, spirits
ind beer. c
1t the workingman is married and has q
/ family. then | am sure he is worse off,
Is the increase in his rent and other a
lecessaries of a household is more Sc Il
'ereiy felt l cannot dismiss the sub Il
ect without calling attention to Sen
.tor Logan's remarkable assertion that G.
under our system of protection farm n
PRODUCTS are to-day higher, while man Il
Ifactured goods are lower than in 1890"
Why, as an actual fact, wheat is 10 o.
ents per bushel less this year than it q
vas in 1850. As for cotton that is much el
over than in 1860. Altogether the sta
istics and deductions of Senator Logan D,
re not success. The only success Of te
be Pittsburg meeting is the truly dras- in
ic speech Of Gen. Beaver. The sturdy
republican puts the saddle on the right in
orse. He is not satisfied with Mr.. ot
,andall's Democratic protectionism. m
What be wants is for Pennsylvania
Democrats to vote for a Republican al
peaker in order to get high protec- SO
on committeeman | think the old or
aro il ripht Whv should these So ae